We are pleased to announce the recipients of the 2023 Johadamis ME/CFS Research Grant of €100,000 for the project “UNRAVELING ME/CFS”:
The role of hidden viral infections in peripheral blood and gut-specific lymphoid tissue in the pathogenesis of ME/CFS (myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome) – a controlled cross-sectional study.
In many patients, the acute onset of ME/CFS can be traced back to a viral infection. However, current scientific knowledge about the role of hidden or past viral infections in ME/CFS is insufficient to understand the pathogenesis of the disease, identify objective diagnostic biomarkers, or develop targeted therapies. Particularly underrepresented in ME/CFS studies to date is the gut-specific lymphatic tissue of the small intestine, the largest lymphatic organ in the human body and a potential reservoir for pathogens.
The aim of the controlled cross-sectional study UNRAVELING ME/CFS is therefore to better understand the role of hidden or past viral infections in the gut-specific lymphatic tissue in the pathogenesis of ME/CFS.
The project, led by Dr. Max Augustin and Univ.-Prof. Dr. Alexander Zoufaly, is being conducted in collaboration with neurologist Dr. Michael Stingl and the 4th Medical Department of the Favoriten Clinic (headed by Univ.-Doz. Christoph Wenisch) and Sigmund Freud Private University.
As part of this major international collaboration project, biomaterials and clinical data are being exchanged with Assoc. Prof. Iwijn de Vlaminck and Prof. Maureen Hanson from Cornell University. There, the latest and most sophisticated high-end laboratory techniques, including spatial transcriptomics and deep RNA sequencing, enable detailed investigation of the role of previous or hidden viral infections of the gut-specific lymphatic tissue in the pathogenesis of ME/CFS.
The existing close collaboration between the Favoriten Clinic, SFU, and Cornell University (USA) is being strengthened by the UNRAVELING ME/CFS study funded by the WE&ME Foundation.
