Katsaros, Tina, Missailidis, Daniel, Annesley, Sarah J · Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.) · 2025 · DOI
This study describes a new method to measure how cells make energy in people with ME/CFS. Researchers use a special machine to track two main energy-production pathways in cells: one that happens quickly (glycolysis) and one that happens in the cell's energy factories called mitochondria. By measuring how much oxygen cells use and the acids they produce, scientists can see if these energy pathways are working differently in ME/CFS patients compared to healthy people.
Measuring how cells produce energy is crucial for understanding ME/CFS, since abnormal energy metabolism appears to be central to this disease. This standardized method allows researchers worldwide to measure energy dysfunction consistently, potentially leading to better diagnostic tools and new treatments. Having reliable ways to test cell energy function helps scientists identify what goes wrong at the cellular level in ME/CFS.
This methods paper does not provide original research data or clinical findings—it only describes the laboratory technique itself. The study does not prove that energy dysfunction causes ME/CFS symptoms, nor does it establish how cellular energy problems relate to specific patient symptoms. This is a technical protocol paper, not a clinical investigation, so it cannot demonstrate disease mechanisms or treatment efficacy.
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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