Blood test for chronic fatigue on the way

Griffith University researchers have received $4 million from the Stafford Fox Medical Research Foundation as part of a bid to accelerate the diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and the discovery of appropriate treatments. The grant is said to be the largest amount ever awarded for CFS research.

CFS, also known as myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), is a highly debilitating disorder characterised by profound fatigue, muscle and joint pain, cerebral symptoms of impaired memory and concentration, impaired cardiovascular function, gut disorder and sensory dysfunction such as noise intolerance and balance disturbance. Cases can continue for months or years.

Now, researchers from the National Centre for Neuroimmunology and Emerging Diseases (NCNED) at Griffith’s Menzies Health Institute Queensland have received enough funding to develop and deliver a first-of-its-kind diagnostic blood test which uses novel technologies to identify genetic markers for CFS. According to NCNED’s Professor Don Staines, “... we are now able to develop a laboratory test which confirms the diagnosis in patients with a clinically compatible illness.

“The development of this test will not only provide legitimacy to patients’ illness, but will also mean that health professionals such as GPs and specialists can provide a faster diagnosis for each patient,” continued Professor Staines. “This will reduce the burden on our healthcare system, which spends around $500 million on inappropriate healthcare for CFS each year.”

Professor Sonya Marshall-Gradisnik, another NCNED researcher, said the diagnostic test is expected to be available to the medical community “within five years”. She added that the funding will also enable NCNED researchers to further explore cell receptor dysfunction in CFS using world-first technology, as well as to investigate possible pharmacological treatments.

Image courtesy of My Best Treat under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0