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Science Weekly

Can science crack the mystery of ME?

Science Weekly

The Guardian

Science

4.2938 Ratings

🗓️ 21 August 2025

⏱️ 21 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Scientists have found the first robust evidence that people’s genes affect their chances of developing myalgic encephalomyelitis or chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), a mysterious and debilitating illness that has been neglected and dismissed for decades by many in the medical community. To find out more, Madeleine Finlay speaks to science editor Ian Sample and to Nicky Proctor, who has ME and took part in the research. She also hears from Beth Pollack, a research scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who studies ME/CFS and related conditions, about how scientific understanding of the illness has improved and how scientists are transforming this knowledge into ideas about future treatments. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod

Transcript

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1:37.7

I was very active, a mum, with two teenage kids. I used to do lots of triathons. I've done marathons. I started my PhD and I was

1:50.8

teaching students at university as well. Nikki Proctor was busy, social and active, not just doing triathlons herself, but coaching them too.

2:02.7

But over several years, she started to find that her endless energy was draining away.

2:09.0

I would go for a 5K run quite easy and find that I was just exhausted and worn out for a couple of days

2:15.7

afterwards.

2:16.8

Nikki knew something wasn't right, so she went to her GP repeatedly.

2:22.0

They'd send me for standard blood tests, and they'd all be pretty much normal.

2:26.4

And so as a consequence of that, the GP would say, well, I guess it must be psychological.

2:33.1

She was put on antidepressants and recommended therapy, but it didn't help.

...

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