Annals of the New York Academy of SciencesJan 18, 2018

Gut bacteria and probiotics as new ways to influence the immune system in myasthenia gravis

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Updated Apr 4, 2026

Abstract

Probiotics may help restore immune tolerance in myasthenia gravis based on encouraging results from animal models.

Gut microorganisms influence human nutrition, metabolism, and immune function.
Dysbiosis, or alterations in gut bacteria composition, could contribute to immune-mediated diseases.
Probiotics may dampen immune responses in models of autoimmune diseases.
Recent data support the clinical efficacy of probiotics in rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis models.
Selected strains of probiotics warrant evaluation in clinical trials to aid myasthenia gravis treatment.

Simplified

Gut microorganisms (microbiota) live in symbiosis with the host and influence human nutrition, metabolism, physiology, and immune development and function. The microbiota prevents pathogen infection to the host, and in turn the host provides a niche for survival. The alteration of gut bacteria composition (dysbiosis) could contribute to the development of immune-mediated diseases by influencing the immune system activation and driving the pro- and anti-inflammatory responses in order to promote or counteract immune reactions. Probiotics are nonpathogenic microorganisms able to interact with the gut microbiota and provide health benefits; their use has recently been exploited to dampen immunological response in several experimental models of autoimmune diseases. Here, we focus on the relationships among commensal bacteria, probiotics, and the gut, describing the main interactions occurring with the immune system and recent data supporting the clinical efficacy of probiotic administration in rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and myasthenia gravis (MG) animal models. The encouraging results suggest that selected strains of probiotics should be evaluated in clinical trials as adjuvant therapy to restore the disrupted tolerance in myasthenia gravis.

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Gut bacteria and probiotics as new ways to influence the immune system in myasthenia gravis

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