Iu, David S, Maya, Jessica, Vu, Luyen T et al. · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2024 · DOI
This study found that certain immune cells called CD8+ T cells in people with ME/CFS show signs of exhaustion—they appear worn out and unable to function properly. Researchers used advanced techniques to examine the genes active in these cells and discovered that the cells have shifted into a state similar to what happens when the immune system fights a long-lasting infection. This exhaustion might explain some of the immune system problems seen in ME/CFS.
Understanding the molecular basis of T cell exhaustion in ME/CFS opens new therapeutic avenues, including checkpoint blockade immunotherapy, metabolic interventions, and antiviral approaches. This work provides mechanistic validation that immune dysregulation is a key component of ME/CFS pathophysiology, legitimizing immunological approaches to treatment research.
This study does not prove that T cell exhaustion causes ME/CFS symptoms or that correcting this exhaustion will improve patient outcomes. It is observational and correlative; whether exhaustion is a primary driver of disease or a consequence of other pathological processes remains unknown. The findings have not been tested in therapeutic interventions.
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
Iu, David S, Maya, Jessica, Vu, Luyen T, Fogarty, Elizabeth A, McNairn, Adrian J, Ahmed, Faraz, et al. (2024). Transcriptional reprogramming primes CD8+ T cells toward exhaustion in Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2415119121
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-iu-2024-transcriptional-reprogramming,
author = {Iu, David S and Maya, Jessica and Vu, Luyen T and Fogarty, Elizabeth A and McNairn, Adrian J and Ahmed, Faraz and Franconi, Carl J and Munn, Paul R and Grenier, Jennifer K and Hanson, Maureen R and Grimson, Andrew},
title = {Transcriptional reprogramming primes CD8+ T cells toward exhaustion in Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.},
journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America},
year = {2024},
doi = {10.1073/pnas.2415119121},
note = {PubMed: 39621903},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/iu-2024-transcriptional-reprogramming},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-30. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/iu-2024-transcriptional-reprogramming
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