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ME Research UK is delighted to announce that we have awarded funding to Dr Zack Shan at the University of the Sunshine Coast for a new study using MRI to assess brain neuroinflammation and the lymphatic system in ME/CFS. This project is possible thanks to the financial support of the Fred and Joan Davies Bequest.
Dr Shan and his colleagues are conducting the world’s first controlled study directly assessing neuroinflammation in the brains of people with ME/CFS. Neuroinflammation occurs when the brain’s immune system is activated, and this is believed to play an important role in ME/CFS.
The team’s advanced imaging techniques mean they can now analyse several aspects of this, including microglia and astrocytes (the immune cells of the brain), the lymphatic system, and various neurometabolites. Their results will provide evidence of whether neuroinflammation is a factor in ME/CFS, which could point to specific treatments.
