Journal of IiMER May 2025 BRMEC14 – Integrating Systems Biology in ME Research The 14th Biomedical Research into ME Colloquium, themed “Investigating the Mechanisms of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis: From Pathogenesis and Aetiology to Treatment Innovation,” places systems biology at the heart of efforts to address the complexities of ME and related conditions such as Long Covid. ME, classified as a neurological disorder (ICD-11: 8.E49), presents with diverse symptoms affecting immune, neurological, endocrine, and metabolic systems. Despite decades of research, its mechanisms remain unclear, with hypotheses including viral triggers, immune dysregulation, and mitochondrial dysfunction. The disease’s complexity and patient heterogeneity have hindered progress in identifying causal pathways and targeted treatments. Systems biology offers a holistic framework by integrating genomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and environmental data to model complex biological networks. This approach reveals emergent properties and dynamic processes often missed by traditional methods, making it well suited to ME’s multisystem nature. Key features include multi-omics integration, computational modelling, and network analysis, which together help identify crucial biological interactions and therapeutic targets. A core strength of systems biology is its ability to bridge laboratory discoveries with clinical observations. By integrating patient data with experimental findings, researchers can stratify patients into meaningful subgroups, aiding biomarker discovery and personalised medicine, as well as informing clinical trial design. BRMEC14 brings together experts such as Tamas Korcsmaros, Dezso Modos, Marton Olbei (Imperial College London), Anna Niarakis (Toulouse University), and Aurelien Dugourd (EMBL-EBI), who are at the forefront of systems biology and computational medicine. Their collective expertise accelerates the translation of complex data into actionable insights: Disease Mapping: Dr Anna Niarakis’s work on disease maps for rheumatoid arthritis and COVID-19 demonstrates how these tools can be adapted for ME, integrating multi-omics data to visualise mechanisms and identify targets. Multi-Omics Integration: The Saez-Rodriguez group, presented by Aurelien Dugourd, illustrates how combining diverse datasets can illuminate chronic disease mechanisms, enabling drug repurposing and novel treatments. Network Medicine: Tamas Korcsmaros’s expertise in network analysis helps elucidate interconnected pathways in ME, providing a foundation for targeted interventions. Invest in ME Research Page 11 of 43
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