Immune Mechanisms of ME (IMMME)

Description

The Immune Mechanisms of ME (IMMME) research network, funded by the Federal Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF), is conducting research into the immunological pathomechanisms of post-infectious chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). In this interdisciplinary research network, scientists and doctors from the fields of immunology, neurology, infectiology, rheumatology and pediatrics work together. IMMME consists of 5 Joint projects, involving the following 5 different clinics and research institutions: 1) Charité - University Medicine Berlin 2) Technical University of Munich (MRI TUM) 3) University of Lübeck/ University Clinic Schleswig-Holstein (UKSH) 4) German Centre for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) 5) Julius Maximilian University of Würzburg (JMU). ME/CFS is a serious illness that is often associated with severe physical impairment and dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system. While the cause is still unresolved, there is growing evidence of the importance of autoimmune processes in ME/CFS. Natural autoantibodies (AAB) against G protein-coupled receptors (GPCR), which regulate physiological processes, probably play a role. Altered levels of GPCR AABs and their association with symptom severity have been previously described in ME/CFS. It is suspected that a change in the binding behavior of these autoantibodies leads to disorders of the autonomic nervous and immune systems in ME/CFS patients. Since viral infections with EBV or SARS-CoV-2 can trigger ME/CFS, investigators at the Charité want to answer the question of whether and how cross-reactive virus-specific antibodies contribute to ME/CFS. Particular attention is paid to potentially cross-reacting antibodies, which also recognise the body's own structures and are related to the symptoms of ME/CFS. To investigate the functional significance of AABs in ME/CFS, secreted signaling molecules and proteins from immune and vascular cells stimulated with antibodies are being determined at the University of Lübeck/UKSH. Furthermore, the JMU is investigating whether AABs, as potential serum-transmissible factors, are behind persistent mitochondrial dysfunction in ME/CFS. In close cooperation with the DZNE, immune cells are also examined using single-cell RNA sequencing in order to identify changes that are associated with autoimmunity. The IMMME research network intends to make an important contribution to a better understanding of the pathomechanism of ME/CFS and forms the basis for the development of biomarkers and therapeutic approaches. Description adapted from research network website: see link above.