A Novel Nutriceutical Treatment of Myalgic Encephalitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS): “What it is and what it is not”

Abstract

Ten patients suffering from pathology considered to be refractory ME/CFS have been prospectively offered treatment with a novel nutriceutical that increases the activity of pyruvate dehydrogenase and enhances mitochondrial energy production by the aerobic metabolism of the Kreb's cycle. Whereas half of the patients presented highly significant improvement of their health and condition, the other half did not experience any benefit. The latter patients were found to suffer from different pathology that should be classified as "ME/CFS-nondisease".

Prospective Biomarkers from Plasma Metabolomics of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Implicate Redox Imbalance in Disease Symptomatology

“…Several studies directly point to abnormal energy metabolism due to flawed TCA and urea cycles or directly upstream with putative impairment in pyruvate dehydrogenase [18,20]. A pilot study using a patented nutraceutical treatment hypothesized to boost the activity of this enzyme, and consequently the Krebs cycle, describes substantial improvements to the health and condition of treated patients [45]. Nevertheless, alpha-ketoglutarate is involved in numerous metabolic pathways such as carnitine metabolism, lysine metabolism and branched-chain amino acids, to name a few, so that a focus on a single pathway as the foundation of the disabling symptoms of ME/CFS is presently unjustified.…”