A team from the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute in Melbourne, Australia, have recently published the first results of their ME Research UK-funded study looking at brain function in adolescents with ME/CFS. As well as measuring the impact of mental exertion on cognitive function, they have also used MRI to assess functional connectivity. Read more here

Psoriasis is a skin condition caused by an increased production of skin cells, and is thought to result from abnormalities in the immune system. It is characterised by systemic inflammation, which also affects other systems of the body, including the eyes and cardiovascular system. There is some evidence to suggest that patients with psoriasis are more likely to experience fatigue, and a recently published study from a group in Taiwan has been...

The electronic version of our Spring 2019 issue of Breakthrough magazine is now available online. Download a pdf or read it online. The contents include ME Research UK-funded research on the search for anti-citrullinated antibodies, reading problems in ME/CFS, and the involvement of severely ill patients in research; short items on the parliamentary debate on research and new treatment avenues using pharmacogenomics; and many shorter...

Many people with ME/CFS would consider that their most significant problem is post-exertional malaise (PEM) – that worsening of symptoms that follows even minimal physical (and sometimes mental) effort. Although PEM is included in existing case definitions for ME and CFS – such as the Fukuda and Canadian Consensus Criteria – these documents often do not agree on how it is defined, or whether it is even required for diagnosis. Furthermore, there...

We reported last year the disappointing news that preliminary results from the Norwegian randomised trial of rituximab were not showing any clinical benefit of the drug in people with ME/CFS. This was doubly disappointing for us at ME Research UK because we had recently awarded a grant to Prof. David Patrick at the University of British Columbia to use data from the trial to develop an immunosignature predicting individuals who would respond to...

Founding Trustees Robert McRae (l) and Dr Vance A Spence (r) in 2010 marking 10th anniversary of foundation of ME Research UK Dr Vance Spence, a founding Trustee and Chairman of ME Research UK for the past 18 years, announced his retirement at the charity’s recent AGM. Although stepping back from his role as Chairman and Trustee, Vance will continue to be a member of ME Research UK’s Scientific Board, providing input and advice on the quality...