Queensland Government: Gold Coast researchers make chronic fatigue breakthrough

[MEPatient345]

Oh, sorry about that. Thanks @AndyPR.

 

[arewenearlythereyet]

Ok looks promising but further work needed to use a larger cohort (15 CFS patients used for this pilot). Still interesting though!

 

[Marky90]

Now my whole news feed thinks the reason for ME has been discovered.. I know the researchers needs funding, but this is stinky journalism. Keep in mind, this is the kinda uncritical coverage the psychobabblers get all the time.

 

[AndyPR]

Now my whole news feed thinks the reason for ME has been discovered.. I know the researchers needs funding, but this is stinky journalism. Keep in mind, this is the kinda uncritical coverage the psychobabblers get all the time.

Weird isn't it. Fluge and Mella can point towards far more solid responses but everybody has gone loopy for this work from Griffiths. I don't get it.

 

[alex3619]

Weird isn't it. Fluge and Mella can point towards far more solid responses but everybody has gone loopy for this work from Griffiths. I don't get it.

My guess is a major news feed here picked it up, then it gets reprinted again and again with nobody checking the story. This could indeed be big news, after the test is validated.

 

[Eian Mcneely]

Queensland researchers have uncovered a world-first link between Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and a dysfunctional immune system.

Chronic fatigue syndrome sufferers have been given new hope after Queensland researchers found strong evidence it is caused by a dysfunctional immune system.

Griffith University's National Centre for Neuroimmunology and Emerging Diseases identified a defective cell receptor that appeared to be central to the development of CFS and the related myalgic encephalomyelitis.

Queensland's Science Minister Leeanne Enoch said the breakthrough was a world-first in this area of research.

"This discovery is great news for all people living with CFS and the related Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME), as it confirms what people with these conditions have long known - that it is a 'real' illness - not a psychological issue," she said on the Gold Coast on Tuesday.

"CFS and ME are notoriously difficult to diagnose, with sufferers often going for years without getting the proper care and attention they need.

"Currently, there is no effective treatment."

The two diseases are believed to affect 250,000 Australians, with diagnosis, treatment and management estimated to cost more than $700 million annually.

The state government has funded the NCNED since 2008, while it also recently received a $4 million grant from the Stafford Fox Medical Research Foundation.

NCNED professor Don Staines said the funding would be used to investigate the commercialisation of a diagnostic test currently under development, as well as possible treatments.

"This is a huge boost to our research effort, enabling us to really look at how we can overcome this debilitating illness," he said.

Source: sbs.com.au

 

[Mohawk1995]

This is promising research further defining the disease itself and it's many facets. Continues to present as a "hibernation" like response of the body. Yes a larger cohort would give more credibility, but the results are significant even still.

Interesting that the TRPM3 ion channels are closely linked to glucose metabolism (ie energy). Also significant is the role the PregS (a neurosteroid) plays in activating these channels.

Still the question of what creates this change in ME suffers and what "keeps it on" remains. Appears to support the theory of a Neuro-immune response at its core.

If there is "mud in the water" always look upstream (in this case Neuro-immune). Further support of this type of research is needed!

 

[John Mac]

The Huffington Post Australia is covering the story.


http://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/20...s-make-chronic-fatigue-syndrome-research-bre/

 

[Helen]

Weird isn't it. Fluge and Mella can point towards far more solid responses but everybody has gone loopy for this work from Griffiths. I don't get it.

I´m hoping for a less invasive treatment than killing off my B-cells to get my health back. That´s why I get excited about findings that could offer something else. Still, I´m impressed by the work and results from Fluge and Mella. I assume we might end up with some different methods and medicins for ME/CFS.

 

[Jenny TipsforME]

Ah I was hoping it was something actually new today. Though good on balance that bio research makes the news in Australia. Is there no SMC equivalent in Australia @alex3619 ?

 

[Marky90]

I´m hoping for a less invasive treatment than killing off my B-cells to get my health back. That´s why I get excited about findings that could offer something else. Still, I´m impressed by the work and results from Fluge and Mella. I assume we might end up with some different methods and medicins for ME/CFS.

It don`t look to be that "easy" unfortunately, unless rituximab misses potential pathological b-cells located other places than in the blood, e.g. in tissue. Rituximab is one of the nicest immunosuppressives in terms of side effects, so ideally it would be the perfect "cure".

 

[ukxmrv]

Ah I was hoping it was something actually new today. Though good on balance that bio research makes the news in Australia. Is there no SMC equivalent in Australia @alex3619 ?

The UK Guardian newspaper has been dipping their toes in the water so the SMC won't be far behind?

 

[Helen]

Rituximab is one of the nicest immunosuppressives in terms of side effects, so ideally it would be the perfect "cure".

I´m not quite convinced that all of us should need an immunosuppressive medicine . Time will tell.

 

[Marky90]

I´m not quite convinced that all of us should need an immunosuppressive medicine . Time will tell.

Neither am I, it`s anyone's guess at this point.

 

[DeceptivelySlow]

Did a quick Google search and found the following link with info on the funding and development of a test:

https://www.griffith.edu.au/health/national-centre-neuroimmunology-emerging-diseases

Scroll down to the December 1 article.

 

[MikeJackmin]

Not really a breakthrough, but not crap either. It's a 'maybe'. Might prove to be a big deal, and it might not.

 

[AndyPR]

This thread duplicates this one http://forums.phoenixrising.me/inde...hers-make-chronic-fatigue-breakthrough.49389/

I'll highlight it for the mods and ask for a merge.

 

[*GG*]

Another name for CFS is CFIDS, the ID stands for Immune Dysfunction, this has been known for at least 2 decades now.

GG

 

[simeyss]

Ah I was hoping it was something actually new today. Though good on balance that bio research makes the news in Australia. Is there no SMC equivalent in Australia @alex3619 ?

We do have a sister site of the SMC here in Oz, though I don't think it's as powerful as the one in the UK. We've had instances where terrible UK ME/CFS stories have been picked up and republished here, but there is an opportunity for other stories to be published (we've got some journos who have written good stories).

The thing about this story is that NCNED is very good at PR. They seem to regularly publish press releases and/or small studies, and are great at building relationships with the right people (as in here, with Qld politicians). There's nothing in this story to suggest this is a new breakthrough at all. They've been very well supported by Qld gov't. Good PR and high visibility doesn't always mean it's good science though...

 

[alicec]

Good PR and high visibility doesn't always mean it's good science though...

Some of their published studies on SNPs are truly abysmal. Even if we don't let that undermine our confidence in their other research, so far at least I have seen only a series of small, observational studies.

The PR gives lots of hints about great things to come so I look forward to a substantial study which tries to reveal at least some fundamental mechanisms.

Until then I see nothing to get excited about in yet another small, phenomenological study.