ME – also known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome – has long been one of medicine’s most perplexing conditions. With no definitive diagnostic test and a legacy of scepticism in parts of the medical community, patients have often struggled to be believed. But a surge of new research may finally be shifting the landscape. The emergence of Long COVID – a condition with striking similarities to ME – has accelerated scientific interest and opened new lines of inquiry into the underlying biology of both illnesses.
In this episode, James Gallagher speaks to Dr Chris Ponting about the latest DecodeME results, which point to a strong genetic component to ME. And Professor Rosemary Boyton outlines the ambition behind the new Rosetta Stone study, designed to build a detailed evidence base of shared biomarkers across ME and Long COVID. James also hears from Catherine and Jo, who have lived with ME for many years. They describe their diagnostic journeys and how they manage their symptoms in their daily lives.
Presenter: James Gallagher Producer: Alice Lipscombe-Southwell Researcher: Tom Hunt Editors: Erika Wright and Ilan Goodman