Human Herpesvirus 6B and ME/CFS: does the virus cause or follow immune problems?
Official title: Human Herpesvirus 6B in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis / Chronic Fatigue Syndrome pathogenesis: temporal analysis of viral reactivation and immunity to elucidate cause vs effect
Funded at London Sch/hygiene & Tropical Medicine · NIH-11403869 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A study to see if HHV-6B reactivation is a cause or result of immune problems in people with ME/CFS, using long-term follow-up and biosamples from patients and controls.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | London Sch/hygiene & Tropical Medicine NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (London, United Kingdom) |
| Project start | September 9, 2022 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $487,833 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AI170839-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11403869 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults aged 18-60 with ME/CFS, Long COVID with ME/CFS symptoms, Short COVID without long-term symptoms, and healthy controls, who can provide consent and biosamples.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals without ME/CFS or related conditions or those unable to provide biosamples may not benefit.
What this research studies
This project will follow up with ME/CFS patients, long-COVID with ME/CFS symptoms, short-COVID, and healthy controls to collect blood and saliva over time. Researchers will measure HHV-6B DNA and immune markers to map how viral activity relates to symptom severity. The study uses existing biobank participants and adds new recruitment to build a large, well-characterized cohort for temporal analysis. The goal is to clarify whether HHV-6B drives disease activity or is a consequence of immune dysregulation. Participants will undergo clinical assessments and provide biospecimens to enable this analysis.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, findings could clarify targets for therapies or monitoring in ME/CFS and related conditions.
How similar studies have gone: Prior work suggests a link between herpesvirus activity and ME/CFS symptoms, but causal direction remains unclear; this study aims to strengthen evidence with longitudinal data.
Where this research is happening
-
London Sch/hygiene & Tropical Medicine
London, United Kingdom Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Cliff, Jackie — London Sch/hygiene & Tropical Medicine
- Study coordinator: Cliff, Jackie
Related research
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HHV-6B (a common herpesvirus) and its link to ME/CFS and Long COVID
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.