The molecular immune signature in ME/CFS as stratification tool for future personalized treatment (IMMUNESTRATIFY)

Project description

ME/CFS is a serious chronic disease for which there is no proper treatment. In this project, blood from the Netherlands ME/CFS Cohort and Biobank (NMCB) consortium will be examined for the presence of so-called immune signatures, which indicate that the immune system is activated. Whether immune cells in ME/CFS are hypersensitive to stimuli will also be investigated. This then leads to the formation of pathogenic inflammatory processes. If this is the case in ME/CFS, this research will show what makes ME/CFS patients sick and result in new treatment options.

Goal

The aim of this project is to gain insight into specific immune abnormalities in ME/CFS. The researchers hope to answer the following questions: 1) Can patients with ME/CFS be classified into subgroups using previously identified immune signatures that occur in patients with other disease states who also experience severe fatigue? And can specific symptoms be linked to these immune signatures? 2) Are immune cells of ME/CFS patients hypersensitive to stimuli and does this result in pathogenic inflammatory processes?

Approach

The researchers in this project believe that there are different subtypes of ME/CFS. It is expected that better treatment can be developed if these groups are better understood. To determine whether there are different subtypes, blood from the NMCB will be examined for the presence of different immune signatures. Drugs against some immune signatures already exist. If it is known which signature a patient has, drugs can be tested in a targeted way. The project also examines whether immune cells in these patients are hypersensitive to stimuli, causing pathogenic inflammation. This insight could lead to the development of better treatment methods.

(Description adapted from project website: see link above)