Researchers say they have developed the first accurate blood test for myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS).
The test, created by scientists at the University of East Anglia and Oxford Biodynamics, detects unique DNA folding patterns linked to the illness.
In trials involving 47 ME/CFS patients and 61 healthy adults, the test showed 92% sensitivity and 98% specificity.
“This could transform diagnosis and management,” said lead researcher Prof Dmitry Pshezhetskiy. “Patients have waited too long to be believed.”
The findings, published in The Journal of Translational Medicine, offer hope for earlier, more accurate diagnoses.
However, experts urged caution. “These results need independent validation,” said Dr Charles Shepherd of the ME Association.
Prof Chris Ponting from the University of Edinburgh called the claims “premature,” warning the test may still prove costly and limited.
Even so, researchers say it marks a major step toward recognizing ME/CFS as a measurable biological disease, not a mystery illness.
