Clinic and granulocytes

Project description

The MIRACLE research newtwork investigates immunological, inflammatory and metabolic signaling pathways of ME/CFS. The long-term goal of this study is to uncover the causes of the disease ME/CFS and to identify clusters and biomarkers that can be used to diagnose and treat ME/CFS.

Within the cooperation between the University Hospital of Marburg (UKGM) and the University Hospital of Regensburg (UKR), a total of 200 patients with ME/CFS and 200 healthy subjects as controls are being examined. The initial data collection and recruitment takes place via a web-based questionnaire and an online video consultation. Patients with very severe ME/CFS who are unable to attend an outpatient appointment are initially offered an online appointment and, if possible, they are visited at home so that this previously rarely considered patient group can also be included. A comprehensive data analysis is carried out using artificial intelligence (AI) and modern statistical methods to search for patterns for biomarkers and patient clusters in the complex data sets.

At the Department of Cardiology, Angiology and Intensive Care Medicine at Marburg University Hospital, the proteome of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) is being investigated, which, as part of reverse cholesterol transport, provides clues to cellular and metabolic processes. In addition, cultured endothelial cells are stimulated with the HDL-associated proteins to investigate their inflammatory potential.

(Description adapted from project website: see link above)