A conference bringing together the brightest minds in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis a.k.a Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) research, presented results that promise to bring a new dawn in understanding this debilitating disease. A hot topic at the conference was the search for reliable biomarkers to diagnose ME/CFS which can also aid understanding the mechanisms behind the disease.

A biomarker is something that can be measured reliably in the body to determine if someone is ill with a particular disease, or recovering due to treatment. For example high levels of glucose in the blood is a biomarker for diabetes. Currently there are no biomarkers available clinically to diagnose ME/CFS, diagnosis relies on a set of symptoms which are also common in other illnesses.

Dr Ian Gibson was chair of the conference, organised by the charity Invest in ME Research, and also an author of ……

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Featured image via Invest in Me Research, artwork by Wolfgang Stiller