{"id":149,"date":"2022-01-13T12:24:38","date_gmt":"2022-01-13T12:24:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kahlbrandt.s45.tech\/?page_id=149"},"modified":"2026-02-10T12:22:58","modified_gmt":"2026-02-10T12:22:58","slug":"research","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/mecfs-research.org\/en\/research\/","title":{"rendered":"Research"},"content":{"rendered":"
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ME\/CFS Research<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Research is the path towards solution.<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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More ME\/CFS research will enable better diagnostics and one day causal therapies. Along the way, more medical knowledge will emerge and enable better recognition and care for patients by the medical and social systems.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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No adequate research, diagnosis or treatment \u2013 until now...<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The problem: there is far too little ME\/CFS research \u2013 too little in relation to the number of patients and the severity of the disease. ME\/CFS and Long COVID cause enormous societal costs every year (over \u20ac63 billion). Nevertheless, ME\/CFS research is decades behind compared to similarly widespread diseases.<\/a><\/span> (external link).<\/p>

More than 650,000 people living with ME\/CFS in Germany (according to our study on the prevalence and societal costs of ME\/CFS and Long COVID)<\/a><\/span>therefore do not receive adequate medical and social care. Many doctors are largely unaware of the disease. As a result, patients usually experience a frustrating and fruitless \"odyssey\" through the medical and social system. They are regularly diagnosed, treated and cared for incorrectly and far too often not at all. This must change!<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Our study with the latest figures \u2013 read it now!<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Research update for \ud83c\udde9\ud83c\uddea and \ud83c\udde6\ud83c\uddf9 (as of Sept. 2024)<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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International ME\/CFS Conference 2026, Berlin<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Research Funding Programme 2026<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Forschungsf\u00f6rderstrategie f\u00fcr 2026<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Current overview of our activities and projects<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Research is the way to sustainably improve the situation for patients<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Sustainable research funding could make therapies possible in just a few years. This would make appropriate care for patients more affordable or perhaps even superfluous. We are doing everything we can to achieve this.<\/span><\/p>

Our goal: We want to initiate more basic and clinical biomedical research - funded by donations and on a non-profit basis. Privately funded projects are often the first step in trialling new approaches. We support projects, network researchers, make ME\/CFS research transparent and provide facts and resources to raise awareness. . This brings progress - step by step.<\/p>

Our Research Funding Programme 2026<\/a><\/span> stellt 2 Mio. \u20ac f\u00fcr neue Forschungsprojekte zur Verf\u00fcgung. Until 30 April 2026 <\/strong>scientists and clinicians based in Germany can\u00a0apply for project funding<\/u><\/a>. Schwerpunkte der F\u00f6rderung sind Krankheitsmechanismen, Biomarker und Therapiem\u00f6glichkeiten.\u00a0<\/p>

ME\/CFS research has only been publicly funded for a few years. The pharmaceutical industry and established institutions are still barely involved. A new chapter in public research funding will begin in 2026 with the \u2018National Decade against Post-Infectious Diseases\u2019: \u20ac50 million per year has been announced. A great opportunity! We hope that this will enable the transition from small project budgets to a sustainably funded development of larger research structures.<\/p>

However, as our current funding strategy<\/a><\/span> explains, private funding will remain an important component of research support in 2026. Our focus will continue to be on biomedical research projects for which public funding is not (yet) available or is insufficient.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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World\u2019s leading experts are calling for more investments in research and drug development<\/span><\/span><\/p><\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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On 1 September 2025, more than 65 researchers and medical professionals from 14 countries published the International Declaration in Support of Research and Drug Development for ME\/CFS and Long COVID. The experts call for greater global cooperation to expand biomedical research and advance the development of curative treatments.\u00a0<\/p>

The Declaration calls on governments and international bodies to prioritise research funding on both diseases and outlines the need for pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to be actively engaged and incentivised to invest in research and drug development.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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International ME\/CFS Conference 2025: Viele Unterzeichnende der Deklaration haben hier aktuelle Forschungsergebnisse pr\u00e4sentiert.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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How do we support ME\/CFS research?<\/span><\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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We fund biomedical research focussing on basic and clinical therapy research in Germany (later also in other EU countries). There are already good approaches and globally recognised experts in this field. We support research through:<\/p>

  1. Funding of networking and exchange<\/strong>, e.g. the International ME\/CFS Conference (Berlin 2023<\/a><\/span> and 2025<\/a><\/span>).<\/li>
  2. Making research transparent<\/strong>, e.g. with: