This section contains references to current research projects into ME/CFS.
Research and ME/CFS diagnostic criteria for sample inclusion
It is a requirement that all subjects or patients included in ME/CFS research sample be clearly indentified in a transparent way to meet both the Fukuda and the Canadian diagnostic criteria.
This will ensure that the patient cohort is not diluted in any way by those who may be suffering from "fatigue" or "chronic fatigue" which is unrelated to Myalgic Encephalomyelitis ICD-10 G.93.3 (WHO).
If you are a researcher and you require copies of one or both of these diagnostic criteria please contact ME/CFS Australia (Victoria) on (03) 9791 3100. All research proposals that request support from ME/CS Australia (Vic) will be required to fullfil this requirement.
Australian Research Projects
Murdoch University: ME/CFS Support in Second Life
Posted: 31st March 2010
By Kirsty Best, lecturer in Communication and Media Studies. Research centres around interviews with participants from Canada and Australia about how and whether computers and the Internet help to ease some of the isolation people with ME/CFS experience due to their illness, then getting them set up in Second Life and monitoring the results.
The Role of Lewis Phenotype and ABH Secretor Status in Relation to Nasal Carriage of Staphylococcal Species in Patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome:A Pilot Study (2009/2010)
Posted: 6th January 2010
By Associate Professor Richard Dunstan; Doctor Diane Sparkes; Doctor Margaret MacDonald; and Conjoint Professor Timothy Roberts.
'Australia’s pain is not invisible' Project
Posted: November 2009
See how many others live in your post code with pain.
Bond University
Academics work with locals to combat Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Posted: 28th October 2009
Bond University and the community will team up for a revolutionary research project aiming to unearth a faster diagnosis method for the debilitating Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS).
The University has put out the call for 150 locals aged 20 to 65-years-old to take part in the world-first study, made possible through a $533,000 grant from the Queensland Government’s Smart State program – the first Smart State Grant received by Bond - as well as a $90,000 National Grant from the Mason Foundation to further investigate immunological dysfunction in CFS patients.
Initial findings from this research can be accessed here:
Journal Article: Brenu, E et al (2010) 'Immune and hemorheological changes in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome', Journal of Translational Medicine, vol. 8, no. 1.
Media release: The Mason Foundation announces ME/CFS grants awarded
Posted: 16th October 2009
The Mason Foundation grants are awarded to Australian based organisations, with grants of up to $100,000 available for research into Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Alzheimer's disease.
International Research Projects
McMurray, Jenna (2010) 'Researchers hope to prove viral cause of fatigue', Calgary Sun, 26th August.
Hanson, Maureen Rebecca (2010) 'The relationship of XMRV to functional status and co-infections in chronic fatigue syndrome', Cornell University Ithaca.
We plan to learn more about the association of XMRV and other pathogens with CFS by examining an outbreak cohort not previously screened for the presence of XMRV. We will determine whether the presence of XMRV and/or other pathogens is related to the current state of health of individuals who became ill during a 1985 outbreak in rural New York.
Jason, L et al (2010) 'Sensitivity and specificity of the CDC empirical chronic fatigue syndrome case definiton', Psychology, vol. 1, pp. 9-16 [Full article published online, April].
SolveCFS Biobank: CFIDS Association of America
Posted: 24th June 2010
The CFIDS Association of America has established the SolveCFS BioBank, a bank of biological samples (such as blood, tissue, cells, DNA or other types of samples) at the Genetic Alliance laboratory facility from people affected by chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and unaffected individuals aged 10 and older.
Fibromyalgia Information Needs Study
Posted: 23rd February 2010
From Dr Alison C Bested: I urge you to please answer this online research survey about Fibromyalgia. It has ethics approval at McMaster University. You will remain anonymous. This helps you by looking at the impact of Fibromyalgia on you and your health. Accepting research participants until the 12th of March 2010.
Exercise-induced cerebrospinal fluid proteomic biomarkers of fatigue
Posted: 3rd February 2010
The objective of this study is to understand what goes wrong in Gulf War Illness (GWI). We have previously performed lumbar punctures (spinal taps) in GWI subjects and identified a dozen proteins that were present in GWI but not "healthy control" subjects. This suggested that these proteins may be useful as biomarkers of GWI, and that they may be used to develop new tests for the condition. The pattern of the proteins also provided some ideas about how the brain may be injured in GWI. Long lasting, low-grade injury could lead to the symptoms of GWI and related illnesses such as chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia.
Proteomics of Cerebrospinal Fluid in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome' from Clinical Trials Gov (US).
Posted: 1st February 2010
Currently accepting research participants.
Invest in ME - Funding biomedical research into ME
Posted: 21st January 2010
Two charities are joining forces to fund research into ME/CFS. ME Solutions and Invest in ME are working together to maximise the opportunities to fund research into ME/CFS. The research project is 'The role of XMRV in modulation of NK cell cytotoxicity and NK cell gene abnormalities in ME/CFS patients and normal blood donors'.
A Pilot Study of Amygdala Retraining Program in Patients With Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic Fatigue and Fibromyalgia
Posted: 21st January 2010
The purpose of this pilot study is to gather preliminary data on the efficacy and feasibility of the Amygdala Retraining Program (ARP), a mind-body practice versus a control (C) on fatigue, quality of life and sleep in patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), Chronic Fatigue (CF) and Fibromyalgia (FM).
ME Research UK - Independent confirmation of the relationship between XMRV and ME/CFS in Sweden
Posted: 20th January 2010
This investigation is one attempt to answer the question regarding replication of results for XMRV in other geographical areas, ie, to establish whether XMRV nucleic acid can be found in peripheral blood mononuclear cells, plasma and serum of Swedish patients and controls.
Whittemore Peterson Institute: Research Questionnaire
Posted: 17th November 2009
The Whittemore Peterson Institute's Research Questionnaire is now available online.
New Strategies to Decipher the Pathophysiology of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Posted: 24th September 2009
Whittemore Peterson Institute Research Director Dr. Judy Mikovits and collaborator Dr. Jonathan Kerr of St. George's College in London were awarded this $1.6 million grant by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. This 5 year grant will provide critical support for the ongoing research into the causes and diagnosis of neuro-immune diseases.
European think tank forms to generate research establishing ME/CFS as organic illness
Posted: June 8, 2009
Ten leading scientists in Europe - members of the nonprofit European Society for ME have formed a Think Tank for ME and held their first meeting with a press conference Saturday, June 13 in Stavanger, Norway. They want to initiate an effective research effort to find the secret behind the mystery disease that cripples an increasing number of lives.
