SCIENTISTS in the North East have been given a financial boost for research into the causes of the debilitating condition chronic fatigue syndrome.
The Medical Research Council (MRC) has awarded specialists at Newcastle University £900,000 to fund two new projects that will focus on the mechanisms and underlying biological processes involved in the illness.
It is hoped that the pioneering research will lead to a comprehensive understanding of the condition and help develop better diagnosis and more effective treatments for sufferers.
Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) – also known as myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) – is a complex condition that affects around 250,000 people in the UK, including children.
Prof Julia Newton and Dr Wang Ng will lead the three-year research projects at Newcastle University.
“We are very, very excited about the opportunity for us here in the North East to cement ourselves as leaders in the research of chronic fatigue syndrome,” explained Prof Newton.
“This funding helps us to be put on the map and shows the quality of work we are doing in the region to consolidate ourselves as moving forward an understanding of the condition.
“Chronic fatigue syndrome is a very real illness that can destroy the lives of those who have it. It is essential that research is done into the condition and I very much believe that within five years we will be at a stage where we will be beginning clinical trials of new treatments for the illness.”
CFS varies widely in its severity but symptoms range from extreme fatigue and muscle pain to memory loss, fits and paralysis.
Far from being a psychological condition, as was once suspected, the World Health Organisation now classes it as a neurological illness. But it is still not known exactly what causes it to develop.
Dr Ng and his team will analyse the immune systems of more than 500 patients with primary Sjögren syndrome – a chronic condition with similar symptoms to CFS/ME. They will look for immune system abnormalities in these patients to help them identify the biological “fingerprints” of fatigue.
Prof Newton will lead researchers to explore what causes dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system – characterised by dizziness and light-headedness – present in up to 90% of sufferers.
The scientists will use MRI scans to measure changes in blood flow to the brain and how this relates to cognition and nervous system dysfunction.
It is hoped the researchers will gain a clearer understanding of nervous system abnormalities and the development of targeted treatments aimed at reversing these abnormalities.
Prof Stephen Holgate, chair of the MRC’s population and systems medicine board, said: “There is a pressing need to understand the causes of CFS/ME, and the MRC is delighted to announce substantial funding to address this.”
In total, the MRC has awarded more than £1.6m to scientific institutes around the country for five new research projects into CFS/ME.
Dr Neil Abbot, on behalf of ME Research UK, said: “The allocation of funding for research into the basis of the disease is a significant achievement for Prof Julia Newton and her colleagues at Newcastle University, and for the North East of England.”
