Editing Harvard ME/CFS Collaborative Research Center

In May 2018, the [[Open Medicine Foundation]] announced the establishment of a new [[ME/CFS]] Collaborative Research Center at the Harvard Medical School affiliated hospitals. This center work in synergy with the [[ME/CFS]] Collaborative Research Center at Stanford, led by [[Ronald Davis]].<ref name="OMF-Harv">{{Cite web |url = https://www.omf.ngo/collaborative-research-center-harvard/| title = ME/CFS Collaborative Research Center at Harvard | last = Open Medicine Foundation | authorlink = Open Medicine Foundation | date = 2018}}</ref>

==Notable people==
This center is led by two [[OMF]] Scientific Advisory Board members:
*[[Ronald Tompkins]]
*[[Wenzhong Xiao]]

==Aims==
{{Quote|"The Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) Collaboration seeks to conduct clinical and basic science mechanistic studies with high priority given to areas that create major symptoms for patients."<ref name="about" />}}

==Goals==

*to establish a '''Clinical Trials Network''' to facilitate multi-center clinical studies on potential effective treatments for [[ME/CFS]]

*to establish a '''Center of Excellence''' for [[ME/CFS]]<ref name="about" />

==Research project==
The research focii for this new center are:
*'''to collect molecular data on muscle and other tissues affected by [[ME/CFS]]'''
:This will include comparing patient muscle biopsies to controls, "examining genomics, proteomics, and ultrastructural analysis". This aims to help uncover the etiology of [[post-exertional malaise]].
This aims to test the hypothesis that "the inflammation-related recovery mechanisms in ME/CFS patients are dysfunctional, and that this delays recovery from post-stress".

*'''investigating neurological symptoms of [[brain fog]] and [[circadian rhythm]]s'''
:This will involve the testing of hypotheses related to [[microglia|microglial cell]] activation, [[vagus nerve]] signaling, and disrupted [[autonomic]] and [[metabolic]] functioning in the [[central nervous system]]. The very advanced MGH/HMS [[Neutology_of_ME/CFS#Brainimaging|brain imaging]] at the [[Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging]] will be used. 

*'''to research the cardiopulmonary problems contributing to [[fatigue]] in [[ME/CFS]]'''
:This will use the [[iCPET]] Cardiopulmonary Laboratory at the Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston. Exploring the "very specific findings that are seen in ME/CFS patients" to help understand the autonomic dysregulation in ME/CFS, its effects, and its contribution to [[postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome]] (POTS). 

*'''to explore [[plasma]] repository samples of patients undergoing [[exercise]] stresses'''
:This will improve understanding of the proteomics and metabolomics in patients.<ref name="about">{{Cite web |  url = http://endmecfs.mgh.harvard.edu/mesmerize/about/ | title = About the ME/CFS Collaboration | last = Harvard ME/CFS Collaboration | first = | authorlink = Harvard ME/CFS Collaborative Research Center | date = 2019 | website = |language=en-US|archive-url=|archive-date=|url-status=|access-date=2019-09-09}}</ref>

==Notable studies==

==Funding==
[[OMF]] has funded $1.8 million for the first year of this new [[ME/CFS]] Collaborative Research Center at Harvard.

==Online presence==
*PubMed
*Twitter
*Facebook
*[http://endmecfs.mgh.harvard.edu/ Website]
*YouTube

==Learn more==
*Wikipedia
*Institution
*2018, [https://www.meaction.net/2018/05/23/open-medicine-foundation-announces-harvard-collaborative-research-center/ Open Medicine Foundation Announces Harvard Collaborative Research Center/]

==See also==

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Research initiatives]]
[[Category:American research initiatives]]