Major new ME/CFS & Long Covid study launches with Imperial College and the ME Association
ELAROS is proud to announce the news of our latest investment into ground-breaking research to help world-leading scientists uncover shared pathways between ME/CFS and Long Covid. The ME Association is investing £1.1m into the Rosetta Stone study – the largest ever single investment in biomedical research by any charity in this field, and the largest research project of its kind.
Top scientists at Imperial College London will lead the three-year Rosetta Stone study, conducting side-by-side cellular and molecular analyses of ME/CFS and Long Covid. This will offer an unprecedented look into what these conditions share, which may take us closer to diagnostic biomarkers and treatment pathways.
Investigating links between ME/CFS & Long Covid
Back in May 2020, close to the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, the ME Association became aware of an increasing number of people who were developing ME/CFS symptoms following a Covid-19 infection and the subsequent emergence of Long Covid.
Since then , it has become apparent that there are important clinical and pathological overlaps between ME/CFS and Long Covid and that much of the research that has been carried out into the cause and treatment of Long Covid is also relevant to ME/CFS. So, it makes sense to study both conditions in parallel and in detail – which is what the Rosetta Stone study will do. We are delighted that this research, which is the most comprehensive study into the two conditions to date, is being led by Professors Danny Altmann and Rosemary Boyton, and colleagues at Imperial College London. We are also pleased that it will include a collaboration with Dr Jackie Cliff at Brunel, Professor Chris Ponting’s DecodeME team in Edinburgh, and the UK ME/CFS Biobank at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
Dr Charles Shepherd , Honorary Medical Adviser at The ME Association
What is the Rosetta Stone study ?
The Rosetta Stone study will decode the immunological profile
of ME/CFS and Long Covid using samples from groups of volunteers who have these conditions, in a direct side-by-side comparison of cohorts, with the specific aim of learning about underlying mechanisms through analysis of shared pathways between the conditions. The three-year study aims to unlock answers to the clinical and pathological overlaps that exist between ME/CFS and Long Covid.
The Rosetta Stone study will examine 250 people with ME/CFS and 250 people with Long Covid, alongside matched healthy control groups. The significant size of the cohorts and the technology and methods being employed, aim to increase the reliability of the results.
Drawing also on the cohorts and the scientific expertise developed in other studies such as the NIHR WILCO Long Covid study at Imperial College London and the DecodeME study at the University of Edinburgh, researchers will use a range of techniques to build a clearer picture of the immunological profile of these conditions. Stool, blood and saliva samples from volunteer participants will be analysed alongside self-reported information collected using ELAROS’ “C19-YRS” smartphone app to generate datasets allowing the scientists to apply machine learning methods to discover shared molecular pathways between the two conditions.
Which scientists are leading the Rosetta Stone study ?
The lead investigators at Imperial College London include Professors Danny Altmann and Rosemary Boyton.
The hope for the scientists is that this initial research can provide more insight into the associations between ME/CFS and Long Covid and as a result, help pave the way for better scientific understanding to lead to improved treatment solutions in the future.
There has been little research into the relationship between ME/CFS and Long Covid, which are both post-infectious, persistent conditions, with similar symptoms. We want to use the latest technology and samples provided by volunteers, to try and highlight the common immunological themes and pathways, hopefully informing the most promising therapeutic approaches.
Millions have had their lives destroyed by the disabilities that come with Long Covid and ME/CFS. We’re hoping that our work will make clearer the underlying mechanisms and inform further clinical trials and therapeutics in this area.
Professor Danny Altmann, from the Department of Immunology and Inflammation at Imperial
