The recent news from Norway regarding the success of the Haukeland Phase II rituximab clinical trial [1] underlines IiME’s strategy of initiating the UK Rituximab clinical trial project and the supporting and developing B-cell research studies.

Fane Mensah has been involved from the start of the UK rituximab trial project [2] – which was aimed at finding possible responders and confirming the results of previous B cell findings and checking whether two different clinics identify similar patients.

This is important work as it is crucial to try to find some ways of identifying patients that respond to rituximab and also why some don’t [3].

IiME have decided to fund Fane’s further B-cell research with Dr Jo Cambridge and Drs Amolak Bansal [4], an immunologist at Epsom and St Helier CFS clinic and Saul Berkowitz, a neurologist at UCLH CFS clinic.

Recently Fane was entered for the UCL IIT early career researcher poster competition – a competition of all microbiology projects at UCL.

We are extremely pleased to report that he was one of the three winners.

This was extremely important and encouraging for Fane, and for the ME cause, as it enforces the message that research into ME is now a mainstream activity and is now known across the UCL medical departments.

Fane’s project was "Extended B-cell phenotype in Myalgic encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: a cross sectional study".

Here is a photograph of Fane with his poster presentation.

Fane’s success did not end there.

Subsequently he was also invited to give a talk to young scientist meeting at GlaxoSmithKline, Royal Free and UCL postgraduate day.

This created a great deal of interest toward this project.

This is tremendous news as the research and Fane’s enthusiasm is creating enormous awareness of ME in the academic research community.

Fane’s commitment and dedication to this research and the cause is admirable.

Exciting times for the Next Generation

Fane with Professor David Lomas (Dean of the UCL Faculty of Medical sciences)

Presenting at ECI 2015

We also are pleased to announce that IiME are funding Fane’s registration at the European Congress of Immunology in Vienna [5]. Fane will be having a poster presentation there.

Invest in ME Research and Students

IiME has long been funding students in activities related to ME in various ways.

Our concessionary student rate at the annual IIMEC* conferences has allowed a number of students to participate more easily over the last nine years.

IiME has also had a policy of offering student tickets for free when related to our research locations in order to encourage students to participate.

The charity has also been funding summer students and intercalating medical students.
This last year the charity funded two UEA/IFR students who participated in the research as well as attending the BRMEC4/5 Colloquiums and IIMEC9/10 conferences.
These placements actively involve students in ME research – and have seen them working with Professor Angela Vincent at Oxford University and with Professor Maureen Hanson at Cornell University in New York.

These initiatives by the charity, in cooperation with our research institute partners, build awareness and create the Next Generation of ME researchers and clinicians.

For a small charity this has been a small step in changing education amongst the medical community – yet it is something the charity has been doing for many years and will continue to do so and will be one of the building blocks of raising awareness and improving education in research areas for the future.

Wadham College Oxford

This year Invest in ME was also chosen as one of five charities to benefit from the Wadham College students' charities campaign at Oxford.

We are really pleased that the students voted for Invest in ME and we recently received a wonderful £680 donation from the college.

Rob, who campaigned in support of Invest in ME, said that it was surprising how many students and their families were impacted by ME.

More awareness and funds raised for the ME cause within a university environment.

References

1. Haukeland Phase II rituximab clinical trial

2. ME/CFS – Through The Eyes of a Young Researcher

3. Progress of the B-cell Research Project

4. IiME Announce New Target for B-Cell PhD Studentship

5. 4th European congress of Immunology in Vienna

www.investinme.org