Open Medicine Foundation (OMF)

A treatment's mechanism of action is the specific biological process by which it produces its effect in the body. Understanding mechanism of action helps clinicians make smarter, more personalized treatment choices for people living with ME/CFS & Long COVID.

Why do people with Long COVID and ME/CFS wake up unrefreshed, even when a standard sleep study looks close to normal? A 2026 study in the journal SLEEP points to the fine-grained structure of sleep itself.

In this OMF Journal Club, Dr. Danielle Meadows walks through "Facility-Measured Sleep Electroencephalographic Microstructures in Long COVID" (Sun et al., 2026), a paper from Dr. Janet Mullington's team in collaboration with OMF's Computational Research Center for Complex Diseases.

Multi-omics is a style of research that combines multiple layers of biological data—including genomics (genes), proteomics (proteins), and metabolomics (metabolites)---to build a complete picture of what is happening inside the body.

A single-focus study often misses the bigger picture in multi-system diseases, so multi-omics better helps researchers connect the dots across biology, moving us closer to understanding the root causes of #MECFS.

Multi-omics is a style of research that combines multiple layers of biological data—including genomics (genes), proteomics (proteins), and metabolomics (metabolites)---to build a complete picture of what is happening inside the body.

Nearly 1,700 of you completed our deep dive survey on post-exertional symptom worsening. In the survey we presented two frameworks: a staged model of post-exertional worsening, and a proposed set of outcome measures for decentralized treatment trials.

These survey results go directly into CTN Lite trial design, and we continue to learn from patterns in your responses. They shape the outcome measures we select, the way we define and track PEM, and how we build trial protocols that can accommodate patients across the full severity spectrum.

Nearly 1,700 of you completed our deep dive survey on post-exertional symptom worsening. In the survey we presented two frameworks: a staged model of post-exertional worsening, and a proposed set of outcome measures for decentralized treatment trials.

A DSMB is an independent group of medical and scientific experts who watch over a clinical trial while it's happening. They regularly review incoming data to make sure participants aren't being harmed and that the study is running fairly and ethically.

In ME/CFS clinical trials, a DSMB can be a critical safeguard for participants’ wellbeing, particularly in studies that are investigating drugs that haven’t been used frequently or at all in the disease. It can also add a layer of scientific credibility to trials.

Gut dysbiosis is an imbalance in the microorganisms—bacteria, fungi, and viruses—that live in your digestive system. When this “community” is disrupted, it can interfere with digestion, immune function, and even how your brain and body communicate.

Because the gut can impact the immune system and the brain, an imbalanced microbiome could help explain the widespread inflammation, cognitive difficulties, and immune dysfunction that people with ME/CFS experience.

Gut dysbiosis is an imbalance in the microorganisms—bacteria, fungi, and viruses—that live in your digestive system. When this “community” is disrupted, it can interfere with digestion, immune function, and even how your brain and body communicate.

From Dr. Ronald W. Davis: "I'm excited to announce our lineup of speakers for our upcoming Community Symposium on September 11! It will be recorded for those who cannot attend." Register here: https://ow.ly/EtaX50ZLXkS

Traditional clinical studies require participants to travel to a single site, which is a barrier that leaves many people unable to take part in research. Decentralized studies offer more flexible options for participating in research like local lab visits, home collection kits, or virtual check-ins.

For people living with ME/CFS, where even a short trip can trigger extended periods of worsening symptoms, this flexibility makes meaningful participation in research possible for people who are housebound.

Membrane potential is the difference in voltage between the inside and outside of a membrane (e.g., cell membrane). It’s created by concentration gradients of ions, and it powers a cell's essential functions, like producing energy and sending signals.

In #MECFS, there is evidence that cells and mitochondria in patients may struggle to maintain this electrical balance. This can disrupt the body's ability to generate energy and may help explain the profound fatigue that people experience.