INUSpheresis data shows that most patients are substantially improved, but the data is probably unreliable

A 2022 paper by Steenblock and colleagues (DOI:10.1055/a-1945-9694) presents data from an INUSpheresis clinic in Cham Germany.

Included were 1111 patients (2009–2022):

  • 74% were without symptoms or significantly better 6 months after INUSpheresis with follow-up therapy.
  • 11% of the ME/CFS patients experienced a moderate improvement
  • 15% did not encounter an improvement.

Personally I’ve seen too much nonsense in the scientific literature to see the data as reliable. It’s unlikely that everything works. It’s also highly likely that some of the patients worsened because that’s what we’re seeing with the treatments that work.

Many of the same people wrote a 2023 paper (DOI:10.1038/s41380-023-02084-1). That paper argues that certain biomarkers (autoantibodies, lipids, inflammatory markers, blood analysis via dark field microscopy) go down following INUSpheresis.

Survey data

I only have data on 3 people. It does not show 74% of people reporting significant improvement.

A vaguely similar treatment is plasmapheresis. 7 people reported outcomes from it. It’s ok.

The bottom line

Unfortunately I don’t have reliable data on this treatment. I certainly don’t trust the people writing the paper… it’s just unlikely that everything works.

HBOT is more proven and I would spend money there first.