Professor David Putrino is a physiotherapist with a PhD in Neuroscience. He is currently the Director of Rehabilitation Innovation for the Mount Sinai Health System, and a Professor in the Department of Rehabilitation and Human Performance at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.  Professor Putrino recently opened the Mount Sinai Cohen Center for Recovery from Complex Chronic Illness in New York also known as (CoRE) and serves as CoRE’s Family Director and is also a member of PolyBio’s Long COVID Research Consortium.

Today we talk about the pathophysiology of Long COVID in the context of describing research into targeted treatments for the disease.

REFERENCES

1 Proal AD, VanElzakkerMB, Aleman S, Bach K, Boribong BP, Buggert M, Cherry S, Chertow DS, Davies HE, Dupont CL, Deeks SG. SARS-CoV-2 reservoir in post-acute sequelae of COVID-19(PASC). Nature Immunology. 2023 Oct;24(10):1616-27.

2 Klein J, Wood J,Jaycox JR, Dhodapkar RM, Lu P, Gehlhausen JR, Tabachnikova A, Greene K, Tabacof L, Malik AA, Silva Monteiro V. Distinguishing features of Long COVID identified through immune profiling. Nature. 2023 Nov 2;623(7985):139-48.

3 Long COVID low-dose Rapamycin clinical trial

4 Lumbrokinase LongCOVID & ME/CFS clinical trial

5 Silva J, Takahashi T, Wood J, Lu P, Tabachnikova A, Gehlhausen JR, Greene K,

Bhattacharjee B, Monteiro VS, Lucas C, Dhodapkar RM. Sex differences in

symptomatology and immune profiles of Long COVID. medRxiv. 2024 Mar 2:2024-02.

6 VanElzakker MB, Bues HF, Brusaferri L, Kim M, Saadi D, Ratai EM, Dougherty DD, Loggia  ML. Neuroinflammation in post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC) as assessed by [11C] PBR28 PET correlates with vascular disease measures. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity.

7 Fernández-CastañedaA, Lu P, Geraghty AC, Song E, Lee MH, Wood J, O’Dea MR, Dutton S, Shamardani K, Nwangwu K, Mancusi R. Mild respiratory COVID can cause multi-lineage neural cell and myelin dysregulation. Cell. 2022 Jul 7;185(14):2452-68.

Professor Nancy Klimas is interviewed about the mechanisms behind how a nebulised medication caused a remarkable recovery from symptoms of ME/CFS and Long COVID in a small group of individuals and her objective to gain the ability to extend this research into a larger population of people with the hope of finding a viable treatment for these diseases.

REFERENCES

1 Gil A, Hoag GE, Salerno JP, Hornig M, Klimas N, Selin LK. Identification of CD8 T-cell dysfunction associated with symptoms in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) and Long COVID and treatment with a nebulized antioxidant/anti-pathogen agent a restropective case series.

2 Long COVID the Answers Episode 6:“PEM, Long COVID & It’s Management featuring Professor Todd Davenport”

3  Appelman B, Charlton BT, Goulding RP, Kerkhoff TJ, Breedveld EA, Noort W, Offringa C,

Bloemers FW, van Weeghel M, Schomakers BV, Coelho P., Wüst Rob.C Muscle abnormalities

worsen after post-exertional malaise in long COVID. Nature communications. 2024

Jan 4;15(1):1-5

4 Oldham WM, Lewis GD, Opotowsky AR, Waxman AB, Systrom DM. Unexplained exertional dyspnea caused by low ventricular filling pressures: results from clinical invasive cardiopulmonary exercise testing. Pulm Circ. 2016 Mar;6(1):55-62.

5 Joseph P, Arevalo C, Oliveira RKF, Faria-Urbina M, Felsenstein D, Oaklander AL, Systrom DM. Insights From Invasive Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing of Patients With Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Chest. 2021 Aug;160(2):642-651.

6 Singh I, Joseph P, Heerdt PM, Cullinan M, Lutchmansingh DD, Gulati M, Possick JD, Systrom DM, Waxman AB. Persistent Exertional Intolerance After COVID-19: Insights From Invasive Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing. Chest. 2022 Jan;161(1):54-63.

7 Joseph P, Pari R, Miller S, Warren A, Stovall MC, Squires J, Chang CJ, Xiao W, Waxman AB, Systrom DM. Neurovascular Dysregulation and Acute Exercise Intolerance in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial of Pyridostigmine. Chest. 2022 Nov;162(5):1116-1126.

8 Open Medicine Foundation: Dr. David Systrom Discusses OMF's LIFT Clinical Trial

Dr David Lyons Kaufman is interviewed about Mast Cell Activation Syndrome. Dr Kaufman is a working member of the U.S. Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) Clinical Coalition and part of the Guideline Committee.  He is a founder and practising physician of the Center for Complex Diseases based in Seattle and California, USA which has a focus on patients suffering from Complex Chronic Disease such as Mast Cell Activation Syndrome ME/CFS & Long COVID.

