The world's largest ME/CFS research study, DecodeME, has released the initial DNA results, following the initial analysis of 15,579 DNA samples!
The initial analysis has found that people with a diagnosis of ME/CFS have significant genetic differences in their DNA compared to the general population. These differences exist across the genome, and do not impact just one gene.
These findings reflected causes, rather than effects, of ME/CFS because DNA does not change with ME/CFS onset.
The signals discovered are involved in the immune and the nervous systems, pointing to immunological and neurological causes.
At least two of these signals relate to the body's response to infection, while others point to the nervous system, one of which has previously been found in other research, in people experiencing chronic pain, reinforcing neurological contributions to ME/CFS. These signals align with how people with ME/CFS describe their illness.
“DecodeME has revealed genetic results, which should prove game changing in the ME/CFS research field, and that also align with decades of patients reporting on their experiences. These results will not mean that a test or cure will be developed straight away, but they will lead to a greater understanding of ME/CFS. DecodeME also shows the incredible level of support that the ME/CFS patient community can give to research that involves them on a deep and meaningful level. Without the community, we could not have achieved all that we have.”
“These results are ground-breaking. With DecodeME, we have gone from knowing next to nothing about the causes of ME/CFS, to giving researchers clear targets. This brings ME/CFS in line with other long-term diseases which have genetic components. We are shining a laser light on eight precise areas of DNA, so that highly focussed research can now be carried out. We hope this attracts researchers, drug developers, and proportionate funding to ME/CFS – and speeds up the discovery of treatments.”
“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.”
Join the DecodeME team for a webinar on Thursday 14 August, where they will explain the initial results in more detail and answer your questions!
The DecodeME will continue to analyse their rich dataset and further findings will be published as soon as they become available.
Other researchers will also be encouraged to use the DecodeME dataset so they can build on these important findings.
Thank you so much to the tens of thousands of people affected by ME/CFS who helped make this groundbreaking research possible.
