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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
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Study of COVID-19 survivors’ profiles
for detection of ME/CFS (SCOPIMED)

STUDY AIM
The purpose of this study is to capture a post-COVID-19 infected population willing to participate in phenotyping studies early in the post-COVID-19 illness progression, with an aim of providing targeted effective therapies and preventing the onset and progression of ME/CFS.
LEAD INVESTIGATORS
  • Alain Moreau, PhD
UPDATES AND POTENTIAL
  • This longitudinal study has identified 12 circulating microRNAs that can predict the clinical trajectory of individuals with Long COVID, offering insights into their likelihood of recovery, prolonged illness, or worsening condition over time.
  • The microRNAs we studied control key blood proteins involved in inflammation, immunity and tissue repair, which can be targeted with existing treatments to help manage Long COVID.
  • A first manuscript on this work is in preparation.

STUDY HYPOTHESIS AND DESCRIPTION

Researcher pouring a red liquid from a beaker to a test tube.

The development of ME/CFS and related conditions like fibromyalgia (FM) among a subset of COVID-19 long-haulers is thought to be the result of a broad molecular-level reorganization occurring at the epigenetic level, which drives the host response following SARS-CoV-2 viral infection.

While ME/CFS researchers understand that many factors likely contribute to the onset of the condition, it is important to identify the risks of ME/CFS sequelae as early as possible. Studying the post-COVID-19 infected population may offer insight that helps ME/CFS patients by expanded understanding of the progression of the condition and identifying targeted treatment strategies. Finally, the study of COVID-19 long-haulers may shed light on ME/CFS and post-infectious fatigue syndrome following infections other than COVID-19.

OBJECTIVES

  • Recruit a cohort of 50 COVID-19 long haulers.
  • Conduct a study of the global circulating microRNA expression profiles. 
  • Perform global DNA methylation profiling.
  • Conduct epigenome-wide association analysis.

Consent management

Consent Preferences

Data Subject Access Request (DSAR) Form 

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.
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.
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.