Since its inception, the MGFA has focused on supporting research that can make life better for people living with myasthenia gravis. Our grant program continues to grow, with the MGFA committing $3.1 million in funding over the past five years, including $850,000 in grant awards in 2025.
Investigators funded by the MGFA are making new discoveries, laying the foundation for even greater scientific progress in the future.
Dr. Anna Punga has been focused on improving diagnostic and monitoring tools and care in MG, including biomarkers. A biomarker is a measurable indicator of disease—something in the body that can indicate disease state or progression. Last year alone, she co-authored five papers and book chapters on MG and was invited to speak about her work at the MGFA’s 15th International Conference on Myasthenia and Related Disorders in May. Her most recent paper explores the chemical signatures of T cells in people with MG, offering a new understanding of the complexity of autoimmunity.
Source: Inflammatory imbalance and activation deficits in T cells of myasthenia gravis patients revealed by proteomic profiling, Frontiers in Immunology, Amol K Bhandage and Anna Rostedt Punga (August 2025)
Dr. Kevin O’Connor and Dr. Ryan Hibbs co-authored a paper sharing high-resolution cryoelectron microscopy structures of the human adult AChR in different functional states. AChR is an autoantibody that mistakenly attacks the body’s acetylcholine receptors in MG. By revealing how these autoantibodies directly inhibit AChR channel activation, these findings provide critical insights into MG immunopathogenesis, which can provide a framework for developing personalized therapies.
Source: Autoimmune mechanisms elucidated through muscle acetylcholine receptor structures, Cell, Huanhuan Li, Minh C. Pham, Jinfeng Teng, Kevin C. O’Connor, Colleen M. Noviello, Ryan E. Hibbs (May 1, 2025)
Three MGFA grant recipients—Drs. Fatemeh Khani-Habibabadi, Kevin O’Connor, and Aimee S. Payne—co-authored a paper reporting on the design of a chimeric autoantibody receptor (CAAR) that could function as part of a future treatment for AChR-MG. This study demonstrates the importance of a specific transmembrane domain (the CD28 TMD) for CAAR stability and in vivo function, laying the groundwork for future development of precision cellular immunotherapy for AChR-MG.
Source: Composition and function of AChR chimeric autoantibody receptor T cells for antigen-specific B cell depletion in myasthenia gravis, Science Advances, Sangwook Oh, Fatemeh Khani-Habibabadi, Kevin C. O’Connor, and Aimee S. Payne (February 28, 2025)