Research now clearly shows that ME/CFS, a disease which affects over 400,000 people in the UK, is a complex biological illness that affects many systems in the body, including:
- The immune system
- The circulatory (cardiovascular) system
- The production and utilisation of energy in the body (energy metabolism).
- The nervous system.
While research has advanced, helping scientists to gain a deeper understanding into disease mechanisms, many challenges still exist, such as:
- Chronic underfunding of ME/CFS research.
- Disease heterogeneity (characteristics such as disease severity, and the number and type of symptoms experienced, vary between people).
- Lack of validated biomarker for the disease.
This week, for ME Awareness week 2026, ME Research UK has published a series of articles discussing the progress made—and challenges faced—when investigating the four key symptoms of ME/CFS which are required for a diagnosis to be made under the 2021 NICE guidelines:
