MEA Ramsay Research Fund: Biomarkers and disease activity in people with severe ME/CFS

[charles shepherd]

MEA Ramsay Research Fund to fund new research into biomarkers and markers of disease activity in people with severe ME/CFS | 20 December 2016

We are pleased to announce that – following the normal rigorous peer review procedures – the MEA Ramsay Research Fund has agreed to fund a study that will be examining what are termed microRNA profiles in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and exosome-enriched vesicles.

The study will involve the use of ME Biobank blood samples that have been obtained from people with severe ME/CFS and from our Biobank group of healthy controls.

The research will be carried out by Professor Elisa Oltra and colleagues in Spain and we are hoping that there will also be additional UK collaboration to the involvement of the ME Biobank in supplying the samples.

The study will start early in the New Year and will take 12 months to complete.

Total RRF funding = approx £50,000

More info on MEA website:

http://www.meassociation.org.uk/201...in-people-with-severe-mecfs-20-december-2016/

Dr Charles Shepherd
Hon Medical Adviser, MEA

 

[trishrhymes]

Good news. Thank you.

 

[alex3619]

We need more details of course, but this seems the kind of study that we should be supporting. I hope that we see more studies taking this general approach. Indeed I suspect that much of the success of Ron Davis is due to his research on more severe patients. If the signal is strong its much easier to find, and the effect of noise is minimized.

 

[alex3619]

Do check out the research along these lines that was done in Fibromyalgia, at the MEA link above.

 

[Demepivo]

Good to see a study on the neglected area of Severe ME using the UK Biobank. Guessing that this study & the Karl Morten one on metabolomics will send a message to MEGA/CMRC where resources should be directed.

 

[Battery Muncher]

Thank you for this, it sounds like an excellent study.

I hope more of this sort of work will be carried out.

 

[charles shepherd]

Start the year news from The MEA Ramsay Research Fund (RRF):

Contractual arrangements for a new research study that is being funded by the MEA RRF are being finalised this afternoon and the aim is to start this work in mid February

The research will involve blood samples from the ME/CFS Biobank to look for possible biomarkers and markers of disease activity in people with severe ME/CFS

More info here in our December 2016 website announcement:
http://www.meassociation.org.uk/201...in-people-with-severe-mecfs-20-december-2016/

There will also now be collaboration with a scientist in Oxford who is working in this area of research

The ME/CFS Biobank, part of the University College London Biobank, is funded by the MEA RRF
More info here:

http://cureme.lshtm.ac.uk

End of year report from the ME/CFS Biobank here:

http://www.meassociation.org.uk/201...e-from-the-uk-mecfs-biobank-20-december-2016/

In addition, discussions have been taking place with Dr Karl Morten and colleagues in Oxford about how the extra money raised in the MEA Xmas Appeal, along with some top up funding from the MEA RRF, can be used to strengthen the first ever UK study involving metabolomic research into ME/CFS

More info on the MEA Xmas research funding appeal:

http://www.meassociation.org.uk/201...-will-stay-open-and-heres-why-6-january-2016/


Dr Karl Morten is also being funded by the MEA RRF to carry out research into mitochondrial function in ME/CFS:

http://www.meassociation.org.uk/201...ondrial-muscle-research-in-mecfs-17-may-2016/

And this involves collaboration with other research groups being funded by the MEA RRF to carry out research into the role of mitochondria in ME/CFS:

http://www.meassociation.org.uk/201...e-of-the-mitochondria-in-mecfs-10-march-2016/



The rapidly growing interest in biomedical ME/CFS research that is now taking place at the University of Oxford is very exciting news and it looks as though Oxford could now become a real Centre of Excellence for biomedical research into ME/CFS

More information on the MEA RRF:

http://www.meassociation.org.uk/research2015/


Dr Charles Shepherd
Hon Medical Adviser, MEA