273. Cure: Write about finding a cure for an illness.
Myasthenia gravis is an auto-immune neuro-muscular disorder with symptoms that include weakness in the arm and leg muscles, double vision and difficulties with speech and chewing. The condition is caused by a breakdown in communication between nerves and muscles. Specifically, the problem occurs at the neuro-muscular junction which results from antibodies that block or destroy nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (AChR) at the junction between the nerve and muscle. This prevents nerve impulses from triggering muscle contractions.
Since there are fewer than 200,000 US cases per year, there aren’t companies clamoring to find cures – there’s not much money to be made from a cure. This is such a rare disorder, a cure wouldn’t help as many as if there were a cure for cancer or diabetes. What would a cure look like? My guess is that finding a cure would be a “mistake” or byproduct of a scientist doing research for something else and then casually discovering that it helped MG. I can only hope someone is making a casual connection today.
