If you live with Lyme disease, long COVID, mold illness, or MCAS, you’ve probably come across SOT (Supportive Oligonucleotide Therapy) in a patient group or online forum. Many people with these conditions have also been told their symptoms “look autoimmune.” This guide explains, condition by condition, where RGCC testing and SOT may fit, where they don’t, and what the evidence actually says, so you can have a better conversation with any clinic you’re considering in Oklahoma City, Tulsa, or elsewhere in Oklahoma.
RGCC and SOT in two paragraphs
RGCC is a laboratory group based in Greece and Switzerland. Its infection-focused blood testing looks for genetic material from specific viruses and bacteria, such as Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), Borrelia (Lyme), Bartonella, and Babesia, and identifies the strain.
If an organism is found, RGCC can produce an SOT: short strands of lab-made genetic material designed to match that organism and interfere with the proteins it needs to multiply. It’s given as an IV infusion. SOT is not FDA-approved to treat any condition. For the full process, risks, and costs, see our RGCC testing and SOT therapy page.
First, a word about “autoimmune”
Lyme disease, long COVID, mold illness, and MCAS are often grouped together because they share symptoms like fatigue, brain fog, pain, and sensitivity to foods or chemicals, and because the immune system is clearly involved. But they aren’t classic autoimmune diseases like lupus or rheumatoid arthritis, where the immune system makes antibodies against the body’s own tissue. That distinction matters here, because SOT is aimed at an outside organism, not at the immune system itself.
Lyme disease and tick-borne co-infections
This is the most direct fit. Borrelia, Bartonella, and Babesia species are on RGCC’s SOT list, and Lyme disease was one of the three infections included in the only published SOT study.
For Oklahomans, other tick-borne bacteria matter too. The Oklahoma State Department of Health notes that Rocky Mountain spotted fever, ehrlichiosis, tularemia, and anaplasmosis are seen regularly in the state. RGCC has listed Ehrlichia chaffeensis, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, and Rickettsia rickettsii among its available SOT targets.
Two important cautions:
- A new tick bite with fever or rash is urgent. Rocky Mountain spotted fever and ehrlichiosis can become serious quickly. SOT is not a substitute for prompt standard care.
- Lingering symptoms after Lyme treatment aren’t fully understood. The CDC calls this post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome and says its cause is currently unknown. Whether ongoing infection plays a role is still debated. Testing can add information, but it doesn’t settle that question.
Long COVID
RGCC’s published SOT lists don’t include the COVID-19 virus, so SOT isn’t aimed at COVID itself. The more relevant question for long COVID is whether an older virus has reactivated.
Two studies found that connection. A 2021 study in Pathogens reported signs of EBV reactivation in 20 of 30 people with long COVID, compared with 2 of 20 people without it. A larger 2023 study from UCSF in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, which followed 280 adults, found that fatigue and brain fog months after COVID were linked to blood markers suggesting recent EBV reactivation.
These studies show an association, not proof that EBV causes long COVID symptoms, and no studies have tested SOT in long COVID. Where RGCC testing may fit is in checking whether EBV or another listed virus is present. We cover the EBV connection in more depth in Epstein-Barr reactivation and long COVID, and the broader picture on our long COVID page.
Mold illness and CIRS
SOT isn’t designed against mold or mycotoxins, and RGCC’s published lists don’t include fungal targets. The first priority in mold illness is identifying and getting away from the exposure. People who are still sick after moving out of a moldy home sometimes have other factors in play. A coexisting viral or tick-borne infection is one possibility worth checking, and that’s the only place RGCC testing comes in. Learn more on our mold illness and CIRS page.
MCAS
Mast cells are your own immune cells, not an infection, so SOT is not an MCAS treatment. Some people notice their mast cell symptoms began or worsened after an illness, including after COVID. If there’s reason to think an ongoing infection is part of the picture, testing may help answer that one question. The day-to-day work of MCAS care is covered on our MCAS page.
A practical note: people with MCAS can be more reactive to infusions in general, so let any clinic know about your history before an IV of any kind.
What the SOT evidence does and doesn’t show
The only peer-reviewed study of SOT for infections was published in 2022 by researchers who work for RGCC. It included 115 patients with EBV, herpes simplex, or Lyme disease and reported lower levels of the organisms’ genetic material in blood after SOT.
It had no control group and no blinding, didn’t measure symptoms, and didn’t report systematic safety data. The authors call the results preliminary. That’s the honest state of the evidence: a plausible mechanism and early lab findings, without controlled trials showing people feel better.
Questions to ask any clinic before SOT
- Which organism did testing find, and how was it measured?
- What will we measure afterward to decide whether it worked?
- What is the total cost, including follow-up testing and any repeat infusions?
- What happens if nothing changes?
- Who administers the infusion, and what’s the plan if I have a reaction?
A good answer to each is a reasonable expectation, wherever you go.
Getting evaluated in Oklahoma City or Tulsa
Venturis Clinic sees patients from Oklahoma City and surrounding areas, including Tulsa, and from across Oklahoma. Your first conversation can happen by phone. Blood draws and infusions take place at our Oklahoma City clinic at 7917 N May Ave, Suite B. We also offer a broader lab testing menu when infection testing is only one piece of what you need.
Want to talk through your options? Book a free 15-minute discovery call →
SOT is not FDA-approved for the treatment of any condition. RGCC testing is not a substitute for standard diagnostic testing. Individual results vary. This article is for educational purposes and is not a guarantee of outcome.
By Alvin Philipose, DC, ICCP
Sources
- Apostolou P, Iliopoulos A, Beis G, Papasotiriou I. Supportive Oligonucleotide Therapy (SOT) as a potential treatment for viral infections and Lyme disease: preliminary results. Infect Dis Rep. 2022;14(6):824–836. doi:10.3390/idr14060084
- Gold JE, Okyay RA, Licht WE, Hurley DJ. Investigation of long COVID prevalence and its relationship to Epstein-Barr virus reactivation. Pathogens. 2021;10(6):763. doi:10.3390/pathogens10060763
- Peluso MJ, Deveau TM, Munter SE, et al. Chronic viral coinfections differentially affect the likelihood of developing long COVID. J Clin Invest. 2023;133(3):e163669. doi:10.1172/JCI163669
- Oklahoma State Department of Health. Tickborne and Mosquitoborne Diseases.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Chronic Symptoms and Lyme Disease.
