Nikhil Prasad Fact checked by:Thailand Medical News Team Oct 08, 2025 5 hours, 42 minutes ago
Medical News: A major breakthrough in diagnosis
Scientists have unveiled a groundbreaking blood test that may finally provide clarity for those suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome, also known as ME/CFS. The new diagnostic tool, developed by researchers from the University of East Anglia, Oxford BioDynamics, The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, and Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust, has achieved an impressive 96 percent accuracy in identifying the condition. This
Medical News report highlights a discovery that could change how the disorder is diagnosed and managed.
New Blood Test Offers 96 Percent Accuracy for Chronic Fatigue Detection
Chronic fatigue syndrome is a complex and debilitating illness marked by severe exhaustion, concentration problems, and worsening symptoms after even mild exertion. Until now, there has been no reliable laboratory test to confirm the disease, leading to frequent misdiagnoses and years of patient frustration. This new test could finally provide a clear biological marker for doctors to rely on.
How the test works
The test is based on a technique called EpiSwitch 3D Genomics, developed by Oxford BioDynamics. Unlike traditional genetic tests that examine the DNA sequence, this method studies how DNA folds inside blood cells. These three-dimensional folding patterns, or epigenetic markers, can reveal subtle biological differences between people with ME/CFS and healthy individuals.
In the study, blood samples were analyzed from 47 patients with severe ME/CFS and 61 healthy controls. The researchers discovered unique DNA folding signatures present in ME/CFS patients that were rarely seen in healthy individuals. These molecular fingerprints allowed the test to reach 92 percent sensitivity, meaning it correctly identified most true cases, and 98 percent specificity, meaning it rarely produced false positives.
What makes this approach unique is that it goes beyond the usual linear reading of genes. The team also noted overlaps between their findings and existing genetic studies, while discovering hundreds of new genomic regions linked to ME/CFS. Many of these regions are associated with immune and inflammatory pathways, providing important clues about the underlying biology of the illness.
Why this discovery matters
For decades, ME/CFS patients have struggled to get recognized and taken seriously, as many doctors relied solely on symptoms and exclusion of other diseases. This blood test could transform that situation by offering an objective, biological method of diagnosis. It could shorten the long diagnostic delays that patients face, reduce stigma, and open the door to personalized treatment approaches.
By revealing specific immune and inflammation markers, the research may also lead to the development of new drugs or therapies tailored to these molecular abnormalities. The collaboration between the University of East Anglia and Oxford BioDynamics could make it possible for this test to be available in hospitals in the near future, pending further trials
and approvals.
The next steps
Although the findings are highly promising, experts caution that the study sample was relatively small and focused mainly on severe cases. Larger clinical trials will be needed to confirm the test’s reliability across broader and more diverse patient populations. The researchers are already planning expanded studies to ensure the test can accurately diagnose mild and moderate cases, as well as differentiate ME/CFS from other illnesses with similar symptoms.
Conclusion
This innovative blood test marks one of the most important advances in ME/CFS research in decades. With its 96 percent overall accuracy, 92 percent sensitivity, and 98 percent specificity, it has the potential to revolutionize how the disease is diagnosed. Beyond offering faster and more reliable identification, the test sheds light on the immune and inflammatory pathways driving the illness. Once validated through larger trials, it could finally give patients long-awaited recognition, quicker diagnosis, and hope for targeted treatments.
The study findings were published in the peer reviewed Journal of Translational Medicine.
https://translational-medicine.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12967-025-07203-w
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