Long Covid and ME/CFS: Shared Pathologies and Promising Therapies

March 18, 2024

Roughly half of Long Covid patients meet the diagnostic criteria for myalgic encephalomyelitis/ chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) according to a review article published recently in Trends in Molecular Medicine, called “Unravelling shared mechanisms: insights from recent ME/CFS research to illuminate long COVID pathologies”. Despite their similar symptoms and likely causes, it’s not clear if they also share the same underlying molecular issues.

Both ME/CFS and Long Covid show consistent changes in how the body produces energy and in the makeup of gut bacteria, with a decrease in bacteria that make a substance called butyrate.

Early attempts to treat ME/CFS and Long Covid by targeting the immune system showed promise, but further studies are needed.

Researchers have found possible signs in the body that could help diagnose these conditions, but more research is needed to confirm their accuracy. The most promising method for ME/CFS seems to involve measuring certain types of RNAs.

Citation for report:

Annesley, S. J., Missailidis, D., Heng, B., Josev, E. K., & Armstrong, C. W. (2024). Unravelling shared mechanisms: insights from recent ME/CFS research to illuminate long COVID pathologies. Trends in molecular medicine, 30(5), 443–458. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molmed.2024.02.003