The ME/CFS Crowdfunding Campaign is a new initiative to promote crowdfunding campaigns for ME/CFS research and grow the crowdfunding community. More info from the Facebook page including regular updates on the current campaigns.

The first crowdfund campaign is – END ME/CFS’s ‘Big Data’ study for biomarkers in severely ill patients.

This is a hugely exciting study. The END ME/CFS board includes three Nobel laureates and is headed by world-famous geneticist Dr Ron Davis, whose son is a severely ill patient. The researchers are looking for molecular biomarkers for ME/CFS and they’re going to do this by looking where the disease is burning brightest: in the most severely ill, housebound and bedbound patients. And they’ll bring a powerful ‘big data’ approach by taking samples of blood, saliva, sweat, urine and feces, running a sophisticated and comprehensive battery of tests, and using powerful data analysis methods to find those biomarkers.

They want to study 40 patients but they’ve set an initial, interim target to enable them to get the study underway immediately: 15 patients at a cost of $25,000 each, for a highly achievable goal of  $375,000 (£240,000, €330,000). There have already been some very generous donations which we will give updates about soon, so that goal has already got a lot closer!

To donate: Open Medicine Foundation