Morse, Brinkley A, Motovilov, Katherine, Michael Brode, W et al. · Brain, behavior, and immunity · 2025 · DOI
This review examines intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG), a treatment that works by providing immune-boosting antibodies, for several conditions including ME/CFS and long COVID. The researchers found that IVIG may help reduce symptoms in some patients, though results have been mixed. The treatment can have side effects and is very expensive, which limits how widely it can be used.
This review provides a comprehensive overview of IVIG as a potential immunomodulatory therapy for ME/CFS, placing it within the broader context of neuroimmune diseases. Understanding IVIG's mechanisms and mixed efficacy in ME/CFS helps patients and researchers evaluate whether this treatment warrants further investigation and clinical trials. The identification of knowledge gaps highlights the need for optimized patient selection and dosing protocols specific to ME/CFS populations.
This review does not establish that IVIG is an effective standard treatment for ME/CFS—only that mixed results have been observed in small cohorts. The study does not clarify which ME/CFS patients might benefit most from IVIG or determine optimal dosing and timing. It also does not prove causation between IVIG administration and symptom improvement, as most evidence comes from uncontrolled or small studies.
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
Morse, Brinkley A, Motovilov, Katherine, Michael Brode, W, Michael Tee, Francis, & Melamed, Esther (2025). A review of intravenous immunoglobulin in the treatment of neuroimmune conditions, acute COVID-19 infection, and post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 Syndrome.. Brain, behavior, and immunity. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbi.2024.10.006
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-morse-2025-review-intravenous,
author = {Morse, Brinkley A and Motovilov, Katherine and Michael Brode, W and Michael Tee, Francis and Melamed, Esther},
title = {A review of intravenous immunoglobulin in the treatment of neuroimmune conditions, acute COVID-19 infection, and post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 Syndrome.},
journal = {Brain, behavior, and immunity},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.1016/j.bbi.2024.10.006},
note = {PubMed: 39389388},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/morse-2025-review-intravenous},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-27. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/morse-2025-review-intravenous
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