PhD in Immunology, Cell Biologist. Two-time covid long hauler. Co-investigator on a Long Covid trial. FB group: Long Covid - Improve via Fasting
Boulder, CO
Joined November 2020
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Pleased to share our positive #LongCOVID trial results. Jeff Novack PhD of PNWU opened doors, made key contributions and otherwise made this possible. A patient-friendly, low burden, all remote trial. And a big THANK-YOU to all the trial participants!
nature.com/articles/s41598-0…
Bunk the Biologist retweeted
Today I saw another young long covid girl from
northern Europe.
One thing I worry we miss in children with Long COVID:
A child manages a full school day. The next day, they can barely get out of bed.
Was school “well tolerated”? Not at all.
PEM can appear 12–48 hours after physical or cognitive effort.
Therefore; this Instead of “Can you manage school?”, I ask: “What happens the next day?”
With PEM, pacing and school adjustments matter and this is part of routine asssessment in pediatric long covid or mecfs.
Clinicians and families: how do you spot delayed crashes?
to colleagues: this pattern is what easily distinguishes a child with LC or MECFS from a child who doesn’t want to do to school for any other reason
Bunk the Biologist retweeted
Could reactivated tick borne disease underlie neurological symptoms in a portion of Long COVID patients?
This research question is being pursued by Dr. Alessandra Luchini & colleagues at George Mason University via a new PolyBio-supported study. Using urinary extracellular vesicle (uEV) assays as a noninvasive platform to detect microbial and host-derived signals in Long COVID, the research team seeks to identify a potentially distinct subgroup of patients influenced by Borrelia infection and neuroimmune dysfunction.
Said Dr. Luchini, “The plan is to use immunoassays and mass spectrometry to study Lyme disease antigens and markers of organ injury or neural injury… astrocytic activation, blood-brain barrier dysfunction, and other markers.” Markers present on tissue-derived EVs may also indicate persistence of SARS-CoV-2 or its antigens.
Bunk the Biologist retweeted
We did it! We are so excited to announce we have received a prestigious R-01 grant from @NIH to further our research into mTOR’s role in #MECFS! This grant will deepen our findings about how mTOR activation is contributing to #PEM and help pinpoint mechanisms that are disrupted in #ME to better target treatments. Congratulations, @ggottschalkPhD @ProfAvikRoy and team! #Longcovid #POTS
Bunk the Biologist retweeted
In a recent episode of PolyBio’s “Lab Visits,” Dr. David Putrino outlined an ongoing Long COVID clinical trial of low-dose rapamycin, an mTOR inhibitor with numerous impacts on immune and mitochondrial function, taking place at Mt. Sinai’s CoRE clinic.
“Before starting this trial, not only did we speak with a lot of experts who had been trialing low-dose rapamycin in other populations, but we also spoke to patients who had figured it out on their own,” said Putrino. “That led us to very slowly tapering up the dose.”
Bunk the Biologist retweeted
First, the results:
15 or 25 days of nirmatrelvir/ritonavir did not improve Long COVID compared with placebo in any of the three phenotypes tested: cognitive dysfunction, autonomic dysfunction, or exercise intolerance/PEM.
This was a large study with 959 participants. The investigators deliberately designed VITAL to address criticisms of STOP-PASC and PAX-LC that included small sample sizes, wide variation in symptoms among participants, and outcome measures that may have missed significant changes
2/
Bunk the Biologist retweeted
Smithsonian Magazine: 'For Many Americans, Covid Is Still a Chronic, Disabling Disease. These Scientists Are Working Tirelessly to Bring Them Relief'
'Long Covid saps the strength and vitality of patients, who have little recourse to fight it...'
smithsonianmag.com/innovatio…
Bunk the Biologist retweeted
ME/CFS and chronic Lyme disease patients: we are almost at the finish line for this decentralized trial of Lumbrokinase—we need a few final participants! If you live anywhere in the U.S., you can partake in this trial directly from home.
The trial team will send the medication straight to you—all you have to do is report your symptoms throughout the trial period. 1/
Bunk the Biologist retweeted
Take a front-row seat to the 2026 #Amsterdam ISLC-PAIS Conference with on-demand access to more than 100 recorded scientific and clinical presentations.
At a fraction of the costs, this is the International #LongCOVID #MECFS #PAIS Conference you can attend anytime, whereever you are and at a fraction of the costs.
