Researchers propose deep trawl of DNA to help uncover the causes of ME/CFS

Analysing the DNA of thousands of patients can help to uncover the genetic roots of diseases and shed light on the underlying biological mechanisms. This can reveal targets for drug development. A new and very different type of genetic research has emerged this millennium – the genome-wide association study (GWAS, pronounced “gee-was”). By probing small … Read moreResearchers propose deep trawl of DNA to help uncover the causes of ME/CFS

Nanoelectric device could lead to a diagnostic blood test for ME/CFS

Last week, Dr Ron Davis’s team published a pilot study showing remarkable results for their nanoneedle device. Strikingly, there was no overlap between the results for 20 ME/CFS patients and those for 20 healthy controls, something that is almost never seen with this illness. A nanoelectronics-blood-based diagnostic biomarker for myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) R … Read moreNanoelectric device could lead to a diagnostic blood test for ME/CFS

Something in the blood

Remarkaably, four independent groups have now found that a factor in the blood can affect cell metabolism/mitochondria in ME/CFS and transfer the effect to healthy cells.

The first to find the effect were Dr Oystein Fluge and Professor Olav Mella in 2016. They were studying energy production in the cell, a logical thing to do when trying to understand an illness where energy is in such short supply.

A brightening future: the state of ME/CFS research

OPINION Although there are no treatments for ME/CFS on the horizon, things are looking up thanks to recent findings and a substantial increase in the amount of high-quality research. The field still needs much more funding. Do you remember the buzz around rituximab? Oncologists Dr Fluge and Professor Mella had noticed something interesting when they … Read moreA brightening future: the state of ME/CFS research

Significant association of DNA variants with self-reported ME/CFS

Guest blog by Professor Chris Ponting and colleagues. Summary A new analysis using data from UK Biobank indicates that one version of a particular gene increases the risk of ME/CFS in women. The gene codes for a transporter protein in the mitochondrial membrane and plays a critical role in the urea cycle, which is important … Read moreSignificant association of DNA variants with self-reported ME/CFS

The heart of ME/CFS? Lipkin’s Collaborative probes the impact of exertion

The hallmark symptom of ME/CFS is post-exertional malaise (PEM), a prolonged, grim and disproportionate response to exertion. While Dr W. Ian Lipkin’s NIH-funded Collaborative – the Center for Solutions for ME/CFS – is focusing primarily on how problems in patients’ gut microbiomes might drive the disease, his team is also probing deeply what happens when … Read moreThe heart of ME/CFS? Lipkin’s Collaborative probes the impact of exertion

The microbiome hypothesis: Lipkin’s collaborative, part 1

A gut reaction is the problem in ME/CFS – that’s the main idea being pursued by Dr W. Ian Lipkin of the Center for Infection and Immunity at Columbia University. He believes that the body’s response to changes in the gut could be what’s driving ME/CFS for at least some patients. Lipkin’s collaborative group, the … Read moreThe microbiome hypothesis: Lipkin’s collaborative, part 1

Dr Ron Davis’s big immune study is looking at HLA genes. Here’s why.

Dr Ron Davis has won a large NIH (US National Institutes of Health) grant for an immunology project with a strong focus on HLA genes. Which may have led some to wonder, ‘What are they?’ HLA (human leukocyte antigen) molecules play a critical role in the immune system, particularly by activating T cells. There is … Read moreDr Ron Davis’s big immune study is looking at HLA genes. Here’s why.

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