News From Jarred Younger / Neuroinflammation, Pain, and Fatigue Laboratory at UAB, From Aug 2020

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyI0fqwxg-Y

 

One of the studies I am more excited to see results from!

 

An emotional experience.

I’ve found my new bed time story voice, but wow how do you talk about sickness in such a deeply relaxing tone.

I can’t remember how brutal any treatment candidate drugs would be if this theory of ME pans out but, since there may be some options I can’t help but join in with hoping that it does.

How good would it be if such a kindly fellow was able to over turn an empire of sadism? That would make perfect movie material too, see Post Office scandal thread. This leaves me feeling perhaps that’s a little too optimistic, for one in such a position as ours.

On the other hand my brain on fire is all in. The body map photo for these immune cells overlaps my worst pain areas. But I’d then have to add arm pits, neck throat, eyes and head. So perhaps another a stretch in favour of my hopes of vindication for my unrestrained bodily sensations.

Imagine how many avenues could have been explored in the past fifty years if every researcher was as open and curious and committed to the scientific process as Jarred. Well chosen ME Research UK.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tco6wHEOnE4

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQxir5qb-40

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_E4ekxzzlg

 

The 8 tests mentioned are —

High-Sensitivity C-reactive Protein (hs-CRP)
Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR)
Serum Amyloid A (SAA)
Plasma Viscosity (PV)
Ferritin
Fibrinogen
Interleukin 6 (IL-6)
Tumor Necrosis Factor alpha (TNF-a)

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GS8rgE9HKSU

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KeGlH3oEjTM

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fkfvFIDyWI

 

1,186 views 26 Mar 2024 BIRMINGHAM
A quick update from the lab. A large remote clinical trial grant we proposed for funding was rejected. This study was on low-dose naltrexone (LDN) and cannabidiol (CBD) for Gulf War Illness treatment. If you want to hear a bit about how I feel about rejected grants and how I handle them, check out the video. While this news is disappointing, we fortunately have more accepted grants than rejected ones, and this is just part of the highly competitive process. - Jarred Younger

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wcgv1bW2Y_A

 

In video #010 in the comments section Jarred Younger gave an update on the Good day / Bad day study and the reason it has been delayed.

"Thanks for checking!

The good day/bad day study is the 3rd study of our 5-year NIH grant. We are wrapping up the 1st study (MRI) and 2nd study (PET), and now starting the good day/bad day study.

I meant to start it years ago, but the COVID-19 stuff threw a big wrench into doing ME/CFS good day/bad day work. When people were having a bad day, they were actually sometimes just getting a viral infection, which is a totally different question. I waited a long time, but the infections and vaccinations seem to be quiet enough now for me to do good day/bad day work. - Jarred Younger"

It looks like Jarred Younger has been answering quite a number of comments in some of his videos. It's nice to see he engages.

 

Sorry/not sorry to be cynical, but the odds that LDN plus CBD will cure anything at all are round about zero.

 

I don't think it was expected to be a cure for GWI. Even finding a treatment helps with symptoms can be useful and tell us something about what is going wrong. There aren't really any proven treatments to reduce TSPO activation otherwise they would have been tested in clearly neuroinflammatory diseases. At least LDN is being tested in clinical trials elsewhere so I don't think this is a major loss.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OlpFPCwAyOc

 

The idea of measuring the signaling response to a stimuli is a good way to go about this. If there ends up being a signaling problem, there has to be some reason that the signal is present. Even if the signal is erroneous there must be some reason why it is happening in the first place. If we can find a way to figure out what the signals are responding to that would tell us a lot about the problem.

Probably just a coincidence but it is interesting that Fractalkine may be involved in glutamate neurotransmission.

 

On Facebook "I have a great update on our leukocyte "brain infiltration" study. The FDA gave us permission to start scanning chronic fatigue patients! Check out the video for more details. - Jarred Younger"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VImABXhAP8A

 

Bolding added

I believe these are two of Dr. Younger's three studies as listed in ClinicalTrials.Gov

1. Assessment of Neuroinflammation in Central Inflammatory Disorders Using [F-18]DPA-714. (DPA-714)
Contact: Jared Younger, PhD and Jonathan McConathy, MD
The primary objective of this study is to measure the concentration and the regional brain distribution of activated brain microglia/macrophages using the PET radiopharmaceutical [F-18]DPA-714 in individuals with chronic pain and fatigue suspected to be associated with neuroinflammation

Population: Healthy volunteer OR Clinical diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) OR Meets 2016 American College of Rheumatology (ACR) case definition criteria for fibromyalgia OR Meets 1994 Fukuda case definition criteria for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

2. Tracking Peripheral Immune Cell Infiltration of the Brain in Central Inflammatory Disorders Using [Zr-89]Oxinate-4-labeled Leukocytes.
Jonathan McConathy, MD, PhD
This study will use brain Positron Emission Tomography/ Magnetic Resonance Imaging (PET/MRI) and an investigational radioactive drug called [Zr-89]oxine to track the location of white blood cells (also called leukocytes) in the body. PET/MRI will be used to visualize labeled white blood cells and determine if they enter the central nervous system in conditions associated with brain inflammation (also called neuroinflammation).

Population: Healthy volunteer OR Clinical diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) OR Meets 2016 American College of Rheumatology (ACR) case definition criteria for fibromyalgia OR Meets 1994 Fukuda case definition criteria for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome​

Unfortunately, these studies are still using Fukuda to select patients. Lots of money and time spent on an outdated definition that doesn't require PEM

 

Thank you for adding valuable info/links!

Yes, super disappointing if the study doesn't require PEM? However, he mentions in this video that the first ME/CFS patient he's testing has to have PEM (at 4:53 min).

Also, for anyone who hasn't seen the original video where he explains everything about the study, it's this one: Tracking Leukocytes Infiltrating the Brain.

Edited: I mistyped, accidentally wrote "CFS" first instead of ME/CFS". Edited now, sorry.