Myalgic Encephalomyelitis / Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME / CFS) Post Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome (PTLDS), Fibromyalgia Leading Research. Delivering Hope.Open Medicine Foundation® Canada

Driving research of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis / Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME / CFS),
Post Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome (PTLDS), Fibromyalgia and Long COVID.

The ME/CFS Collaboration

at Uppsala University

State-of-the-art laboratory searching for biomarkers of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis / Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) in body and brain.

About the research center

Established in 2019, this research center is directed by Jonas Bergquist, MD, PhD. Prior to this new center, Dr. Bergquist had already been researching ME/CFS for nearly a decade. Dr. Bergquist and his lab develop novel methods for extracting patient samples and measuring the metabolites and proteins within those samples.

Chercheuse en laboratoire regardant le moniteur

Jonas Bergquist, headshot They then apply these methods to produce unique and valuable data from a range of diseases.  Along with ME/CFS, his lab has a general interest in neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and multiple sclerosis (MS).

The ME/CFS CRC at Uppsala University is looking for ME/CFS biomarkers to develop a diagnostic test and to contribute to the understanding of what initiates the disease process.  Not only are they looking for single metabolites or proteins, they are looking for the pattern of all the data the extract from ME/CFS patient samples and are working towards a defining biochemical signature of the disease.

This collaborative research initiative is looking to develop methods to measure proteins, peptides and metabolites in the blood and cerebrospinal fluid of ME/CFS patients to help define the underlying biological cause, to form a diagnostic and to ultimately find treatments for the disease.

Core Aims

Understand

the underlying basis of neurological symptoms 

Determine

the role of neuroinflammation in ME/CFS

 

Compare

and contrast ME/CFS to other diseases

Find

biomarkers for ME/CFS in the blood and cerebrospinal fluid

Uncover

the role of autoantibodies and autonomic issues in ME/CFS

Begin

treatment trials of drugs that reduce the debilitating symptoms of ME/CFS

Woman in lab coat, back to camera

Fundamental Philosophy

  • Work collaboratively with groups around the world
  • Develop novel techniques to make biofluid sampling minimally invasive and harmful
  • Optimize the data detection platforms to enhance the search for biomarkers of disease
  • Spread knowledge of the disease far and wide
  • Follow research leads to their end to uncover and publish important findings
  • Bring young researchers into the ME/CFS field
  • Research multiple biofluids of the body

View our latest news

Temporally Resolved Omics Tracking of ME/CFS

This study seeks to understand the biological mechanisms driving the symptomatology of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) using metabolomic and lipidomic high-throughput analysis and high-frequency blood sampling over a 6.5 to 7.5 hour period conducted at two separate sites (Melbourne and Uppsala).

Post-COVID Syndrome to ME/CFS

In 2020, OMF secured a $1 million grant to launch the first year of an international, multi-year study across the five OMF funded Collaborative Research Centers (CRC). The aim of this study is to examine Post-COVID Syndrome transitioning to ME/CFS. We are actively working to raise an additional $2 million for years two and three of the study. I am pleased to share with you an update on the first phase of this groundbreaking — and urgently needed — research project:

studies

Temporally Resolved Omics Tracking of ME/CFS

This study seeks to understand the biological mechanisms driving the symptomatology of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) using metabolomic and lipidomic high-throughput analysis and high-frequency blood sampling over a 6.5 to 7.5 hour period conducted at two separate sites (Melbourne and Uppsala).

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Single Day Longitudinal Study

This study seeks to understand the biological mechanisms driving the symptomatology of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) using metabolomic and lipidomic high-throughput analysis and high-frequency blood sampling over a 6.5 to 7.5 hour period conducted at two separate sites (Melbourne and Uppsala).

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Long COVID Clinic Studies

Long COVID Clinic Studies Study AIM The newly established clinic in Uppsala will continue the work of the OMF-Funded MultiCenter Collaborative Study on COVID to

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Home Visit Study

This study provides a unique opportunity to bring the lab directly into patient homes and provide immediate analysis of samples over an extended period of time.

This longitudinal approach without the invasive and/or PEM-induced measures will be vitally important in other patient cohorts and will decrease the study impact on patients from using more invasive and impactful measures (use of 1 peripheral vein catheter for all blood samples, limits the impact on patients).

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Deep Proteome and Metabolome Profiling

Decode the molecular mechanisms underlying ME/CFS and contributing to specific symptoms with a particular emphasis of post-exertional malaise (PEM). This includes deep phenotyping of ME patients and global proteomic/metabolomics plasma profiling of ME..

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Autoimmunity and Autoantibodies

The aim is to investigate potential differences in adrenergic and muscarinic receptor autoantibody levels in plasma and cerebrospinal fluid samples between ME/CFS patients and healthy controls.

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Post-viral Encephalopathy

This study provides an excellent opportunity to understand the mechanism of long-lasting viral-induced cognitive complications, commonly referred to as “brain fog.”

Read More

Scientific Team

The large-scale research endeavors of the ME/CFS Collaborative Research Center at Uppsala University require a diverse team. Dr. Bergquist has assembled a great team of scientists and clinicians to fulfill their goals.
Two women researchers in lab

Uppsala University (Sweden)

Jonas Bergquist, MD, PhD, Prof, Director

Kumari Ubhayasekhera, PhD

Ganna Shevchenko, PhD

Levon Manukyan, PhD

Sandy Abujrais, PhD Student

Mark Dennis Retrato, PhD Student

Annie Bynke, Med Student

Hanna Gustafsson, Med Student

Torsten Gordh, MD, PhD, Prof em

Massachusetts General Hospital (Harvard)

In Memoriam – Ronald Tompkins, MD, ScD

Wenzhong Xiao, PhD

Stanford University

Ronald Davis, PhD

Karolinska Institut (Sweden)

Per Julin, MD, PhD

Bragee Clinics Stockholm

Bo C. Bertilsson, MD, PhD

Björn Bragée, MD

Kent Nilsson, MD

Gunnar Olsson, MD, PhD, Ass. Prof

Jonas Axelsson, MD, PhD, Ass. Prof

Britt Bragée, RPT, PhD

Gabriella Bernhoff RPT, PhD Student

Brandon Drum, Med Student

Michael Fahlqvist, MD-internship

Michos Anastasios, MD

 

Gottfries clinic (Sweden)

CG Gottfries, MD, PhD, Prof em

 

Linkoping University (Sweden)

Anders Rosén, MD, PhD, Prof em

Björn Ingelsson,  PhD, Ass prof

Eirini Apostoulo, PhD, Post doc

Rizwan Muhammad, Guest Researcher

 

University of East Anglia (UK)

Simon Carding, PhD, Prof

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