Solve Ramsay Research Grant winner Dr. Lubov Nathanson and her team at Nova Southeastern University have been awarded a $3 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to lead a groundbreaking study, “Mold Exposure, Immunity, and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS).”
Dr. Nathanson, associate professor at the Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine and genomics group director for the Nova Southeastern University Institute for Neuro-Immune Medicine, told Solve, “It is known that about 20% of ME/CFS patients identify exposure to environmental toxins (mainly mold) as a trigger of ME/CFS. It is known that many ME/CFS patients have mold toxins (“mycotoxins”) in their urine. It is NOT known if mycotoxins exacerbate the development and severity of ME/CFS. In this new project, we hope to find out the effect of mycotoxins on the immune system of ME/CFS patients.”
In this study, funded by the NIH National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke through April 2031, the researchers will collect biological samples from over 200 study participants and measure their exposure to mycotoxins. Using advanced techniques, researchers will evaluate whether specific environmental exposures are associated with biological changes linked to ME/CFS.
By investigating the potential link, researchers aim to improve understanding of the disease, leading to earlier diagnosis, more personalized treatment approaches, and new insights into factors that may contribute to its development.
Project co-investigator Nancy G. Klimas, M.D. (director of NSU’s Institute for Neuro-Immune Medicine) added, “For decades, patients with ME/CFS have faced delayed diagnoses, limited treatment options, and significant uncertainty about the causes of their illness. Understanding how environmental factors influence disease development could help identify biomarkers; improve diagnosis; and, ultimately, lead to more targeted treatments.”
Dr. Nathanson’s Ramsay Grant-winning study, “Epigenetics in Immune Cells,” explored altered genetic expression in the immune cells of people with ME/CFS. She told Solve, “It is very hard to get funding, and science is very expensive. Solve’s Ramsay Grant allowed us to prepare for the next rounds of federal funding that require preliminary data.”
This NIH funding news demonstrates exactly why Solve invests in promising early-stage research. Today’s pilot study can become tomorrow’s multimillion-dollar research program, and ultimately, the diagnostics and treatments patients urgently need.
To date, Solve research grants have helped generate nearly $105 million in follow-on funding, a remarkable 66-to-1 return on investment.