Help boost vital funding for medical research into Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

We are appealing for people to record their support for research into the possible cause of the chronic illness ME (also known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome).
By Letter by a Reader
Published 19th Feb 2020, 12:03 BST
Picture by Pixabay - Darko StojanovicPicture by Pixabay - Darko Stojanovic
Picture by Pixabay - Darko Stojanovic

There are about 250,000 people in the UK suffering from this painful, debilitating illness. Most are too unwell to ever work again, and many are housebound or even bedridden.

There is no known cure; indeed the exact cause of the illness is unknown.

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However, knowledgeable doctors believe it may be a genetic (inherited) condition.

A new group, the ME/CFS Biomedical Partnership, has been set up to investigate that possibility.

The partnership has applied to the Medical Research Council for money to fund the study. If funding is granted 20,000 volunteers (ME/CFS patients) will be needed.

Every volunteer will be asked to provide a saliva sample.

Each sample will be tested to see if a genetic factor can be identified.

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Giving a saliva sample will be a very easy and non-invasive procedure, and reMEmber urges all ME/CFS people to take part.

As a first step, we ask people with ME/CFS to record their support for the study by going to https//mebiomed.org.uk/getinvolved/

It is most important to record your support because funding will be given only if it can be shown that there are about 20,000 potential participants.

This does NOT commit you to taking part in the research; you will be given that choice later.

Janice Kent

reMEmber (the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Society)

PO Box 1647

Hassocks