Open Medicine Institute Continuing ME / CFS Research Pilots with $612,000 Donation

Open Medicine Foundation & Institute are thrilled to announce receipt of $612,000 toward a series of investigative research projects that will take us one step further in our quest to find a cure for neuro-immune illnesses.

Compelling areas include an in-depth study of 20 ME / CFS patients:

• Whole genome sequencing

• A virome survey of oral viral flora

• Two proteomic/metabolomic pilot studies:
  • One looking at over 250,000 protein features per sample. Resulting in a protein profile to compare a baseline ME / CFS patient with responders and non-responders.
  • The second analysis will examine 30,000 smaller molecule profiles representing toxins and metabolites in the same set of samples. This will further our understanding of what a patient’s profile looks like on a molecular level pre and post-treatment.

   

• Natural killer cells, B-cells, and T-cells will be looked at for functional performance, activation markers when compared between ill and recovered patients.

• Other Immunology studies will include single cell measurements, acetylation and other cellular parameters

• Breath testing for GI flora gas production with dietary changes to start looking at the effect of the gut microbiota on the disease, recovery and treatment

• Measurement of mitochondrial and related biochemical pathways that play a role in oxidative stress and energy production, adrenal and thyroid pathways that regulate metabolic function along with full panels of pituitary, gonadal, adrenal and other hormones.

• Brain/Cognitive Data will be collected using unique on-line programs including reaction time, short-term memory, latency, and additional cognitive assessments. These data will be correlated with clinical and molecular endpoints

• Quantified-Self (self measurement) projects will rely on wearable devices logging data of activity, heart rate, sleep patterns, blood pressure, heart rate variability (a measure of stress) and others

Leading this research effort will be Andreas Kogelnik, MD, PhD of the Open Medicine Institute.  OMF Executive Director, Linda Tannenbaum, announced that funding for these critical projects has come from two anonymous donors that have generously stepped forward to accelerate ME / CFS research to the next level.  In addition, over $12,000 has been received from generous on-line giving from individuals. The impact these donors are making provides immeasurable hope for the patient community.