United Kingdom: ME Research UK (MERUK) News

Funding awarded: ELUCIDATE: Exploring pain and autonomic dysfunction in ME/CFS and temporomandibular disorders

"Mr James Allison is an oral surgeon at Newcastle University, and the aim of his study is to explore the contribution of the ANS to the painful symptoms experienced by people with ME/CFS and/or TMDs.

He will use electroencephalography (which measures the electrical activity of the brain non-invasively) to assess the brain’s response to painful pressure applied to the finger and jaw in four groups of people:

  • Patients with ME/CFS only,
  • Patients with both ME/CFS and TMD,
  • Patients with TMD only, and
  • Healthy participants without ME/CFS or TMD.
The idea is that these responses will help to determine how pain differs in ME/CFS and in other people. In addition, low-resolution brain electromagnetic tomography will be used to identify where in the brain these differences are located.

Another part of the study involves using non-invasive stimulation of the vagus nerve to potentially ‘calm’ the ANS, and to measure the effect this has on both brain activity and levels of pain."

https://www.meresearch.org.uk/research/elucidate/

This looks to follow on from Brain Responses in CFS and TMD to Autonomic Challenges: An Exploratory fMRI Study, 2019, Allison et al
 
Trish said:
I didn't know EEG was able to 'measure' pain. Is there evidence for this? If so, why use questionnaires?
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What has happened to measurements of brain activity? When I was an undergraduate over forty years ago there was such optimism about what might be possible. I remember the excitement when one of my lecturers identified his ‘yummy, yummy, I see a banana cells’, that was a small group of neurones in primates that responded to visual food stimuli only when hungry.

The animal studies were raising all sorts of interesting possibilities, though researchers were then struggling how to relate this research to humans. I remember failing to get a contemporary post doctoral researcher to understand that it was not appropriate to run elderly Alzheimer’s patients through life sized mazes for food rewards (it took his supervisor’s wife to persuade them that the resultant tabloid headlines would not be good publicity).
 
Big Give Christmas Challenge 2021

"The Christmas Challenge is a match funding campaign where donations made during the event are doubled by matching them with monies already pledged by supporters. Additional funds can also come from a Big Give Champion which further increases the giving fund.

Big Give 2021 runs from noon 30th November 2021 – noon 7th December 2021

To be a part of the Christmas Challenge, we need to secure £1,000 in pledges. This can be from a single individual or ten supporters pledging £100 each. £100 is the minimum pledge permitted by The Big Give."

https://www.meresearch.org.uk/big-give-christmas-challenge-2021/
 
Funding announcement.

"Cell-type specificity, molecular scope and epigenetic basis for mitochondrial and cellular dysfunction in ME/CFS
....
This is the main question that Dr Annesley hopes to answer in her new study, in which she will determine if these abnormalities in mitochondrial energy production are also present in fibroblasts, which are cells found in the skin. She will also evaluate whether the alterations correlate with the severity of ME/CFS.

In addition, the team will look at whether other cellular pathways are involved, and whether the persistence of these abnormalities is due to epigenetic changes (how specific genes are turned on or off).

A better understanding of mitochondrial dysfunction in ME/CFS may help in the development of diagnostic tests for the disease, and the identification of effective pharmacological treatments."

https://www.meresearch.org.uk/research/mitochondrial-and-cellular-dysfunction/
 
"Vacancies – Science Writer

ME Research UK is a research-focused charity with big ambitions to build upon success and we are seeking a full-time science writer who can help us make a positive difference in communicating ME/CFS at a very exciting time.

If your passion is making science and research accessible to a range of audiences and you relish the chance of working with a small team to build our future, we would love to hear from you."

https://www.meresearch.org.uk/vacancies/
 
Andy said:
Newly funded PhD genetics research

"We are delighted to announce ME Research UK’s first award for PhD-level research. This is for a project being conducted at the University of Edinburgh by PhD student Gemma Samms under the supervision of Professor Chris Ponting."

https://www.meresearch.org.uk/newly-funded-phd-genetics-research/

Detail on the award here, https://www.meresearch.org.uk/research/genetic-risk-factors/
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It is fitting that the first of our PhD research funding awards should
be to support Gemma, because she has a very personal interest in ME/CFS,
having being diagnosed with the disease when she was 18 years old.

Despite the huge changes this brought to her life, Gemma's passion and
dedication have seen her through two degrees and a postgraduate research
project, and given her the drive to pursue this PhD. 'I fundamentally
believe in addressing the cause of disease... and genetics provides the
perfect opportunity.'
Click to expand...
 
Andy said:
Funding announcement.

"Cell-type specificity, molecular scope and epigenetic basis for mitochondrial and cellular dysfunction in ME/CFS
....
This is the main question that Dr Annesley hopes to answer in her new study, in which she will determine if these abnormalities in mitochondrial energy production are also present in fibroblasts, which are cells found in the skin. She will also evaluate whether the alterations correlate with the severity of ME/CFS.

In addition, the team will look at whether other cellular pathways are involved, and whether the persistence of these abnormalities is due to epigenetic changes (how specific genes are turned on or off).

A better understanding of mitochondrial dysfunction in ME/CFS may help in the development of diagnostic tests for the disease, and the identification of effective pharmacological treatments."

https://www.meresearch.org.uk/research/mitochondrial-and-cellular-dysfunction/
Click to expand...
PhD candidate for 3 year scholarship.JPG
Click to expand...
 
Latest edition of the ME Research newsletter can be downloaded from https://www.meresearch.org.uk/research/breakthrough-magazine/

In this issue

Editorial........................................... 3
UK Government commitment......... 4
The Big Give.................................... 4
Top 10 research priorities ............... 5
IACFS report ................................... 6
Christmas shopping ........................ 6
Meet our new colleague ................. 7
EBV biomarkers............................... 8
New PhD-level research................ 11
Roads not taken............................ 12
Research bites............................... 16
Fundraising stories........................ 20
 
For those who don't use Twitter.

2022 – Our Research Year in Review

"As the major charitable funder of biomedical research into the causes and consequences of ME/CFS in the UK and, in terms of projects, the largest globally excluding North America, this year alone ME Research UK achieved the following:

  • The charity funded two research projects at a total cost of £286,224.
  • As we seek to build research capacity, we funded three PhD-level projects at a total investment in the future of £203,624.18. This research is taking place at King’s College, London (funded jointly with Action for ME), Edinburgh University and an institution abroad (still to be announced).
  • In answer to our June 2022 funding round, we considered 15 applications from researchers at top-quality institutions globally. The total amount sought is in excess of £1 million.
  • Three projects were completed with results due to be published in the near future.
  • Five research papers were published acknowledging the financial support of ME Research UK, including those from Dr Westermeier, Dr Sepúlveda & Prof. Scheibenbogen, and Prof. Nijs & Prof. Godderis."
More at https://www.meresearch.org.uk/2022-our-funding-year-in-review/
 
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