{"id":12375,"date":"2025-07-15T16:11:38","date_gmt":"2025-07-15T16:11:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mecfs-research.org\/?p=12375"},"modified":"2026-01-28T09:34:45","modified_gmt":"2026-01-28T09:34:45","slug":"mcfc-projects-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mecfs-research.org\/en\/mcfc-projects-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"Funding announcement: Three further ME\/CFS research projects in Munich"},"content":{"rendered":"

The ME\/CFS Research Foundation is funding three additional research projects at the Munich Chronic Fatigue Centre for Young People (MCFC) to establish and maintain urgently needed bases and infrastructure for ME\/CFS research.<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Update 22 Jan 2026<\/strong>: Video of the interview with Prof. Uta Behrends on the PEDNET-LC project added (German language with automatic subtitles).<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The ME\/CFS Research Foundation has been funding the first model ward\/clinic with diagnostic and therapeutic services for children and adolescents with severe ME\/CFS in Munich since 2024 (link to our report<\/span><\/a>). The opening of the clinic, which was delayed due to construction work, took place on 23 May 2025 (see short videos on\u00a0Instagram<\/span><\/a>,\u00a0Facebook<\/span><\/a>,\u00a0LinkedIn<\/span><\/a>\u00a0,\u00a0Youtube<\/span><\/a>, TikTok<\/span><\/a>\u00a0\/ externe Links).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since the beginning of this year, we have further expanded our commitment and are supporting additional projects at the MCFC that seek to establish or maintain important infrastructure for ME\/CFS research in Munich and beyond:\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. MCFC research laboratory<\/strong>: the laboratory prepares bio-samples (e.g. blood samples from patients) for examinations and analyses as part of ME\/CFS research in Munich. Samples from patients with ME\/CFS, similar diseases and healthy controls are processed. The processed samples are made available to research projects of other working groups in Germany and internationally and are analysed in cooperation with the biobank of the TUM clinic<\/span><\/a> (external link) for future projects in the medium to long term. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. ME\/CFS-Biobank<\/strong>: The establishment of this important infrastructure for ME\/CFS research was funded by the Federal Ministry of Health (BMG) from 2022 to 2024 (external link to project description<\/span><\/a>). With the biobank in Munich, a standardised collection of biosamples from patients diagnosed with ME\/CFS (based on internationally established diagnostic criteria - Institute of Medicine (IOM), Canadian Consensus Criteria (CCC)) has been established. It provides <\/strong>a translational basis for the future identification of diagnostic markers, risk factors, new therapeutic approaches and preventive strategies for ME\/CFS. The ME\/CFS Research Foundation will cover the running costs for biosample storage at the TUM Clinical Centre until 2025. The subsequent continued operation is to be financed through co-operating research projects and new public funding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. \"HeLP\" research project<\/strong>: The project Healthy Control Population f\u00fcr PAIS-ME\/CFS (HelP)<\/span><\/a> (external link) serves to support other research projects investigating, for example, potential ME\/CFS disease mechanisms. The HeLP project recruits a cohort of healthy children, adolescents and young adults (up to the age of 25) and analyses them using various established and innovative measurement instruments. This enables comparative analyses of diseased and healthy individuals, e.g. for research into biomarkers, diagnostics and therapeutic approaches for ME\/CFS and other post-infectious diseases. The control samples obtained in the project are also available to research projects of other working groups in Germany and internationally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The funding of these three projects is in line with the objectives formulated in our research funding strategy<\/span><\/a> in 2023; to finance biomedical research projects for which public funding is not (yet) available or only insufficiently available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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PEDNET-LC<\/strong>: In addition to these projects, we support the development of the nationwide paediatric care and research network PEDNET-LC as a cooperating partner (external links to PEDNET-LC project website<\/span><\/a> and BMG website<\/span><\/a>which is dedicated to Long COVID-like diseases (including ME\/CFS regardless of the trigger). PEDNET-LC was conceived under the leadership of Prof. Dr. Uta Behrends (MCFC) and with the participation of 20 specialised, interdisciplinary care centres, three specialised rehabilitation clinics, two pain clinics and eight research institutes throughout Germany. The network will focus on improving the diagnosis, treatment and research of Long COVID and similar diseases in children and adolescents in order to ensure comprehensive, effective and sustainable help for those affected. The project is funded by the BMG with around 41 million euros and is the largest care network of its kind in the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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