Significant M.E. research proposal in the Netherlands
August 11, 2020
The Dutch national health research agency ZonMw is developing a proposal to spend £23m exclusively on biomedical M.E./CFS research over the next 10 years.
The proposal began back in 2011 with a petition from M.E. patient Mirande de Rijke calling on the Dutch government to treat M.E. seriously as a biomedical illness. Widespread support for this petition led to a report from the Health Council of the Netherlands, which led to the development of a long-term M.E. research programme.
Research will aim to tackle fundamental biological areas that have already been highlighted as important by international work. This includes the immune system, the nervous system, and cell biology. A part of the research also involves recruiting a cohort of M.E. patients who meet the International Consensus Criteria or the Canadian Consensus Criteria. The research programme plans to have significant patient involvement, with four M.E. patients sitting alongside four researchers on ZonMw proposals.
The final proposal is due to be submitted in early 2021 and funding would represent a considerable investment into M.E. research, following on from the recent funding for the DecodeME study.
You can find an article on the proposal written by M.E. patient Simon McGrath on his M.E./CFS Research Review website.
