Ekua Brenu

From MEpedia, a crowd-sourced encyclopedia of ME and CFS science and history

Ekua Weba Brenu, PhD, is a post-doctorate researcher at the School of Medical Science, Griffith University, Griffith Health Institute, and a Senior Research Fellow at the National Centre for Neuroimmunology and Emerging Diseases, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.[1]

Awards[edit | edit source]

  • 2011, Junior Investigator Award to encourage young CFS/FM researchers in recognition of their work awarded by IACFSME.[2]

Diagnostic biomarker[edit | edit source]

In 2015, Griffith University filed for a patent for a biological marker (Patent Publication number WO2016023077 A1) for the diagnosis and management of ME and CFS. Sonya Marshall-Gradisnik and Ekua Brenu are listed as the inventors. The patent application states: "The present invention resides broadly in the use of at least one miRNA as a biological marker for identifying or diagnosing a subject having CFS and/or ME." Very simply stated, microRNA (miRNA) are molecules involved in gene expression. They are different from mRNA which stands for messenger RNA.[3] In 2016, Griffith University's Professor Donald Staines and Professor Sonya Marshall-Gradisnik announced that they have been awarded a $4-million grant to be administered during the next five years that will enable them to continue research into developing a diagnostic test for ME/CFS.[4]

Notable studies in ME/CFS[edit | edit source]

Talks and interviews[edit | edit source]

Online presence[edit | edit source]

Learn more[edit | edit source]

