UK ME/CFS Biobank

The UK ME/CFS biobank or UKMEB is a disease-specific biobank that collects biological samples from ME/CFS patients in the UK for use in biomedical research into ME/CFS.

History
The UK ME/CFS Biobank was established in 2011 with joint grant from the UK charities ME Association, ME Research UK, and Action for ME, plus private donors. The ME Association's Ramsay Research Fund provides ongoing funding, with MEB aiming be financially self-sustaining by 2021.

By 2018, the UK ME/CFS Biobank held samples from 600 donors classified into the following groups:
 * 350 patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis
 * Patients with multiple sclerosis, acting as a comparison group
 * Healthy controls

Severely ill patients
Patients with severe and very severe ME can receive home visits from UKMEB staff in order to donate samples to the biobank, but must live in England close to the biobank.

UK Biobank
The UK ME/CFS Biobank should not be confused with the much larger UK Biobank or UKB, which is not focused on ME/CFS and was established by the UK's Medical Research Council and the Wellcome Trust.

Online presence

 * Twitter
 * Facebook
 * Website
 * YouTube

Learn more

 * The UK ME/CFS Biobank
 * The ME Biobank - The ME Association