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By John Gibb on Sat, 20 Apr 2013
More: http://www.odt.co.nz/campus/university-otago/253715/grant-boosts-hopes-finding-biomarkers-cfsLottery Health Research grants totalling $126,200 have boosted University of Otago researchers Angus Mackay and Prof Warren Tate's hopes of finding a diagnostic blood test for chronic fatigue syndrome, once called Tapanui flu....
Scots-born Mr Mackay and his biochemistry PhD supervisor, Prof Tate, have very good reasons for trying to find molecular biomarkers for myalgic encephalomyelitis, commonly known as chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).
Mr Mackay (52), who gained an $85,000 PhD scholarship, has experienced ME since the age of 35, and a close member of Prof Tate's family has also long had the condition.
The syndrome was ''complex, debilitating, life-changing and, in most cases, lifelong'', Prof Tate said.
''There is no specific diagnostic blood test or effective treatment.
''This highlights the urgent need to find specific biomarkers to differentiate ME/CFS from other treatable disorders involving fatigue and to expedite the search for specific therapies.''
About 20,000 New Zealanders were affected by ME, with an estimated economic cost of about $40,000 for each affected family, he said.
Mr Mackay said ME had prevented him from pursuing his passion for school teaching but he was now determined to learn much more about ME, including how to detect it in blood....