Ben Amar, Jinane, Michiels, Joni, Hendrix, Jolien et al. · Epigenomics · 2026 · DOI
This review examined how epigenetic changes—chemical switches that turn genes on and off without altering DNA itself—are observed in chronic pain conditions including fibromyalgia and ME/CFS. Researchers found that alterations in DNA methylation and other epigenetic marks are associated with inflammation, pain signaling, and sensitization pathways. The review suggests that epigenetic markers may one day help identify people at risk or predict outcomes, though these applications remain preliminary and require further development.
Because ME/CFS was explicitly included in this review, the findings on epigenetic alterations in pain-related inflammation and sensitization pathways may be relevant to understanding disease mechanisms in ME/CFS. However, the study does not separate ME/CFS-specific findings from other chronic pain conditions, so relevance to the broader ME/CFS population remains unclear. Early-stage biomarker approaches could eventually support patient stratification, though clinical utility has not yet been demonstrated.
This review does not establish that epigenetic changes cause ME/CFS or chronic pain; it documents associations observed across heterogeneous studies. It does not validate epigenetic clocks or DNA methylation markers as diagnostic or prognostic tools in ME/CFS specifically. It does not demonstrate that targeting epigenetic pathways is effective for treating pain or ME/CFS symptoms; treatment applications remain speculative.
About the PEM badge: “PEM required” means post-exertional malaise was an explicit required diagnostic criterion for participant inclusion in this study — not that PEM was studied, observed, or discussed. Studies using criteria that do not require PEM (e.g. Fukuda, Oxford) are tagged “PEM not required”. How the atlas works →
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Primary citation
Ben Amar, Jinane, Michiels, Joni, Hendrix, Jolien, Van Campenhout, Jente, Wyns, Arne, Buntinx, Yanthe, et al. (2026). Clinical applications of epigenetic signatures in chronic pain management and health outcome prediction.. Epigenomics. https://doi.org/10.1080/17501911.2026.2700012
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-ben-amar-2026-clinical-applications,
author = {Ben Amar, Jinane and Michiels, Joni and Hendrix, Jolien and Van Campenhout, Jente and Wyns, Arne and Buntinx, Yanthe and Xiong, Huan-Yu and Nijs, Jo and Godderis, Lode and De Bruyne, Elke and Polli, Andrea},
title = {Clinical applications of epigenetic signatures in chronic pain management and health outcome prediction.},
journal = {Epigenomics},
year = {2026},
doi = {10.1080/17501911.2026.2700012},
note = {PubMed: 42483881},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/ben-amar-2026-clinical-applications},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-07-24. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/ben-amar-2026-clinical-applications
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