NIH Director’s blog features Columbia study with Simmaron!

More Clues into ME/CFS Discovered in Gut Microbiome

Posted on February 14th, 2023 by Lawrence Tabak, D.D.S., Ph.D.

https://directorsblog.nih.gov/2023/02/14/more-clues-into-me-cfs-discovered-in-gut-microbiome/

Columbia University’s Center for Infection and Immunity recently published results of a multi-year study of microbiome differences in ME/CFS patients, and Simmaron is a proud collaborator in the study.

Remarkably, the results of this study were featured last month by the Director of NIH, Dr. Lawrence Tabak, in the NIH Director’s blog! Two microbiome studies from two NIH funded ME/CFS research centers reinforced each other’s findings.

As Dr. Tabak’s blog states:

“[I]t’s a solid lead, suggesting that imbalances in certain bacterial species inhabiting the gut could be used as measurable biomarkers to aid in the accurate and timely diagnosis of ME/CFS. It also points to a possible therapeutic target to explore…

“Of particular note, Williams [Columbia] team found that people with ME/CFS had abnormally low levels of several bacterial species, including Faecalibacterium prausnitzii (F. prausnitzii) and Eubacterium rectale. Both bacteria ferment non-digestible dietary fiber in the GI tract to produce a nutrient called butyrate…

“Further detailed analyses in the Williams lab confirmed that the observed reduction in these bacteria was associated with reduced butyrate production in people with ME/CFS. That’s of special interest because butyrate serves as a primary energy source for cells that line the gut. Butyrate provides those cells with up to 70 percent of the energy they need, while supporting gut immunity.”

Read the full study here.

ME/CFS patients with digestion problems understand how disabling this facet of the disease is. Recognition from NIH’s leadership and a potential target for treatment are pivotal results from this study and our decade-long collaboration with Columbia University.

This study follows multiple Columbia-Simmaron collaborations which have identified distinct subsets among ME/CFS patients, including differences among patients with and without irritable bowel syndrome.

Read more about our earlier collaborations here:

"The Subset Maker": Lipkin Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Study Highlights Energy Issues In Gut Subset

Columbia & Simmaron Gut Study Uncovers Another Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) Subset

Peterson's Atypical Subset Opens New View of ME/CFS in Columbia/Simmaron Publication