Now recruiting participants:
The MIRACLE research project investigates immunological, inflammatory, and metabolic pathways in ME/CFS. In this collaborative project between the University Hospital of Marburg (UKGM) and the University Hospital of Regensburg (UKR), a total of 200 patients with ME/CFS and 200 healthy control subjects will be studied. Initial data collection and recruitment will be conducted via a web-based questionnaire and an online video consultation.
Patients with very severe ME/CFS who are unable to attend an outpatient appointment will initially be offered an online appointment and, if possible, visited at home so that this previously under-represented patient group can also be included. A comprehensive data analysis is being carried out using artificial intelligence and modern statistical methods to search for patterns for biomarkers and patient clusters in the complex data sets. At the University Hospital Regensburg, Department of Anesthesiology, detailed analyses are being carried out to determine the inflammatory profile of neutrophil granulocytes as a critical part of the immunological defense system. This includes, among other things, the analysis of neutrophil granulocyte behavior, such as migration, production of reactive oxygen species, DNA network formation, and lytic protein release. The Department of Cardiology, Angiology, and Intensive Care Medicine at Marburg University Hospital is investigating the proteome of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), which, as part of reverse cholesterol transport, provides clues to cellular and metabolic processes. Furthermore, cultured endothelial cells are stimulated with HDL-associated proteins to investigate their inflammatory potential. The long-term goal of this study is to uncover the causes of ME/CFS and to identify clusters and biomarkers that can be used for the diagnosis and treatment of ME/CFS.
Dr. Elisabeth Schieffer's lecture, in which she presented the project at the "ME/CFS Symposium 2025 – Research and Health Care Studies in Germany" in Berlin in May, can be found here:
Elisabeth Schieffer | ME/CFS Symposium 2025: BMBF Research Network – MIRACLE
The following document contains further information for patients and a link to a questionnaire that you can use to participate in the study.
Patient information
If you have any questions or other concerns, please contact us at the email address below.
Your Miracle Study Team
Miracle.mr@uk-gm.de
We are also looking for
For this purpose, we are currently looking for healthy volunteers (male/female/male) who are willing to
complete several online questionnaires (approximately 30 minutes) and undergo
a brief physical
examination, hand strength measurement, a standing test, and a blood draw during an on-site appointment at Marburg University Hospital
. The on-site appointment will take approximately one and a half hours in total
. Due to laboratory procedures, participation is only possible in the mornings and early mornings.
Requirements for participation:
- 18-65 years
- Residence in Germany
- Freedom from infection four weeks before the appointment
- no known diseases
- no regular tobacco and/or alcohol consumption
- no regular use of medication except:
- hormonal contraceptives (“the pill”)
- Medications for primary prophylaxis (preventive use, not due to illness)
There will be no financial compensation for expenses .
www.ukgm.de
