Patricia Inácio, PhD, science writer —

The EveryLife Foundation for Rare Diseases is accepting applications for a scholarship program that aims to help adults with a rare disease pursue personal goals through training and education. For a second year, the #RAREis Scholarship Fund — supported by Horizon Therapeutics – will award 35 one-time scholarships, each…

Japanese patients with Lambert‐Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS) show long-term neurological improvements with treatment regardless of whether they also have small cell lung cancer (SCLC), researchers report. The study, “Long‐term prognosis of Japanese Lambert–Eaton myasthenic syndrome patients with or without small‐cell lung carcinoma,” was published in the journal Clinical…

The number of treatments for children with rare diseases has grown over the past decade, according to a new study. However, despite the increase, nearly 7,000 rare diseases are still lacking treatment. And federal incentives to boost treatment development for these rare diseases have primarily focused not on creating new…

The case of a 55-year-old woman diagnosed with overlapping Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome and myasthenia gravis — which tested negative for well-known neuromuscular junction antibodies — could help pave the way for further research into better, target-specific therapies, a study suggests. The study, “A Case of Triple-Negative Myasthenia…

Elevated levels of antibodies against certain proteins in the blood — SOX2, GABAb and N-type VGCC —  may help to more quickly identify small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) in people with Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS), a study suggests. The study “Neuronal antibody detection and improved lung cancer prediction in…

A rare case of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) was discovered in a patient with paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration and Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (PCD-LEMS) — the first report to link the cancer to late-onset PCD-LEMS, according to researchers. Their study, “Non-small cell lung cancer associated with late-onset Lambert–Eaton myasthenic syndrome…

Diagnosing Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS) as early as possible is key for effectively managing the disease, according to a review study, which also highlights the need to test for small cell lung cancer in these patients. The review, “Lambert-Eaton Myasthenic syndrome: early diagnosis is key,”…

A case report describes a rare event of tongue muscle atrophy (shrinkage) in a 48-year-old man with Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome who also was diagnosed with small-cell lung cancer (SCLC). Following radiotherapy for the tumor, the patient fully recovered control of the tongue. The study, “Reversible tongue atrophy in Lambert-Eaton…

The Triple-Timed Up-and-Go (3TUG) test is a rapid, non-invasive, reliable, and reproducible measurement for assessing muscle weakness in people with Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS), analysis of the Phase 2 DAPPER trial shows. The study, “Validation of the Triple Timed Up-and-Go Test in Lambert-Eaton Myasthenia,” was published in the…

Autoantibodies against the GRP78 protein could explain why some Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS) patients develop paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration (PCD), a study suggests. The GRP78-targeting autoantibodies may disrupt the blood-brain barrier that shields the central nervous system, allowing LEMS autoantibodies to reach the brain. The study, “GRP78 antibodies damage…