Du Preez, Stanley, Cabanas, Helene, Staines, Donald et al. · International journal of environmental research and public health · 2021 · DOI
This review examines a protein called TRPM7 that may play a role in ME/CFS. TRPM7 is an ion channel—a type of gateway that controls how calcium and other minerals move in and out of cells—and it appears to affect the nervous system, immune system, heart, and metabolism. The authors suggest that problems with TRPM7 could help explain some of the complex symptoms seen in ME/CFS, though this is still a developing area of research.
This review is important because it identifies a specific molecular target (TRPM7) that could help researchers understand the biological mechanisms behind ME/CFS's multi-system symptoms. If TRPM7 dysfunction is confirmed in ME/CFS patients, it could eventually lead to new diagnostic tests or treatment approaches targeting this pathway.
This review does not establish that TRPM7 dysfunction actually occurs in ME/CFS patients—it is a theoretical proposal based on TRPM7's known roles in other conditions. The paper does not present clinical or laboratory evidence directly measuring TRPM7 activity in ME/CFS cohorts, and correlation between TRPM7 dysregulation and ME/CFS symptoms remains unproven.
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 →
The first block is for the primary paper and is the citation you should use in research work. The atlas-snapshot line only applies if you are specifically referring to this atlas’s reading of the paper on the date shown.
Primary citation
Du Preez, Stanley, Cabanas, Helene, Staines, Donald, & Marshall-Gradisnik, Sonya (2021). Potential Implications of Mammalian Transient Receptor Potential Melastatin 7 in the Pathophysiology of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A Review.. International journal of environmental research and public health. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182010708
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-du-preez-2021-potential-implications,
author = {Du Preez, Stanley and Cabanas, Helene and Staines, Donald and Marshall-Gradisnik, Sonya},
title = {Potential Implications of Mammalian Transient Receptor Potential Melastatin 7 in the Pathophysiology of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A Review.},
journal = {International journal of environmental research and public health},
year = {2021},
doi = {10.3390/ijerph182010708},
note = {PubMed: 34682454},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/du-preez-2021-potential-implications},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-26. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/du-preez-2021-potential-implications
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