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Grant Awarded to Nitrogen Hypothesis Study

 OMF Scientist Receives
Grant Funding for ME / CFS Study

Open Medicine Foundation (OMF) is thrilled to share that our staff science liaison, Christopher W. Armstrong, PhD, has been awarded a grant to further his research into the relationship between the altered metabolism of nitrogen and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/ Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME / CFS). The research will be completed at the ME / CFS Collaborative Research Center at Stanford University, under the direction of Dr. Ron Davis, Director of OMF’s Scientific Advisory Board.

Dr. Armstrong first noted increased usage of amino acids, which contains nitrogen, in the metabolism of people with ME / CFS while working at the University of Melbourne. He was the first to apply metabolomics to the field of ME / CFS, publishing his results in 2015. Metabolomics is the study of small molecules (metabolites) using common standards of detection that enable different studies to be comparative and additive.

In 2018, he defined a hypothesis thatnitrogen-containing by-products of energy production accumulate more readily in the cells of people with ME / CFS, these nitrogen-containing by-products can be damaging to the cells and their process of producing energy.” This means that the process of producing energy in people with ME / CFS may be causing damage and could reduce their ability to make further energy.

Chris was recruited to join Open Medicine Foundation in 2019 as a science liaison to communicate between the research collaborative groups at Stanford, Harvard, Uppsala, and Montreal universities, as well to help communicate their work to the broader ME / CFS community. During this time, he further developed the nitrogen hypothesis as it pertains to the broader research findings in the ME / CFS field.

“I’m extremely excited to have received funding for the continuation of this research. This hypothesis is the culmination of the many research studies on people with ME / CFS,” Dr. Armstrong says. “We will be able to test the hypothesis, and in the process, we will be providing a large body of data on nitrogen metabolism in ME / CFS.”

The grant will fund over 10,000 measurements of molecules in biofluids and cells from people, with and without ME / CFS, to track how nitrogen flows through the energy production system.


 

We Won a GreatNonprofit Award!

Thanks to our wonderful community, Open Medicine Foundation is one of the first winners of the 2020 Top-Rated Award from GreatNonprofits! GreatNonprofits, the leading platform for community-sourced stories about nonprofits, honors highly reviewed nonprofit organizations with their 2020 Top-Rated Awards.

OMF’s 2020 GreatNonprofits badge proudly demonstrates our commitment to transparency as a nonprofit organization, and serves to increase visibility of our work and expand our network of generous donors dedicated to ending ME / CFS.

We are truly grateful to have received such a positive response from our community:

“OMF is continuously researching ME / CFS and giving patients hope!”

“COLLABORATION. A powerful way to achieve results, when researching a disease so complex such as ME / CFS — and collaboration is in the core of the work at OMF. This nonprofit organization has already achieved groundbreaking discoveries and will continue to do so, aiming to find treatment for the symptoms and hopefully a cure. My son and millions of other patients follow OMF’s work, which they share with their community on a weekly basis. I am part of their translator’s team, who help them reach patients, caregivers and the public in general in many countries around the world.”

Thank you for your support. You give us confidence in our mission to end ME / CFS.

Read more inspiring stories about us, and add your own here:

greatnonprofits.org/org/open-medicine-foundation

 


 

Check Out Our Redesigned Website 

We are excited to share that we have redesigned and updated our website! Take a look now: www.OMF.ngo

With you in mind, OMF is making website improvements in order to create a user-friendly platform equipped with patient resources, information about OMF’s mission and current research studies, exciting OMF-funded research updates, and more.

What’s new?

We hope you find our website to be a valuable resource, and don’t forget to periodically check back as we continue to make improvements!

 


If you are able, please consider contributing to our effort to
uncover research-based answers.

Help us improve the quality of life for all sufferers of ME / CFS and other
chronic complex diseases, such as Post Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome
and Fibromyalgia.

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis / Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME / CFS) Post Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome (PTLDS), Fibromyalgia Leading Research. Delivering Hope.Open Medicine Foundation®

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