Solve M.E. Funds Study at Columbia University
Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health’s Center for Infection & Immunity was funded by Solve M.E. to complete a study aiming to build on recent metabolomics analysis
The proteomics analysis is the latest in a series of studies from the Center for Infection and Immunity (CII) on a subject cohort 50 ME/CFS patients and controls. As part of Solve M.E.’s Research Program, we provided $50,000 to continue this comprehensive deep-dive, uncovering evidence for a biomarker signature for ME/CFS.
In 2017, the CII research group completed a fecal metagenomic analysis on the study group. In a statement to Solve M.E. following publication, lead author Dorottya Nagy-Szakal, MD, PhD, indicated that “individuals with ME/CFS have a distinct mix of gut bacteria and related metabolic disturbances that may influence the severity of their disease.”
Last month, Nagy-Szakal et al. published an extensive metabolomics study of the same study group. There was evidence of altered levels of metabolites and the study corroborated previous findings of mitochondrial dysfunction. Notably, when the biomarkers from this study were combined with the 2017 gut microbiome study, the resulting predictive model could identify individuals with ME/CFS 84% of the time.
The group is using a multi-omics approach by combining data sets from multiple “omes” (e.g. genome, microbiome, proteome) on the same individuals. Combining these “omes” into a set of “omes” builds a powerful dataset that can be used to generate a more global view of complex conditions, driving biomarker discovery.
JAX Interviews Solve M.E.’s Dr. Sadie Whittaker
Learn more about our Chief Scientific Officer’s background, experience, and patient-integrated approach to public health and research
Today, the ME/CFS Blog, hosted by the Jackson Laboratories (JAX), features our own Chief Scientific Officer, Dr. Sadie Whittaker. One of the three NIH-funded Collaborative Research Centers, JAX and Dr. Derya Unutmaz use their blog as a forum to share information with researchers and patients.
Read the interview here.