REFERENCE

Afrin LB, Ackerley MB, Bluestein LS, Brewer JH, Brook JB, Buchanan AD, Cuni JR, Davey WP, Dempsey TT, Dorff SR, Dubravec MS. Diagnosis of mast cell activation syndrome: a global “consensus-2”. Diagnosis. 2021 May 1;8(2):137-52.

Gina Assaf & Letícia Soares are interviewed about the work they do as part of the Patient-Led Research Collaborative. In this episode we do a deep dive into their latest publication.

REFERENCES

1 Soares L, Assaf G, McCorkell L, Davis H, Cohen A, Moen J, Shoemaker L, Liu L, Lewis D, Robles R, McWilliams C. Long COVID and associated outcomes following COVID-19 reinfections: Insights from an InternationalPatient-Led Survey.

Dr Funmi Okunola MD interviews Professor Nancy Klimas MD about her research into the use of Monoclonal Antibodies as a possible treatment for Long COVID. We have an exciting and exclusive breaking news item in this episode!

REFERENCES

1 Scheppke KA, Pepe PE, Jui J, Crowe RP, Scheppke EK, Klimas NG, Marty AM. Remission of severe forms of long COVID following monoclonal antibody (MCA) infusions: a report of signal index cases and call for targeted research. The American Journal of Emergency Medicine. 2024 Jan 1;75:122-7.

2 Zuo W, He D, Liang C, Du S, Hua Z, Nie Q, Zhou X, Yang M, Tan H, Xu J, Yu Y. The persistence of SARS-CoV-2 in tissues and its association with long COVID symptoms: a cross-sectional cohort study in China. The Lancet Infectious Diseases. 2024 Apr 22.

3 Hope & Help for Fatigue and Chronic Illness - The Institute For Neuro-Immune Medicine Podcast

4  Appelman B, Charlton BT, Goulding RP, Kerkhoff TJ, Breedveld EA, Noort W, Offringa C,

Bloemers FW, van Weeghel M, Schomakers BV, Coelho P., Wüst Rob.C Muscle abnormalities

worsen after post-exertional malaise in long COVID. Nature communications. 2024

Jan 4;15(1):1-5

Three members of the Patient-Led Research Collaborative - Lisa McCorkell, Gina Assaf &

Letícia Soares are interviewed by Dr Funmi Okunola about the organisation and the work it does.

REFERENCES

1 The Patient-Led Research Collaborative Website

2 The Patient-Led Research Collaborative Donation Page

3 Portela MC et al. 2024. Protocol for an ambidirectional cohort study on long COVID and the healthcare needs, use and barriers to access health services in a large city in Southeast Brazi. lBMJ Open 14:e086656.

4 Caldas B et al. 2024. Promoting equity, diversity, and inclusion in surveys: insights from a patient-engaged study to assess long COVID health-care needs in Brazil. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, 173: 111423

Dr Richard Baron MD - Immediate Past President and CEO, American Board of Internal Medicine and ABIM Foundation talks about how social media was used in a positive fashion by healthcare professionals to conduct a successful COVID vaccination program during the height of the pandemic.

This podcast was recorded earlier in 2024 prior to Dr Baron's leaving his post as President and CEO of the American Board of Internal Medicine in September 2024

REFERENCE

Lalani HS, DiResta R, Baron RJ, Scales D. Addressing viral medical rumors and false or misleading information. Annals of Internal Medicine.2023 Aug;176(8):1113-20.

Chimére Sweeney, an award winning , former middle school teacher, writer, film producer, speaker, and long COVID advocate, is interviewed about her Long COVID story. This is the second of two episodes.

Chimére Sweeney, an award winning , former middle school teacher, writer, film producer, speaker, and long COVID advocate, is interviewed about her Long COVID story. This is the first of two episodes.

REFERENCES

"Could You Hug Me Longer, Please? Reclaiming Touch and Intimacy as a Black Woman with Long COVID". published online in SheKnows February 2023.

Professor Erica Spatz MD talks to Dr Funmi Okunola MD about the effects of Long COVID on the heart. Professor Spatz is a cardiologist and clinical investigator at the Centre for Outcomes Research and Evaluation. She is the Associate Professor of Cardiology and Associate Professor of Epidemiology at Yale School of Medicine in the USA and is the Director of the Preventative Cardiovascular Health Program.

REFERENCES

1.Shah SM, Odanovic N, Kunnirickal S, Feher A, Pfau SE, Spatz ES. Chest pain and coronary endothelial dysfunction after recovery from COVID‐19: A case series. Clinical Case Reports. 2022 Apr;10(4):e05612.

2.HilserJR, Spencer NJ, Afshari K, Gilliland FD, Hu H, Deb A, Lusis AJ, Wilson Tang WH, Hartiala JA, Hazen SL, Allayee H. COVID-19 Is a Coronary Artery Disease Risk Equivalent and Exhibits a Genetic Interaction With ABO Blood Type. Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology. 2024 Nov;44(11):2321-33.