Research highlighting “shared biology across ME/CFS, long COVID, PTSD, rheumatoid arthritis, and multiple sclerosis” was discussed on BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme on the 3rd of September (listen at approximately 2.48.12).
In the episode, Prof. Dmitri Pchejetski, who led the study, alongside colleagues including first author of the paper Dr Ewan Hunter, stated that when looking at epigenetic profile of people with the diseases, there are “massive networks that are overlapping”.
During the interview, Prof. Pchejetski explained that their results indicate that there are “very similar biological pathways involved” in the way genes are expressed in people with one of the 5 “conditions” – adding that “how genes are expressed, determines our biology”.
ME Research UK will write up the paper relating to the research discussed on Radio 4’s today programme in due course. In the meantime, you can read about other research by Prof Pchejetski’s team, published in 2025, in which a small exploratory study identified a blood test which was found to diagnose ME/CFS with 96% accuracy.
You can learn more about epigenetics in an article relating to ME Research UK-funded research investigating the role of epigenetic modification of BDNF and HDACs in pain and post-exertional malaise in ME/CFS. This research is being carried out by PhD student Jolien Hendrix, supervised by Prof. Jo Nijs from Vrije Univeristeit Brussel, Prof. Lode Godderis from the University of Leuven.
