September 3, 2015
Scientists at Queensland’s Griffith University (Australia) have discovered that “threat receptors” which deal with potential attacks to the body are damaged in people with ME.
From www.thecitizen.org.au
There are many different kinds of receptors found throughout cells that help them function normally. It is common for receptors to make harmless, tiny changes to the cell, known as polymorphisms. But in people with ME the damage is done to the so-called “threat receptors” which, like white blood cells, deal with potential attacks to the body.
While the researchers are yet to discover if this damage to the cell receptors causes either a loss or an increase in function, they do know that because these receptors are connected throughout the body any malfunction can cause extensive damage.
Dr Staines, from the ME research team, said…. although it’s known as chronic fatigue syndrome, he said fatigue is an unfortunate word because it trivialises the severity of the condition….Dr Staines said the formal name of the illness, Myalgic Encephalomyelitis is far more accurate because in medical terms it relates specifically to brain and spinal cord inflammation with associated muscle pain.
ME affects between 100,000 to 250,000 people in Australia, leaving around 25 per cent of them bed-bound.
Read more: http://www.thecitizen.org.au/news/new-research-gives-insight-chronic-fatigue-syndrome