A team of scientists from the University of East Anglia and Oxford BioDynamics has developed a breakthrough blood test that can diagnose chronic fatigue syndrome, also known as myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME/CFS), with 96% accuracy.
This long-awaited discovery could change the lives of millions of people around the world who have suffered from the misunderstood illness without a clear diagnosis.
Chronic fatigue syndrome is a serious long-term illness that causes extreme tiredness, even after rest. It often affects concentration, sleep, and daily function.
The condition affects more than 400,000 people in the UK alone, yet for decades it has been poorly understood. Many patients have been told their symptoms are “all in their head,” leading to years of frustration and stigma.
Professor Dmitry Pshezhetskiy from the University of East Anglia’s Norwich Medical School led the new study. He explained that ME/CFS is a real and disabling condition, not a psychological one. Until now, there has been no reliable medical test to confirm it, meaning many patients have gone undiagnosed or misdiagnosed.
“We wanted to see if we could develop a blood test to diagnose the condition—and we did,” he said. “Our discovery offers the potential for a simple, accurate blood test that could help people get the right diagnosis and treatment sooner.”
The test could also have wider applications. The researchers believe that it may eventually help diagnose long COVID, a condition that shares many symptoms with ME/CFS, including severe fatigue and brain fog. Both conditions appear to involve the body’s immune and energy systems.
To make the discovery, the scientists used an advanced technology called EpiSwitch 3D Genomics, developed by Oxford BioDynamics. This technology examines how DNA folds inside blood cells.
Each human cell contains around two meters of DNA packed tightly into the nucleus. These folds are not random—they help control which genes are turned on or off, influencing how the body functions.
The researchers compared blood samples from 47 people with severe ME/CFS and 61 healthy volunteers. They found that people with ME/CFS had a unique pattern of DNA folding that was not seen in healthy people.
This pattern acts as a biological “fingerprint” for the disease. Using this information, they built a highly accurate test that correctly identified 92% of people who had ME/CFS (sensitivity) and 98% of those who did not (specificity).
Dr. Alexandre Akoulitchev, Chief Scientific Officer at Oxford BioDynamics, explained why this technology is so effective. “Chronic fatigue syndrome is not a disease you are born with. It develops during life, so we need to look at epigenetic markers—changes that happen over time rather than fixed genetic codes. That’s what EpiSwitch does, and it’s why it achieved such high accuracy.”
The same EpiSwitch approach has already been used successfully to detect other diseases, including aggressive neurological disorders like ALS, rheumatoid arthritis, and certain cancers. In fact, the EpiSwitch PSE test for prostate cancer is already used in clinics across the UK and US.
The new study also went beyond earlier genetic research, such as the DecodeME project, by examining 3D DNA structures rather than just linear DNA sequences. This revealed hundreds of previously unseen differences in the DNA of ME/CFS patients, including five of the eight genetic sites identified by DecodeME.
The team also found clues that immune system and inflammation pathways are involved in the disease, which could lead to better treatment options in the future.
Professor Pshezhetskiy described the findings as a major step forward. “For the first time, we have a simple blood test that can reliably identify ME/CFS,” he said. “This could transform how we diagnose and manage the condition.”
He added that understanding the biological changes behind ME/CFS could help doctors develop targeted treatments and even predict which patients will respond best to specific therapies.
The study, published in the Journal of Translational Medicine, was conducted in collaboration with The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust. Researchers hope that clinical trials will soon confirm the test’s effectiveness in larger groups, allowing it to be used in hospitals and clinics worldwide.
In summary, this new blood test represents a major scientific breakthrough for a condition that has been ignored for too long. It offers a simple, accurate way to confirm diagnosis, helping patients receive the care and respect they deserve.
The discovery may also open doors to understanding other fatigue-related conditions such as long COVID. With early diagnosis, better treatment, and improved quality of life, this test could bring hope to millions who have lived too long in the shadows of uncertainty.
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The study is published in the Journal of Translational Medicine.
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