Ron Davis research update April 2018

[Indigophoton]

The latest 14min video research update from Ron Davis' group. Not a lot new, but a useful summary of where they are at.

https://www.omf.ngo/ron-davis-research-update-video/

RD says they have found fewer viruses in the (severely ill) patient group than in healthy people, which was the opposite of what he expected.

They are going to do a large analysis of blood to look for any kind of pathogen, based on looking for pathogen dna.

They have had a number of assorted issues to deal with and overcome to be able to use the nanoneedle effectively and reproducibly. They can now do two chips at once, eg a patient and a healthy control. They will probably build or source something that can do many chips at once.

They have studied 11 patients and 10 healthy controls: they are just about ready to publish the results, which have consistently differentiated patients from controls. They don't yet know why they get the results they get.

ME red blood cells are sticky in vitro and a little different in colour; more studies to be done.

They are very keen to find a biomarker and know how to go from lab to clinical test if the data they have pan out.

They would also like to distinguish ME/CFS from other diseases (as well as healthy controls) - some of the biochemistry looks a little like diabetes for instance - to make sure the correct treatments are applied.

 

[Marky]

Coool. Im kinda curious about the "sticky" blood cells. Cause initially i was getting bad palpitations early in the disease when sprinting, i naturally thought i had some heart issue, but extensive testing showed no cause.

 

[adambeyoncelowe]

I tried a finger prick blood test recently. It took me two days and six lancets to fill two tiny little tubes with blood. My blood is super sticky! It was forming little blobs and was clotting super-fast. Every finger had pricks on it (my Nana would make an awful pun there).

Yesterday, my doctor and I were discussing how similar lots of my presentations were to diabetes--but I've been checked for it a few times.

A lot of this sounds like it's on the right track. Interesting that he found fewer viruses in us, though. That may be due to an overactive immune system, perhaps?

 

[Joh]

Just as an info, the video was published in December 2017.

 

[Indigophoton]

Thank you @Joh, my mistake. Apologies to all for the confusion.

Note to self, double check dates when things are re-advertised

 

[Inara]

ME red blood cells are sticky in vitro and a little different in colour; more studies to be done.

Is sticky platelet syndrome meant?

 

[Indigophoton]

@Inara, I had to look that up - it doesn't sound like what RD is describing. Sticky platelets syndrome seems to involve platelets sticking together in clumps, while Ron said the blood cells don't flow as well as they should through capillaries, ie, it sounds more like an issue of viscosity than aggregation (but I'm not knowledgeable on the details of either).

 

[Inara]

Thank you @Indigophoton!

 

[Little Bluestem]

RD says they have found fewer viruses in the (severely ill) patient group than in healthy people, which was the opposite of what he expected.

There is a theory that people with ME are suffering the reaction to an infection long after the infection is gone. The few viruses would tie-in with this.