Research updates, July 15

• A new study in PNAS found elevated oxidative stress was a shared characteristic in both myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) and Long COVID. Researchers compared the blood of 20 participants with Long COVID, 27 with ME, and 25 healthy controls using advanced techniques like flow cytometry. They found evidence of oxidative stress, an imbalance in the body associated with many chronic diseases; in these study participants, it contributed to mitochondrial dysfunction, a potential cause of persistent fatigue and post-exertional malaise. They also found differences in sex, such as a high rate of T cells in women, and noted that metformin may be a potential target for treatment.
   
• RECOVER-Treating Long COVID, the clinical trials initiative run by the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health and National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has announced that it will hold a second annual hybrid workshop discussing the initiative’s research. It will take place on September 9 and 10, with the in-person component in Bethesda, Maryland. Additional updates will be available from RECOVER-TLC’ website, and The Sick Times will cover the event as we did last year’s workshop.
   
• A clinical trial in the U.K. called PHOSP-I is recruiting to test the monoclonal antibody Tocilizumab. The drug is approved to treat rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Researchers plan to enroll 152 participants across 15 hospitals in the U.K. for the randomized, double-blinded, and placebo-controlled trial. Contact: Rachael Evans, phosp-i@leicester.ac.uk.

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