Simmaron Powers the Rise of ME/CFS Science in 2016!
The last 18 months produced extraordinary change in the ME/CFS field, and Simmaron’s work has played a pivotal role. We could not have had such a strong impact without the generous support and participation of the ME/CFS community.
The publication of the Columbia-Simmaron spinal fluid studies in 2015 coincided with reports by The Institute of Medicine and the NIH Pathways to Prevention initiative to propel a transformation of the federal ME/CFS program. Columbia University’s work and our collaborations with them and others have put immunological research at the center of this renewal in ME/CFS science.
NIH Study to Replicate & Deepen Columbia Findings
A year ago, the Director of the National Institutes of Health announced a renewed commitment to ME/CFS research and the first intramural study of the disease in at least 20 years. The NIH study is designed to replicate Columbia’s findings with deep immunological, neurological and genetic testing. Advisors to the study include Dr. Ian Lipkin of Columbia University, Dr. Elizabeth Unger from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, and recently Dr. Daniel Peterson.
A critical design element of the study is the criteria for enrollment, which requires “post-infectious” onset following the example set by Drs. Lipkin, Peterson and other clinicians in the XMRV study 5 years ago. Enrollment of controls has begun, and disease subjects will be enrolled early in 2017. Dr. Peterson and Simmaron are proud to have played a role in the strategic foundation of this unprecedented study.
