Metabolism, Cell Danger Response and Healing in ME/CFS

Written By Alana Karran Robert Naviaux, MD PhD, was the keynote speaker for the Community Symposium on the Molecular Basis of ME/CFS, held at Stanford University on August 12th, 2017. Dr. Naviaux spoke about his research on Mitochondria, at the University of California San Diego, and its connection to understanding ME/CFS. Dr. Naviaux began his talk by stating that he believes, somewhere in the complexity of ME/CFS, there is also an underlying unity. That unity points back to the Cell Danger Response (CDR), one of the two chief functions of the Mitochondria. Mitochondria are connected to all life on the planet. They have two roles: Inside the cell, they are the carrier of energy, which animates life and powers metabolism; Outside the cell, they act as a Mitokine – a signaling cell – that coordinates the Cellular Defense System by