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"Why do we need a genetic study like DecodeME?" Blog in British Science Week.

Discussion in 'ME/CFS research news' started by Simon M, Mar 14, 2022.

  1. Simon M

    Simon M Senior Member (Voting Rights)

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    I hope the Mods won't mind me creating a thread for this blog, which looks at why genetic studies are so important. Posted for British Science Week.

    Decades on, and with over $100m spent on research (it should have been much more), we still don't know for sure any causes of ME/CFS. Genetic studies cut through the causes and effect problem that plague most other studies: how do you know if the difference from healthy controls indicates a cause of ME/CFS or is just an effect of chronic illness?

    Illness does not change our DNA, so if there is a difference, it's because it is playing a role in increasing the risk of getting it. These DNA differences (if found!) should point towards biological causes.
    >>>>

    Why do we need a genetic study like DecodeME?

    People with ME/CFS want effective treatments. To find treatments, researchers must first find the causes of ME/CFS. Despite having several promising lines of enquiry, the causes of ME/CFS remain unknown.

    A genetic study can help because DNA studies are particularly good at identifying the root causes of disease.

    The problem: biological differences might not reveal disease causes
    Researchers often find biological differences between people with ME/CFS and healthy people. These include differences in immune signalling molecules called cytokines, differences in mitochondria, the power stations that provide fuel for our cells, and much more.
    ....


    I am happy to also discuss why we need such a BIG genetic study.

    https://twitter.com/user/status/1503407740865105924
     
    Last edited: Mar 14, 2022
    Michelle, Aimossy, FMMM1 and 29 others like this.

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