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| Researchers | Dr Eliana Lacerda & Prof. Geraldine Cambridge |
| Institutions | London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine & UCL, UK |
| Start date | May 2023 |
| Funded by | ME Research UK |
| Aims | One potential explanation for many of the features of ME/CFS is that the body’s immune system is attacking damaged proteins, some of which are involved in generating energy. These proteins may be damaged by an excess of toxic molecules (reactive oxygen species). An immune response is characterised by the production of antibodies, and Dr Lacerda and Prof. Cambridge plan to analyse the pattern of antibodies in samples from patients with moderate and severe ME/CFS (from the UK ME/CFS Biobank), linking them to changes in specific proteins. Their results may form the basis of new diagnostic tools for the disease, including stratification of patients based on severity. |
