Human Herpesvirus-6 Reactivation, Mitochondrial Fragmentation, and the Coordination of Antiviral and Metabolic Phenotypes in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Human Herpesvirus-6 Reactivation, Mitochondrial Fragmentation, and the Coordination of Antiviral and Metabolic Phenotypes in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Funding

Grants and gifts supporting this work came from:

• Solve ME/CFS Initiative (Ramsay Research Award)
• HHV-6 Foundation (to B.K.P.)
• the University of California San Diego Christini Fund
• Lennox Foundation
• JMS Fund
• Khosla Foundation
• Westreich Foundation,
• Malone Foundation (to R.K.N.)

plus "grassroots support from over 2000 individuals who have each provided gifts in the past year to support Naviaux laboratory and Prusty laboratory research".

Results

• HHV-6 reactivation was shown to cause mitochondria dysfunction in patients with ME/CFS
• antiviral activity was found in the blood serum of patients with ME/CFS
• the antiviral activity was "tightly associated with an activity that fragments the mitochondrial network and decreases cellular energy (ATP) production"

Investigators

• Philipp Schreiner
• Thomas Harrer
• Carmen Scheibenbogen
• Stephanie Lamer
• Andreas Schlosser
• Robert Naviaux
• Bhupesh Prusty

Commentary

This paper will be a paradigm shift in our understanding of potential infectious causes behind ME/CFS. Human herpesvirus 6 and HHV-7 have long been thought to play a role in this disease, but there was hardly any causative mechanism known before — Bhupesh Prusty

News coverage

• Researchers describe an underlying biological basis for mylagic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome

See also

• Cell danger response hypothesis
• Mitochondrion
• Human herpesvirus 6
• Bhupesh Prusty
• Robert Naviaux

Learn more

• Press release: For ME/CFS Patients, Viral Immunities Come at a Devastating, Lifelong Cost
• Human Herpesvirus-6 Reactivation, Mitochondrial Fragmentation, and the Coordination of Antiviral and Metabolic Phenotypes in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (Full text)

mitochondria Important parts of the biological cell, with each mitochondrion encased within a mitochondrial membrane. Mitochondria are best known for their role in energy production, earning them the nickname "the powerhouse of the cell". Mitochondria also participate in the detection of threats and the response to these threats. One of the responses to threats orchestrated by mitochondria is apoptosis, a cell suicide program used by cells when the threat can not be eliminated.

myalgic encephalomyelitis (M.E.) - A disease often marked by neurological symptoms, but fatigue is sometimes a symptom as well. Some diagnostic criteria distinguish it from chronic fatigue syndrome, while other diagnostic criteria consider it to be a synonym for chronic fatigue syndrome. A defining characteristic of ME is post-exertional malaise (PEM), or post-exertional neuroimmune exhaustion (PENE), which is a notable exacerbation of symptoms brought on by small exertions. PEM can last for days or weeks. Symptoms can include cognitive impairments, muscle pain (myalgia), trouble remaining upright (orthostatic intolerance), sleep abnormalities, and gastro-intestinal impairments, among others. An estimated 25% of those suffering from ME are housebound or bedbound. The World Health Organization (WHO) classifies ME as a neurological disease.

serum The clear yellowish fluid that remains from blood plasma after clotting factors have been removed by clot formation. (Blood plasma is simply blood that has had its blood cells removed.)

mitochondria Important parts of the biological cell, with each mitochondrion encased within a mitochondrial membrane. Mitochondria are best known for their role in energy production, earning them the nickname "the powerhouse of the cell". Mitochondria also participate in the detection of threats and the response to these threats. One of the responses to threats orchestrated by mitochondria is apoptosis, a cell suicide program used by cells when the threat can not be eliminated.