Fibromyalgia & Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Treatments: Are Stem Cells the Key?

Harvard researchers say they've taken skin and bone marrow cells from people with several genetic diseases and turned them into stem cells. They say this could really help them understand how illnesses like Parkinson's and ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease) work and, hopefully, lead to better treatments.

So why do I care about this? Because as we learn more about fibromyalgia (FMS) and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS or ME/CFS), we see that they have a lot in common with the poorly understood neurological diseases these researchers are trying to lock. We already know that people with Gulf War syndrome, which is incredibly similar to FMS and ME/CFS, have the same genetic mutation that can lead to ALS. (Note: In Gulf War syndrome, it takes the genetic mutation combined with exposure to certain chemicals to trigger the condition, much like a genetic predisposition combined with certain viruses or other stressors may lead to FMS and ME/CFS.)

My belief is that the more researchers know about Parkinson's and ALS, the sooner they'll be able to unravel the mysteries of our illnesses. FMS and ME/CFS researchers can learn from any developments stemming from the stem cell lines and possibly use it to speed up their own research. Maybe this will help show why common viruses trigger ME/CFS in some people, or why some people (including me) develop FMS after enduring periods of high physical and emotional stress.

What do you think? Is this a big step forward or a false start? Are researchers looking in the right direction? Leave a comment here or in About.com's Fibromyalgia & Chronic Fatigue Syndrome forum (under Newsletter & Blog topics).

Suggested Reading:

• Read more: Scientists create stem cells for 10 disorders
• The 7 Genomic Subtypes of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
• Genetic Predisposition in Fibromyalgia & Chronic Fatigue Syndrome