GET VIDEO ON DEMAND TODAY!
You can miss your peers, but you can't miss out on the latest science.
islc-pais.org/vod
A critique of our positive 2025 Intermittent Fasting for #LongCovid trial from the Infectious Disease MD PhD that first described Long COVID in children. @surf4children Please also see the comments. substack.com/@mecfslongcovid…
A promising new antiviral treatment modality that works with ancient antiviral machinery within all our cells.
National Taiwan University Hospital, 135 participants.
Inhaled siRNA SNS812 sped SARS-CoV-2 clearance, with antigen negativity at 2.9 vs 3.6 days.
It targets viral RdRP RNA.
No treatment-related adverse events.
link.springer.com/article/10…
Bunk the Biologist retweeted
Breaking: New Study Reveals Substantial Tissue-Level Immune Dysfunction Near Persistent Viral Reservoirs in Long COVID
👉🏻PolyBio-funded UCSF research finds persistent SARS-CoV-2 RNA alongside an altered gut immune response that may impair viral clearance 1/
Initially, I thought that #LongCOVID was a horrible new illness. It was an even bigger shock to learn about the decades long suffering and medical black-hole around #MECFS and other post-acute infectious syndromes.
Since @NewsHour aired my #BriefButSpectacular interview in April, I remain too sick & weak to function most of the time. The only new thing? There are now tens of (hundreds of?) thousands new folks struggling along w me: The staggering # of people w #LongCovid is growing daily
Bunk the Biologist retweeted
🔴 I think it is time to start taking seriously the disease model we have been proposing for Long COVID and ME/CFS.
For years, we have argued that persistent viral reservoirs may be the initiating event connecting many of the mechanisms observed in these diseases:
-Chronic antigenic stimulation.
-Immune hyperactivation.
-T-cell exhaustion.
-Reactivation of latent herpesviruses.
-Chronic inflammation.
-Loss of immune tolerance.
-Autoimmunity in genetically susceptible individuals.
A new study has now identified the kind of cellular response that this model predicts:
Persistent, virus-specific, cytolytic and exhausted CD8⁺ T cells directed not only against SARS-CoV-2, but also against EBV and CMV.
This is not simply “an immune system that forgot to switch itself off.”
These lymphocytes recognize viral antigens.
The more important question is:
What continues stimulating them?
(1/13)🧵
I hope the rapid enrollment and patient-friendly design encourages more all-remote #LongCovid and #MECFS clinical trials.
Rapid recruitment for a remote #LongCOVID clinical #trial
@TheLancetInfDis thelancet.com/journals/lanin…
Published a year ago, our positive #LongCOVID Intermittent Fasting trial results. A patient-friendly, low burden, all remote trial. The top half of participants saw a mean 81% decrease in their Long Covid symptom burden over 10 weeks. Cost, $20.
doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-0…
To learn more, here is a 40 min video about the trial. youtu.be/BP9s5hG9Fc8?si=kr5e…
Bunk the Biologist retweeted
Breaking: New PolyBio-Supported Study Finds Overlapping Persistent Virus-Specific T cell Responses in Long COVID
The research provides new evidence that Long COVID is characterized by ongoing immune responses to persistent viral proteins, further supporting the role of viral persistence and herpesvirus reactivation in the disease process. 1/
Bunk the Biologist retweeted
Can a simple blood test reveal who will recover from #LongCOVID—and who won’t?
➡️ A new study identifies two promising biomarkers: GDF-15, a marker of mitochondrial stress, and VCAM-1, a marker of vascular endothelial injury.
➡️ Patients whose symptoms persisted for at least 6 months maintained significantly higher levels of both markers, despite having little evidence of ongoing systemic inflammation. 1/
Bunk the Biologist retweeted
The findings strengthen the idea that the battle against LongCOVID may be won during the first few days of acute infection.
➡️ By limiting early viral replication and the downstream inflammatory cascade, these readily available drugs could help prevent months—or even years—of disability. 2/
Bunk the Biologist retweeted
NIH RECOVER autopsy data on 74 deaths:
▪️82% had Long COVID heart symptoms while alive
▪️11 had replicating SARS-CoV-2 virus inside heart muscle cells
▪️2 of those who had replicating SARS-CoV-2 virus didn't have Long COVID heart symptoms before they died
buff.ly/oKxIQO7
