Scientists say they have developed the world’s first blood test to diagnose myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS).
There is currently no test for the condition and patients tend to be diagnosed based on symptoms, which means many can go undiagnosed for years.
The lead researcher, Prof Dmitry Pshezhetskiy, from the University of East Anglia (UEA) Norwich Medical School, said: “ME/CFS is a serious and often disabling illness characterised by extreme fatigue that is not relieved by rest. We know that some patients report being ignored or even told that their illness is ‘all in their head’. With no definitive tests, many patients have gone undiagnosed or misdiagnosed for years.
“We wanted to see if we could develop a blood test to diagnose the condition – and we did. Our discovery offers the potential for a simple, accurate blood test to help confirm a diagnosis, which could lead to earlier support and more effective management.”
Scientists at UEA and Oxford Biodynamics (OBD) looked at how DNA was folded in patients diagnosed with the condition, which could provide tell-tale signs of ME/CFS.
They examined blood samples from 47 patients with severe ME/CFS and 61 healthy adults. The team discovered a unique pattern that appears consistently in people with ME/CFS that is not seen in healthy people, enabling them to develop the test.
However, some experts not involved with the research urged caution and said the test would need to be fully validated in better designed and independent studies before it could be considered for use in clinical practice.
Source: The Guardian, 8 October 2025
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