DNA study reveals ME/CFS Neuro-immune causes
The DecodeME team announce that the initial analysis of 15,579 DNA samples is complete, and they have important news to share.
Main findings:
Your genes contribute to your chances of developing ME/CFS.
- People with an ME/CFS diagnosis have significant genetic differences in their DNA compared to the general population. These lie in many places across the genome, and do not impact just one gene.
- Eight genetic signals have been identified. As DNA doesn’t change with ME/CFS onset, these findings reflect causes rather than effects of ME/CFS.
- The signals discovered are involved in the immune and the nervous systems, indicating immunological and neurological causes to this poorly understood disease.
- At least two of the signals relate to the body’s response to infection. Other signals point to the nervous system, one of which researchers previously found in people experiencing chronic pain, reinforcing neurological contributions to ME/CFS. These signals align with how people with ME/CFS describe their illness.
Professor Chris Ponting, DecodeME lead investigator, University of Edinburgh
“This is a wakeup call. These extraordinary results speak the language of people with ME/CFS, often recounting people’s ME/CFS symptoms.
DecodeME is now calling on researchers worldwide to join us in accelerating ME/CFS research. With our participants we have built an extraordinarily rich DecodeME data set, to which we continue to offer data access.
We especially welcome researchers whose work is relevant to the eight signals we have identified, and who could bring their expertise to bear in highly targeted studies that would produce further ME/CFS insights and ultimately treatments.”
Read more at #DecodeME: Initial DecodeME DNA Results
Reports and comments:
BBC Radio Wales: The Phone – Oliver Hides talked to Prof Ponting and patients [from 36 min 20]
BBC Radio 5: Your voice – Nicky Campbell talked to Prof Ponting and patients [From 1h 4mins]
Daily Express: Groundbreaking genetic study sheds new light on causes of ME and chronic fatigue syndrome
Edinburgh University: Key genetic differences found in people with ME/CFS
Financial Times – Chronic fatigue patients have different genes, study finds
Guardian: Scientists find link between genes and ME/chronic fatigue syndrome
Health Rising: Decoding ME: Big Stakes Genetics Study Puts ME/CFS on Firm Biological Foundation
Huff post: I Was Medically Gaslit For Years – This Study Finally Proves ME/CFS Is A Real Illness
Independent: The key genetic difference ME sufferers have from others – and what it means
Live science: Huge study of ME/CFS reveals genetic ‘hotspots’ linked to the debilitating syndrome
New Scientist: Key genetic differences found in people with chronic fatigue
New York Post: Debilitating illness once dismissed as ‘yuppie flu’ actually has genetic causes: study
Newsweek: Study finds genetics could cause ME/CFS
The News International: UK scientists discover distinct genes in chronic fatigue patients
Science: Possible genetic clues to ME/chronic fatigue syndrome identified in massive study
Science Media Centre: Expert reaction to unpublished preprint on the DecodeME genome-wide association study of ME/CFS
The Standard – People with ME have key genetic differences to other people, study finds
Telegraph : ME is a real illness, genetic study shows
Times: Breakthrough genetic study offers treatment hope for ME patients
Times: Lack of ME research because of ‘medical misogyny’, says top scientist