See also[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. https://www.griffith.edu.au/health/national-centre-neuroimmunology-emerging-diseases/our-team
  2. "IACFS/ME Awardees". IACFS/ME. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
  3. https://www.google.co.uk/patents/WO2016023077A1?cl=en&dq=sonya+marshall-gradisnik
  4. http://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/lifestyle/gold-coast-team-getting-closer-to-discovering-test-for-chronic-fatigue-syndrom/news-story/1627b3fcc41c53efac927200a53cc756
  5. Brenu, EW; van Driel, ML; Staines, DR; Ashton, KJ; Ramos, SB; Keane, J; Klimas, NG; Marshall-Gradisnik, SM (2011), "Immunological abnormalities as potential biomarkers in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis", Journal of Translational Medicine, 9 (81), doi:10.1186/1479-5876-9-81
  6. Brenu, Ekua W; van Driel, Mieke L; Staines, Donald R; Ashton, Kevin J; Hardcastle, Sharni L; Keane, James; Tajouri, Lotti; Peterson, Daniel; Ramos, Sandra B; Marshall-Gradisnik, Sonya M (2012), "Longitudinal investigation of natural killer cells and cytokines in chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis", Journal of Translational Medicine, 10: 88, doi:10.1186/1479-5876-10-88
  7. Brenu, EW; Ashton, KJ; van Driel, M; Staines, D; Peterson, D; Atkinson, GM; Marshall-Gradisnik, S (2012), "Cytotoxic lymphocyte microRNAs as prospective biomarkers for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis.", Journal of Affective Disorders, 141 (2–3): 261-269, doi:10.1016/j.jad.2012.03.037
  8. Brenu, Ekua W; van Driel, Mieke L; Staines, Donald R; Kreijkamp-Kaspers, Sanne; Hardcastle, Sharni L; Marshall-Gradisnik, Sonya M (2012), "The Effects of Influenza Vaccination on Immune Function in Patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis" (PDF), International Journal of Clinical Medicine, 3 (6): 544-551, doi:10.4236/ijcm.2012.36098
  9. Johnston, S. C.; Brenu, E. W.; Staines, D.R.; Marshall-Gradisnik, S. M. (2013), "The role of clinical guidelines for chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis in research settings", Fatigue: Biomedicine, Health & Behavior, 2 (1): 28-39, doi:10.1080/21641846.2013.860779
  10. Brenu, EW; Huth, TK; Hardcastle, SL; Fuller, K; Kaur, M; Johnston, S; Ramos, S; Staines, D; Marshall-Gradisnik, S (2014), "The Role of adaptive and innate immune cells in chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis", International Immunology, 26 (4): 233-42, doi:10.1093/intimm/dxt068, PMID 24343819
  11. Huth, Teilah K.; Brenu, Ekua; Nguyen, Thao; Hardcastle, Sharni L.; Johnston, Samantha; Ramos, Sandra; Staines, Donald R.; Marshall-Gradisnik, Sonya M. (2014), "Characterization of Natural Killer Cell Phenotypes in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis", Journal of Clinical & Cellular Immunology, 5 (3), doi:10.4172/2155-9899.1000223
  12. Hardcastle, Sharni Lee; Brenu, Ekua Weba; Johnston, Samantha; Nguyen, Thao; Huth, Teilah; Kaur, Manprit; Ramos, Sandra; Salajegheh, Ali; Staines, Donald R; Marshall-Gradisnik, Sonya (2014), "Analysis of the Relationship between Immune Dysfunction and Symptom Severity in Patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME)", Journal of Clinical & Cellular Immunology, 5 (190), doi:10.4172/2155-9899.1000190
  13. Wong, Naomi; Nguyen, Thao; Brenu, Ekua Weba; Broadley, Simon; Staines, Donald; Marshall-Gradisnik, Sonya (2015), "A Comparison of Cytokine Profiles of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis and Multiple Sclerosis Patients", International Journal of Clinical Medicine, 6 (10): 769-783, doi:10.4236/ijcm.2015.610103
  14. Hardcastle, SL; Brenu, EW; Johnston, S; Nguyen, T; Huth, T; Wong, N; Ramos, S; Staines, DR; Marshall-Gradisnik, SM (2015), "Serum Immune Proteins in Moderate and Severe Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis Patients", International Journal of Medical Sciences, 12 (10): 764–772, doi:10.7150/ijms.12399
  15. Hardcastle, SL; Brenu, EW; Johnston, S; Nguyen, T; Huth, T; Wong, N; Ramos, S; Staines, DR; Marshall-Gradisnik, SM (2015), "Characterisation of cell functions and receptors in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME)", BMC Immunology, 16 (35), doi:10.1186/s12865-015-0101-4
  16. Marshall-Gradisnik, Sonya M.; Smith, Peter; Brenu, Ekua W.; Nilius, Bernd; Ramos, Sandra B.; Staines, Donald R. (2015), "Examination of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) in Transient Receptor Potential (TRP) Ion Channels in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Patients", Immunology and Immunogenetics Insights, 7 (2015): 1-6, doi:10.4137/III.S25147
  17. Hardcastle, Sharni Lee; Brenu, Ekua Weba; Johnston, Samantha; Nguyen, Thao; Huth, Teilah; Ramos, Sandra; Staines, Donald; Marshall-Gradisnik, Sonya (2015), "Longitudinal analysis of immune abnormalities in varying severities of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis patients", Journal of Translational Medicine, 13 (299), doi:10.1186/s12967-015-0653-3
  18. Peterson, D; Brenu, EW; Gottschalk, G; Ramos, SB; Nguyen, T; Staines, D; Marshall-Gradisnik, S (2015), "Cytokines in the Cerebrospinal Fluids of Patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis", Mediators of Inflammation (2015): 929720, doi:10.1155/2015/929720
  19. Ramos, S; Brenu, E; Broadley, S; Kwiatek, R; Ng, J; Nguyen, T; Freeman, S; Staines, D; Marshall-Gradisnik, S (March 20, 2016), "Regulatory T, natural killer T and γδ T cells in multiple sclerosis and chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis: a comparison" (PDF), Asian Pac J Allergy Immunol, 34 (2016): 300–305, doi:10.12932/AP0733
  20. Huth, TK; Brenu, EW; Ramos, S; Nguyen, T; Broadley, S; Staines, D; Marshall-Gradisnik, S (January 2016), "Pilot Study of Natural Killer Cells in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis and Multiple Sclerosis", Scand J Immunol, 83 (1): 44-51, doi:10.1111/sji.12388, PMID 26381393
  21. Brenu, EW; Broadley, S; Nguyen, T; Johnston, S; Ramos, S; Staines, D; Marshall-Gradisnik, S (January 4, 2016), "A Preliminary Comparative Assessment of the Role of CD8+ T Cells in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis and Multiple Sclerosis" (PDF), Journal of Immunology Research: 9064529, doi:10.1155/2016/9064529
  22. https://www.griffith.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/566118/CFS-Symposium-2013-Program.pdf