Olav Mella

Olav Mella is an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Clinical Science at University of Bergen, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway. He works with Oystein Fluge in the Norwegian Rituximab trials for the depletion of B cells lymphocyte in ME/CFS patients.

Rituximab work
Mela and Fluge's discovery was found by accident, in that 3 ME/CFS patients who had B-cell lymphoma improved remarkably. Not only with their lymphomas, but all symptoms of their ME/CFS diminished with the treatment. The positive responses were delayed for up to 6-12 weeks, despite their B cell being elimiated by the drug in 2 weeks. Since that accidental discovery, a larger study has been undertaken. Initial reports are promising in that there is a positive response in 67% of the patients receiving Rituximab vs 13% improvement in the placebo group. After the effects wore off, there was a decline in the numbers who responded to the second and subsequent infusions.<ref.http://www.investinme.eu/IIMEC7.shtml

Talks and Interviews

 * 2015, 10th Invest in ME International ME Conference 2015 - no speech title given
 * 2014, Olav Mella speaks about the Rituximab study and ME/CFS future
 * 2012, 7th Invest in ME International ME Conference 2012 - B-cell Depletion Therapy Using Rituximab in ME/CFS - Part I
 * 2011, 6th Invest in ME International ME Conference 2011 - B-cell Depletion Therapy Using Rituximab in ME/CFS - Part I

Publications

 * 2016, Antibodies to β adrenergic and muscarinic cholinergic receptors in patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.


 * 2015, B-lymphocyte depletion in myalgic encephalopathy/chronic fatigue syndrome.