- A recent study by the NIH published in JAMA claimed to find no brain injuries in people with Havana Syndrome. However, participants of the study disputed the results, accusing the authors of bias and “mishandling confidential medical information.” This is the second time in a month that an NIH study has been accused of bias from people with chronic illnesses. Last month, people with ME and outside experts accused the NIH of bias and called for the retraction of the intramural study on ME. For more on the study and the allegations surrounding it, check out this article in the Miami Herald and this report from 60 Minutes.
- Scientists have discovered that a Covid-19 antibody may help explain Long Covid. A recent study published last week in mBio found that Covid-19 may cause some people’s bodies to produce antibodies that mimic enzymes, called “abzymes.” “It is possible that these rogue abzymes could harm many different aspects of physiology,” one of the study’s authors said in a press release, explaining how abzymes could affect blood clotting, inflammation, and blood pressure. “If this turns out to be true, then developing treatments to deplete or block the rogue abzymes could be the most effective way to treat the complications of Covid-19.”
- An upcoming study from Mount Sinai will test the potential impact of lumbrokinase, an enzyme that may help address microclots, a common issue found in the blood of people with Long Covid. Lumbrokinase — fibrinolytic enzymes from some species of earthworms that can be used as an antithrombotic agent — was identified in a patient-led survey in 2022 as a possible Long Covid treatment. Read more about the study and others in our coverage of Polybio.
Leave a Reply