In 2023, Dr Bo Bertilson, a researcher and clinician at the Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, and his colleagues at Bragée Clinics in Sweden received funding from ME Research UK for a project investigating potential biomarkers of ME/CFS.
The study uses a technique called mass spectrometry to identify chemical substances in blood plasma—the liquid component of blood—and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) – the clear fluid that surrounds and cushions the brain and spinal cord. CSF is of interest in ME/CFS as it also delivers essential nutrients to nervous system tissues and removes waste products, helping to support the role of the nervous system in regulating and coordinating bodily functions.
A paper has now been published acknowledging this funding, detailing a project which examined ‘proteomic signatures’ – specific proteins associated with disease – in samples of CSF from people with ME/CFS.
Results showed that there were differences in two distinct groups of participants; those with ME/CFS and POTS, and those with severe ME/CFS. In their paper, the researchers conclude that their findings provide insight into the biological processes behind why ME/CFS differs so much between people with the disease – a concept known as disease heterogeneity.
You can read more about the newly published study, and what the researchers found, on our website.
