Date: December 21, 2011
URL: http://www.healthcanal.com/disorders-conditions/24911-New-research-into-causes-debilitating-condition.html
New research into causes of debilitating condition
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Nearly 1 million pounds has been awarded for research at Newcastle
University into chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis.
The Medical Research Council (MRC) has awarded 900,000 ponds to
Professor Julia Newton and Dr Fai Wan Ng for research into the causes
of the debilitating condition chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic
encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME). The investment will fund new projects to
investigate the mechanisms and underlying biological processes
involved in the illness, which could eventually lead to better
diagnosis and the development of more effective treatments.
CFS/ME is a complex and debilitating condition that affects around
250,000 people in the UK, including children. Symptoms include
profound physical and mental fatigue, muscle and joint pain, disturbed
sleep patterns and concentration and memory problems. The combination
and severity of symptoms varies from patient to patient, making it a
difficult condition to diagnose and treat.
Professor Newton said: 'I am delighted that Newcastle University has
been awarded two of the five successful applications. These
prestigious awards will underpin the high quality research we are
carrying out here in the North East and will help us further
understand the causes and consequences of CFS/ME. This is great news
for researchers with an interest in CFS/ME and for patients who suffer
from this terrible disease.'
Professor Stephen Holgate, Chair of the MRC's Population and Systems
Medicine Board, added: 'There is a pressing need to understand the
causes of CFS/ME, and the MRC is delighted to announce substantial
funding to address this. The quality and breadth of the scientific
proposals we received in response to our funding call exceeded
expectations and led to us funding more studies than we had originally
anticipated. We hope the awards will drive forward the research agenda
in this area, paving the way for new diagnostic tools and treatments.'
Dr Charles Shepherd, member of the MRC CFS/ME Expert Group and trustee
of the ME Association, also welcomed the award, saying patients would
be particularly interested in research involving biomarkers/biological
fingerprints, which could lead to more effective forms of treatment.
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(c) 2011 Newcastle University
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