Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40502741›Full record

ArticleResearch square2025

Low Dose Rapamycin Alleviates Clinical Symptoms of Fatigue and PEM in ME/CFS Patients via Improvement of Autophagy.

Brian T Ruan, Sarojini Bulbule, Amy Reyes, Bela Chheda, Lucinda Bateman, Jennifer Bell, Braydon Yellman, Stephanie Grach, Jon Berner, Daniel L Peterson and 3 more

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In one paragraph

Article in Research square, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors.

Brian T RuanCornell University.
Sarojini BulbuleSimmaron Research INC.
Amy ReyesUniversity of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Bela ChhedaCenter for Complex Diseases, Palo Alto, CA.
Lucinda BatemanBateman Horne Center.
Jennifer BellBateman Horne Center.
Braydon YellmanBateman Horne Center.
Stephanie GrachMayo Clinic Research Rochester.
Jon BernerWoodinville psychiatric Associates.
Daniel L PetersonSierra Internal Medicine.
David KaufmanCenter for Complex Diseases.
Avik RoyUniversity of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.ORCID 0000-0003-0523-8504
C Gunnar GottschalkSimmaron Research INC.

Funding

ATG13: A new player in ME/CFSR21NS129021 · NINDS · SIMMARON RESEARCH INC · PI ROY, AVIK · 2023 to 2024
$450k
NINDS NIH HHS R21 NS129021
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: mTOR activation is associated with chronic inflammation in ME/CFS. Previous studies have shown that sustained mTOR activation can cause chronic muscle fatigue by inhibiting ATG13-mediated autophagy. This highlights the pivotal role of mTOR in the pathogenesis of ME/CFS. Methods: We conducted a decentralized, uncontrolled trial of rapamycin in Results: Rapamycin (6 mg/week) was tolerated without any SAEs. Of the 40 patients, 29 (72.5%) showed strong recovery in PEM, fatigue, and OI, along with improvements in MFI fatigue domains and SF-36 aspects. High levels of BECLIN-1 were detected in T3. Plasma pSer258-ATG13 levels were strongly downregulated at T1. Spearman's correlation analysis indicated an association between autophagy impairment and reduced activity. Conclusions: Low-dose rapamycin effectively reduced PEM and other key symptoms in patients with ME/CFS, as measured by BAS, SSS, MFI, and SF-36. Future studies should encompass dose optimization and develop a diagnostic tool to identify responders with mTOR-mediated autophagy disruption.

Identifiers

PMID40502741
PMCPMC12155199

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.