Research Appreciation Day 2026 – Research Highlights
Since the last Research Appreciation Day on the 5th of July 2025, researchers involved in ME Research UK-funded studies have made great strides in their work, including:
Search Results for: ebv
New tools to assess levels of activity and participation in children and young people with ‘post-acute infection and vaccination syndromes and/or ME/CFS’ developed
A team of researchers, including Uta Behrends who has previously worked on an ME Research UK-funded project, have developed new tools to measure levels of activity and participation in children and young people (CYP)with ‘post-acute infection and vaccination syndromes and/or ME/CFS’. In their paper, the authors state that the development of these tools is essential […]
What proportion of people with long COVID meet ME/CFS diagnostic criteria?
NB: When considering information concerning groups of people with ME/CFS and those with long COVID, it is important to remember that ME/CFS is a symptom-based clinical diagnosis not a mechanistic one. It is clear there is a high degree of shared pathophysiology between ME/CFS and long COVID, and the two diagnostic labels are not mutually […]
ME Research UK – e-newsletter March 2026
New funding award: Immune exhaustion in ME/CFS ME Research UK is delighted to have awarded funding to Dr Andrea Polli and Prof. Lode Godderis at Vrije Universiteit Brussel and Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in Belgium for a project investigating immune exhaustion in ME/CFS. Together with PhD student Yanthe Buntinx, the team will explore whether the immune […]
Could identifying the viral trigger of ME/CFS inform future therapeutics?
Heterogeneity is the name of the game when it comes to ME/CFS. Whilst ME/CFS is considered to be a symptom-based diagnosis, notably including post-exertional malaise (PEM), the core symptoms often mask a complex reality – the disease can widely vary from person-to-person (heterogeneity). From severity and duration to comorbidities and underlying pathophysiology, there are many […]
If the sodium-potassium pump is dysfunctional in ME/CFS, can a drug counteract this?
Disclaimer: This article further explores the hypothesis that dysfunction of the sodium-potassium pump plays a central role in ME/CFS. The theory was discussed in a recent paper by Prof. Dr Klaus Wirth and Prof. Dr Jurgen Steinacker. The aim of this article is to provide broader context for this hypothesis and discuss future therapeutic possibilities, […]
ME/CFS 7 years after Epstein Barr Virus infection — why studies that follow participants over time are important.
To gain a more detailed understanding of the link between Epstein Barr Virus (EBV) — which causes glandular fever, also known as Infectious Mononucleosis or ‘mono’ — and ME/CFS, Professor Leonard Jason and colleagues have published a study that follows a group of college students — a population in which EBV infection is common — over a 7-year period. The research team concluded that […]
Could diagnostic history act as an indicator for ME/CFS?
Currently, there is no validated diagnostic biomarker for ME/CFS, and the disease is diagnosed based on clinical criteria such as the 2021 NICE guidelines, or the Canadian Consensus Criteria. The bias and stigma associated with the ME/CFS, alongside limited awareness, gaps in medical knowledge, and a high symptom overlap with other illnesses, leads to delays in accurate diagnosis. In fact, one study, published in 2021, made the following observation: “Many people with ME/CFS […]
Podcast episode with Prof. Leonard Jason
Professor Leonard Jason – a researcher and person with ME/CFS – has spoken to Brent Franson, presenter of the podcast Death Clock which is ‘devoted to understanding how transformative life change can add years to your life’. In the episode, Prof. Jason discusses with Franson what ME/CFS is, how it is different to everyday fatigue […]
Heightened antibody responses to herpesviruses in females with ME/CFS
A recent study analysed over 800 blood samples from 40 females with ME/CFS compared to 16 healthy controls. The study primarily examined differences in antibodies to human herpesvirus proteins, and it found that participants with ME/CFS exhibited significantly altered antibody levels (indicating viral reactivation) compared to controls. Study Caveats Important considerations to be noted: Study […]
