Kynurenine Pathway
1 OMF Kynurenine Supplementation Trial
Principal Investigator:: Open Medicine Foundation researchers
Institution:: OMF-funded site
Contact/URL:: https://www.omf.ngo/kynurenine-trial-in-me-cfs/
Funder:: Open Medicine Foundation
Status:: Recruiting / active
Phase:: Interventional (RCT, crossover)
Cohort:: ME/CFS patients
Mechanism/Focus:: Randomised to kynurenine or placebo for 3 months followed by crossover. Tests whether exogenous kynurenine supplementation can correct tryptophan metabolism disturbances reported in ME/CFS. The kynurenine pathway mediates immune response and neuroinflammation through metabolites like quinolinic acid and kynurenic acid.
Primary Outcomes:: Fatigue, cognitive function, immune markers; kynurenine/tryptophan ratio changes
Estimated Completion:: TBD
Document Relevance:: Ch. 6 (energy metabolism—NAD+ synthesis via kynurenine pathway), Ch. 8 (neurological dysfunction— neuroinflammation), Ch. 16 (supplements)
The kynurenine pathway sits at the intersection of immune activation and energy metabolism: IDO-driven tryptophan diversion reduces serotonin availability while generating both neuroprotective (kynurenic acid) and neurotoxic (quinolinic acid) metabolites Open Medicine Foundation (2025). If kynurenine supplementation improves symptoms, it would confirm that tryptophan diversion is a treatable metabolic bottleneck in ME/CFS.