Jonathan Edwards

Source: phoenixrising.me

Professor Jonathan Edwards is an Emeritus Professor of Connective Tissue Medicine at University College London (UCL) in the UK. Professor Edwards was instrumental in the discovery of the use of B-cell depletion therapy (Rituximab) to treat rheumatoid arthritis.

B-cell depletion ME/CFS research

Professor Edwards became interested in the possible use of Rituximab to treat ME/CFS after attending the Invest in ME International ME Conference in May 2013 and subsequently agreed to advise on and lead the effort.

Committees and boards

Phoenix Rising

Professor Edwards once served on the board of directors of the online patient community Phoenix Rising.

Science for ME

Professor Edwards is currently active on the Science for ME forum.

Advocacy

Letter to Scottish Parliament

Emma Shorter on behalf of ME Action called on the Scottish Parliament to review the level of support for people with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) in Scotland . Dr Edwards wrote a letter which was submitted as evidence .

Open Letters to The Lancet

In response to The Lancet's publication of the controversial PACE trial in 2011, three open letters to the editor of The Lancet urged the editor, Richard Horton, to commission a fully independent review of the PACE trial. Dr. Edwards signed all three. The first, written in 2015, was signed by Dr. Edwards and five of his colleagues. In 2016, thirty-six additional colleagues in the ME/CFS field, signed the second letter. In 2018, a resubmitted letter had over one hundred signatories.

• Nov 13, 2015, An open letter to Dr. Richard Horton and The Lancet
• Feb 10, 2016, An open letter to The Lancet, again - Virology blog
• Jul 9, 2018, Yet Another Appeal to The Lancet, With More On Board

Publications related to ME/CFS

• 2016, The biological challenge of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome: a solvable problem, Editorial by Jonathan C.W. Edwards, Simon McGrath, Adrian Baldwin, Mark Livingstone & Andrew Kewley - (Full Text)
• 2017, PACE team response shows a disregard for the principles of science in Journal of Health Psychology - (Full Text)
• 2024, Management of Nutritional Failure in People with Severe ME/CFS: Reviw of the Case for Supplementing NICE Guideline NG206 - (Full Text)

Talks and interviews

• Sep 3, 2013, Interview: Professor Jonathan Edwards on the UK Rituximab trial

• May 30, 2014, Keynote Speaker at the 9th Invest in ME International ME Conference - DVD available
• Dec 02, 2019 - Trial By Error: Professor Jonathan Edwards’ View of ME

See also

• Jo Cambridge
• Intimidation of PACE critics
• Invest in ME
• Rituximab

Learn more

• Jul 20, 2018, Letter to Professor Fiona Watt

B cell B lymphocyte, or a type of white blood cell, which is involved in the immune response by secreting antibodies to ward off infections. In mammals, they are mostly matured in the bone marrow.

See myalgic encephalomyelitis.

See chronic fatigue syndrome.

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.

NICE guidelines Clinical guidelines used in the UK.