Vassar Microbiome Study
The Vassar Microbiome Study is led by Dr. David Esteban, a microbiologist at Vassar College. This highly collaborative study was originally started using SolveME’s SolveTogether platform, and is being continued by the Brain Inflammation Collaborative using Unhide. This research was funded by both SolveME and the Patient Led Research Fund.
The Esteban lab is studying how gut microbes in people with Long COVID and ME may influence inflammation and other body systems through a receptor called the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR). The AhR helps regulate immune responses and maintain balance in the gut and other tissues. In diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease, multiple sclerosis, and rheumatoid arthritis, disruptions in AhR activity are linked to inflammation and tissue damage. Because people with ME/CFS and Long COVID often show gut imbalances, abnormal metabolism, and signs of inflammation, Dr. Esteban’s research aims to test whether similar disruptions in AhR signaling may play a role.
Participants for this study were recruited and followed through the digital health platform, which enabled broad, participant-centered engagement across diverse geographic regions. The platform allowed individuals with ME/CFS and Long COVID to contribute data, complete surveys, and share information on their health and symptoms over time. This approach not only supported efficient recruitment and remote participation but also provided valuable data to link biological findings with participants’ reported symptom and survey data.
By combining digital health tools with laboratory research on patient-donated bio-specimens, the study aims to better understand how gut microbes and AhR activity contribute to Long COVID and ME/CFS—and potentially identify new, druggable targets for treatment.
