Cabanas, Helene, Muraki, Katsuhiko, Staines, Donald et al. · Frontiers in immunology · 2019 · DOI
This study looked at a protein channel called TRPM3 in immune cells from ME/CFS patients and found it wasn't working properly. The researchers discovered that a drug called naltrexone (an opioid blocker used off-label for ME/CFS) could restore the function of this damaged channel in laboratory tests. This finding suggests naltrexone may help ME/CFS symptoms by fixing this broken immune mechanism.
This study identifies a specific molecular mechanism—impaired TRPM3 function in immune cells—that may underlie ME/CFS immune dysfunction and inflammation. It provides mechanistic evidence supporting naltrexone's therapeutic potential and opens new avenues for targeted drug development aimed at restoring this critical calcium signaling pathway in ME/CFS patients.
This laboratory study does not prove naltrexone will clinically improve ME/CFS symptoms in patients, as the findings are from isolated cells in culture. It does not establish that TRPM3 dysfunction is the primary cause of ME/CFS or that restoring TRPM3 function alone will reverse disease pathology. Long-term clinical trials are needed to determine efficacy and safety.
About the PEM badge: “PEM required” means post-exertional malaise was an explicit required diagnostic criterion for participant inclusion in this study — not that PEM was studied, observed, or discussed. Studies using criteria that do not require PEM (e.g. Fukuda, Oxford) are tagged “PEM not required”. How the atlas works →
The first block is for the primary paper and is the citation you should use in research work. The atlas-snapshot line only applies if you are specifically referring to this atlas’s reading of the paper on the date shown.
Primary citation
Cabanas, Helene, Muraki, Katsuhiko, Staines, Donald, & Marshall-Gradisnik, Sonya (2019). Naltrexone Restores Impaired Transient Receptor Potential Melastatin 3 Ion Channel Function in Natural Killer Cells From Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Patients.. Frontiers in immunology. https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2019.02545
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-cabanas-2019-naltrexone-restores,
author = {Cabanas, Helene and Muraki, Katsuhiko and Staines, Donald and Marshall-Gradisnik, Sonya},
title = {Naltrexone Restores Impaired Transient Receptor Potential Melastatin 3 Ion Channel Function in Natural Killer Cells From Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Patients.},
journal = {Frontiers in immunology},
year = {2019},
doi = {10.3389/fimmu.2019.02545},
note = {PubMed: 31736966},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/cabanas-2019-naltrexone-restores},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-28. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/cabanas-2019-naltrexone-restores
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