Abstract:
Complex chronic conditions represent a growing health burden that is poorly understood and inadequately managed within current health systems. This review focuses on the potential of epigenetic DNA methylation to provide a pathway for better understanding of four closely related conditions: myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), long COVID (LC), fibromyalgia (FM), and hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hEDS).
These conditions have extensive overlapping symptoms, suggesting shared underlying pathophysiological mechanisms. Epigenetic regulation, particularly DNA methylation, provides a powerful framework for comparative and longitudinal studies across these clinically overlapping conditions.
Here, we synthesise evidence from current DNA methylation studies in ME/CFS, LC, and FM, and consider how an integrated cross-condition approach could advance mechanistic insight, enable diagnostic stratification, and improve patient outcomes.
Source: Sharma S, Rodger EJ, Chatterjee A, Tate WP. DNA methylation: unifying framework for complex chronic conditions. Trends Genet. 2026 Sep 24:S0168-9525(26)00221-0. doi: 10.1016/j.tig.2026.09.001. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 42786072. https://www.cell.com/trends/genetics/fulltext/S0168-9525(26)00221-0 (Full text)