Diseases & conditions

Scientists Develop First Blood Test to Detect Chronic Fatigue

Published OCT 8 2025

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The Facts

Researchers from the University of East Anglia and Oxford Biodynamics have developed a blood test for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS), utilizing EpiSwitch 3D genomics technology to analyze DNA folding patterns in blood samples from 47 patients with severe ME/CFS and 61 healthy controls.
New Atlas
The Telegraph
Oxford BioDynamics on X
The test demonstrated 92% sensitivity in identifying ME/CFS cases and 98% specificity in ruling out negative cases, achieving an overall accuracy of 96%, according to findings published in the Journal of Translational Medicine on Tuesday.
The Guardian
Sky News
The test identifies epigenetic markers that change during a person's life, rather than the fixed genetic code, as chronic fatigue syndrome is not a genetic disease that people are born with, according to scientists at Oxford Biodynamics.
The National News
Medicalxpress
ME/CFS reportedly affects more than 400,000 people in the U.K. and is characterized by extreme fatigue not relieved by rest. Patients often go undiagnosed for years due to the absence of definitive diagnostic tests.
Independent
News Medical
Professor Chris Ponting, chairman of medical bioinformatics at the University of Edinburgh, expressed caution about the findings, stating the test requires validation in better-designed independent studies and would likely cost around £1,000 if approved for clinical use.
ITV
The Times (UK)
However, researchers hope the breakthrough could pave the way for similar diagnostic tests for long COVID, as post-COVID syndrome represents one example of ME/CFS, where the SARS-CoV-2 virus triggers symptoms.
BioMed Central
Daily Mirror

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The Spin

Techno-optimist narrative

This revolutionary blood test is a monumental breakthrough for ME/CFS patients who have suffered for decades without proper diagnostic tools. The EpiSwitch technology delivers an unprecedented 96% accuracy rate, finally providing concrete biological evidence that validates this debilitating condition and offers hope to millions worldwide.

Bioengineer.org

Techno-skeptic narrative

This study's impressive claims fall apart under scrutiny — it only tested severe, housebound patients against perfectly healthy controls, ignoring those with similar conditions like depression or fibromyalgia. The 96% accuracy figure is misleading statistical hype that could drop to just 73% in more difficult, real-world applications.