Morris, Gerwyn, Anderson, George, Dean, Olivia et al. · Molecular neurobiology · 2014 · DOI
This review examines glutathione (GSH), a naturally occurring substance in our cells that protects against damage and helps our immune system work properly. When glutathione levels drop, cells become more stressed and inflamed, which may contribute to ME/CFS and other conditions affecting the brain and immune system. The authors suggest several potential treatments—including supplements like N-acetyl cysteine and natural compounds like curcumin—that might help restore glutathione levels.
For ME/CFS patients, this work provides a unifying biochemical mechanism that could explain multiple disease features: energy dysfunction, immune dysregulation, and neurological symptoms. If GSH depletion is indeed central to ME/CFS pathology, it opens the door to testable therapeutic approaches and identifies specific biological targets for drug development.
This review does not prove that GSH depletion causes ME/CFS or that GSH-restoring therapies will effectively treat the disease. It presents correlational evidence and mechanistic reasoning rather than clinical trial data. Direct measurement of GSH levels in ME/CFS patients and controlled trials of proposed interventions remain necessary.
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Primary citation
Morris, Gerwyn, Anderson, George, Dean, Olivia, Berk, Michael, Galecki, Piotr, Martin-Subero, Marta, et al. (2014). The glutathione system: a new drug target in neuroimmune disorders.. Molecular neurobiology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12035-014-8705-x
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-morris-2014-glutathione-system,
author = {Morris, Gerwyn and Anderson, George and Dean, Olivia and Berk, Michael and Galecki, Piotr and Martin-Subero, Marta and Maes, Michael},
title = {The glutathione system: a new drug target in neuroimmune disorders.},
journal = {Molecular neurobiology},
year = {2014},
doi = {10.1007/s12035-014-8705-x},
note = {PubMed: 24752591},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/morris-2014-glutathione-system},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-26. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/morris-2014-glutathione-system
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