A new blood test developed by scientists from the University of East Anglia and Oxford BioDynamics could change the future of diagnosing Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, also known as Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME/CFS).
The condition causes long-lasting, severe tiredness that doesn’t improve with rest and affects millions of people worldwide. In the UK alone, more than 400,000 people are estimated to live with it. Despite being so common, ME/CFS has been hard to understand and even harder to diagnose—until now.
This new test can identify ME/CFS with 96 percent accuracy, offering hope to patients who have waited years for clear answers. It may also help researchers develop a similar test for long Covid, which shares many symptoms with ME/CFS.
Professor Dmitry Pshezhetskiy from the University of East Anglia’s Norwich Medical School led the study. He explained that ME/CFS is a serious and disabling condition marked by extreme fatigue that doesn’t go away with rest.
“Many patients have been ignored or told their illness is psychological,” he said. “We wanted to develop a reliable test to prove this is a real biological condition—and we did.”
The research used Oxford BioDynamics’ advanced EpiSwitch® 3D Genomics technology, which looks at how DNA folds inside cells. Every human cell contains about two meters of DNA packed in a very specific three-dimensional shape.
These DNA folds are not random—they help control which genes are turned on or off, influencing how the body functions. When this folding changes in abnormal ways, it can signal the presence of disease.
The team analyzed blood samples from 47 people with severe ME/CFS and compared them to samples from 61 healthy volunteers. They discovered a distinctive pattern in the DNA folding of ME/CFS patients that wasn’t seen in the healthy group. This pattern allowed the researchers to distinguish between the two groups with remarkable accuracy.
Dr. Alexandre Akoulitchev, Chief Scientific Officer at Oxford BioDynamics, said the test’s success lies in using “epigenetic” markers—biological features that can change over a person’s lifetime—rather than fixed genes.
“Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is not something you’re born with. That’s why using these flexible markers is so effective,” he said. “With this test, we can now provide a fast and reliable way to confirm a diagnosis of a complex illness that has long been misunderstood.”
The EpiSwitch platform has already been used to develop blood-based tests for other conditions, including aggressive forms of ALS, rheumatoid arthritis, and several types of cancer. It also powers the EpiSwitch PSE test for prostate cancer, which is already used in clinics in the UK and the US.
By studying the 3D structure of DNA rather than just its sequence, researchers uncovered hundreds of biological differences between ME/CFS patients and healthy people.
Some of these matched findings from earlier large-scale studies, but others were entirely new. The team also found signs that the immune system and inflammation pathways play key roles in the illness, offering clues for future treatment options.
The test achieved 92 percent sensitivity—meaning it correctly identified nearly all people with ME/CFS—and 98 percent specificity, meaning it rarely produced false positives. This makes it one of the most accurate diagnostic tools ever developed for the condition.
Professor Pshezhetskiy said the discovery could transform how doctors approach ME/CFS. “For the first time, we have a simple blood test that can reliably identify this illness,” he said. “This could speed up diagnosis, ensure patients get the right support sooner, and pave the way for personalized treatments.”
He added that the technology could also be used to study long Covid, which shares similar biological changes with ME/CFS. “We hope this test will not only bring answers to ME/CFS patients but also help those suffering from post-Covid fatigue and related conditions,” he said.
This research represents a major step forward for people with ME/CFS, validating their experiences and opening the door to better understanding, faster diagnosis, and eventually, more targeted therapies.
What was once dismissed as a “mystery illness” may soon be diagnosed with a simple blood test—bringing long-overdue recognition and hope to millions.
If you care about medicine, please read studies that vitamin D could help lower the risk of autoimmune diseases, and drug for inflammation may stop spread of cancer.
For more health information, please see recent studies about which drug can harm your liver most, and results showing this drug can give your immune system a double boost against cancer.
The study is published in Journal of Translational Medicine.
Copyright © 2025 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
