From The Northern Echo, 29 November 2016. Story by Tony Kearney, News Editor (North Durham).
University scientists are leading research to develop a simple blood test for the chronic fatigue syndrome ME.
Researchers from Newcastle and Oxford Universities have been awarded £50,000 funding from the ME Association to spend 12 months analysing nearly 300 blood samples, looking at metabolomics – chemical clues that are left behind after changes in cells.
Finding similarities in the cells of patients diagnosed with ME could help identify a test for the condition – and ultimately a cure.
Dr Charles Shepherd, medical adviser for the ME Association, said: “Put simply, this is the hunt for a smoking gun.
“This could be a major breakthrough.
He added: “Once and for all, we would be able to dispel the myth that ME should be treated as a psychological illness which is primarily in the mind.”
How brilliant! Thank you MEA for funding this. Pure Biomedical research into ME/CFS, just what we need.I’m looking forward to hearing the results too. Anybody know how long this type of study will take? Are the Biobank samples at the Royal Free going to be used?
Hi Janice
Thanks. To answer your questions, we hope the study will be completed in 2017 and, yes, we’re utilising samples from the UK ME/CFS Biobank at the Royal Free Hospital – so there will be no problems with recruiting volunteers.
– Tony at the MEA.