ME Research UK AMPK project
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Investigating abnormalities in AMPK activation and mitochondrial function in primary skeletal muscle cell cultures from patients with ME/CFS
IRAS ID
227131
Contact name
Julia Newton
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 6 months, 1 days
Research summary
Background
Skeletal muscle fatigue and post-exertional malaise are key symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome/ME (ME/CFS) and many studies have reported reduced exercise capacity in individuals with ME/CFS. This study will build on our previous work where we showed abnormalities of a key protein involved in energy production in muscles as the exercise. In muscle cells grown in our laboratory from those with ME/CFS we have shown impaired activation of the protein AMPKinase in response to contraction. This resulted in a failure to increase glucose uptake into the cell in response to contraction. Further work has shown that this impaired activation of AMPK can be modified by medications in ME/CFS patients. The purpose of this study is to examine the mechanisms by which contraction fails to increase uptake and how these can be bypassed by pharmacological intervention. This will help to increase our knowledge of how ME/CFS develops and identify potential novel therapeutic targets.
Aims
The aims of this study are to identify the mechanisms by which muscle function is impaired in ME/CFS, and identify targets for new therapies to inform future clinical trials in patients with ME/CFS. We have primary muscle cell cultures from 10 patients with ME/CFS and now require to establish and study muscle cell cultures from a further 10 patients with ME/CFS.
Procedure
Eligible subjects will be identified through the Newcastle Fatigue Clinic. Subjects will be invited to attend the Clinical Research Facility, Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle. A muscle biopsy will be taken from the vastus lateralis (quadriceps) for cell culture. This will be performed under local anaesthetic using the aseptic technique by a trained and experienced clinician.
The muscle sample will be placed in a pot of culture media and an identification number label attached. The tissue sample will be processed for subsequent cell culture in the laboratory.
REC name
North East - Newcastle & North Tyneside 1 Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/NE/0172
Date of REC Opinion
9 Aug 2017
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion