Announcing OMF's First ME/CFS Clinical Trial!

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Myalgic Encephalomyelitis / Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME / CFS) Post Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome (PTLDS), Fibromyalgia Leading Research. Delivering Hope.Open Medicine Foundation® Canada

Driving research of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis / Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME / CFS),
Post Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome (PTLDS), Fibromyalgia and Long COVID.

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Multi-Omics Study of ME/CFS (MAESTRO)

STUDY AIM
The primary goal of this project is to complete our comprehensive analysis of the genome, methylome, miRnome, and their interactions in order to fill the gaps in our understanding of ME/CFS pathophysiology and to identify clinically useful biomarkers.
LEAD INVESTIGATORS
  • Alain Moreau, PhD
UPDATES AND POTENTIAL
  • Identified 11 circulating microRNAs associated with PEM response and symptom severity
  • Developed a diagnostic test, the first of its kind for ME/CFS. 
  • Determined that the molecular stratification of ME/CFS patients along five clusters can predict the therapeutic response toward different pharmacological treatments.
  • Analyzed discordant identical twins (one having ME/CFS, the other being healthy) land discovered distinct DNA methylation profiles, which could explain specific symptoms associated with ME/CFS. 
  • Conducted neurocognitive evaluations prior and after the induction of PEM, and stratified ME/CFS patients into four clusters using a machine-learning method.
  • This project is now complete and the work continues through the REMEDIAL initiative.

STUDY HYPOTHESIS AND DESCRIPTION

A glowing DNA helix with a background of connected dots. Identifying ME/CFS biomarkers will aid in the development of disease risk prediction and improve the clinical stratification of symptomatic patients. Ultimately, the discovery of biomarkers may lead to diagnoses that are more accurate, disease prevention measures, and indications on how to treat ME/CFS effectively.

We also we intend to investigate specific targets to determine their clinical utility for the elaboration of novel therapeutic approaches to treat the main symptoms associated with ME/CFS (e.g., PEMS, POTS, sleep disturbances and fatigue). We intend to develop better clinical tools allowing clinicians to diagnose ME/CFS and select the best treatments to address their medical needs.

OBJECTIVES

  • Deep phenotyping and longitudinal monitoring of PEM in severely ill patients
  • Genome-wide microRNA profiling to associate with PEM in discordant and concordant twins
  • DNA methylome (saliva) testing in discordant and concordant twins and across multiplex families
  • Whole-genome sequencing across multiplex families and unrelated cases.

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Microvesicles and viral sequencing
Microvesicles are a type of extracellular vesicle that is released from the cell membrane. Vesicles are small, fluid-filled sacs or vacuoles within the body. Sequencing is a technique used to determine the exact sequence of bases (A, C, G, and T) in a DNA (or viral) molecule.
NMR Metabolomics
NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance) is an instrument/tool used to perform metabolic studies, metabolic profiling, and metabolomics in biofluids and tissues for more than 40 years using magnetic fields. There is a very close connection between metabolic measurements and NMR. This connection has flourished because of NMR’s many unique strengths for characterizing complex mixtures’ chemical composition.
Proteomics
The large-scale study of proteins, which are large, complex molecules that are required for structure, function, and regulation of the human body's tissues and organs.
Immune cell profiling
The immune system has many important regulatory roles in disease development and progression. Given the emergence of effective immune therapies, reliable predictors of response are needed. Immune cell profiling determines response by evaluating immune cell populations from treated and untreated samples. For our purposes, we will evaluate the white blood cell response to the viral infection using a process called “Cytof.”
Leukocyte Genomics
A leukocyte is a colorless cell circulating in the blood and body fluids and is involved in counteracting foreign substances and disease. A genome is all genetic material of an organism. Genomics is a biology field focusing on the structure, function, evolution, mapping, and editing of genomes. Therefore, leukocyte genomics is the study of all genetic material of leukocytes.
Metabolomics
Metabolomics is a way to study metabolism – that is, through measuring amounts of the metabolites (small molecules) produced by our bodies as we convert food into energy and other molecules that our cells need to survive. Metabolomics technology is ‘large-scale,’ meaning that several thousand metabolites can be measured from a single sample of e.g., blood or urine.
Micro RNA
Cells use Micro RNA to control whether a particular gene is making too much, too little or the normal amount of its protein at a particular time.
Autoantibodies
Antibodies that react with self-molecules and that occur in healthy individuals and are referred to as natural antibodies or autoantibodies.
Extracellular DNA for viral reactivation and Mitochondrial DNA
exDNA (extracellular DNA), exDNA is often secreted actively and is used to perform several tasks, thereby offering an attractive target or tool for biotechnological, medical, environmental, and general microbiological applications. Viruses are intracellular parasites that rely to a significant extent on the host cell for replication. Viral reactivation occurs when an active replication of the viral genome results in a lytic (degradation of the cell) infection characterized by the release of new progeny (descendant) virus particles.