Millions of lives with chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) may eventually be closer to scientific verification and possibly treatment, a new study that maps the intangible biological destruction behind the disease.
Researchers from Jackson Laboratory, Duke University and the Bateman Horn Center used artificial intelligence and domotic data to identify different characteristics in gut microorganisms, immune cells, and metabolites that distinguish ME/CF from healthy controls with 90% accuracy. The survey results were held on July 25 Natural Medicinecan also elucidate long-term related post-viral diseases.
Complex conditions without simple tests
ME/CFS affects up to 3.3 million Americans and loses US economy as much as $51 billion each year, but diagnosis remains a challenge. No test can confirm this, and many patients have been misdiagnosed or fired. Symptoms are wide-ranging – symptoms, cognitive impairment, pain, dizziness, digestive problems, and sleep disorders – vary widely among individuals.
“Some doctors think this is a real disease because there is no clear lab marker,” said Dr. Derya Unutmaz of Jackson’s Lab. “Our study achieved 90% accuracy in distinguishing individuals with chronic fatigue syndrome.”
The research team developed BioMapai, a deep learning platform that trained four years of data from 153 patients and 96 healthy controls. This model integrates gut microbiome sequences, plasma metabolomics, immune cell analysis, blood tests, and patient-reported symptoms.
Key Discovery of the Domos Method
By linking thousands of biological data points to 12 symptom categories, AI models found biomarkers consistent with individual symptoms, not just overall disease state. Among the most famous discoveries:
- Immune cell spectrum is the best predictor of fatigue, pain and overall health decline.
- Intestinal microbiome data The most accurate prediction of gastrointestinal problems, mood disorders and sleep disorders.
- My/CFS patient Depleted beneficial fatty acid levels are shown, such as butyrate and branched chain amino acids.
- Elevated tryptophan and benzoate Levels indicate that the intestinal-brain axis disrupts and alters microbial metabolism.
- Mait cellsthe key regulator of intestinal immune communication is abnormally active and inflammatory.
“We combine clinical symptoms with cutting-edge OMICS technology to identify new biomarkers for ME/CFS,” said Julia Oh, PhD, lead author and microbiologist at Duke University.
Time matters: Early and long-term diseases
Studies have also shown that patients with recent attacks (
“Our data suggests that these biological disruptions have become more entrenched over time,” Unutmaz noted. “This does not mean longer I/CFS cannot be reversed, but it may be more challenging.”
Revelation to the long term and future
Due to the common clinical similarity of ME/CFS and long-term common clinical similarity, which often follows viral infections such as Epstein-Barr virus or SARS-COV-2, this system-level approach may provide models for other postviral consequences.
BioMapai’s predictions span across independent datasets, achieving 80% accuracy using microbiome and metabolomic data from other ME/CFS cohorts. This cross-study reproducibility suggests that the characteristics of the disease are real, rather than artifacts of a single dataset or location.
“Although there are multiple data collection methods, common disease characteristics still appear in fatty acids, immunolabels and metabolites,” OH said. “This tells us that this is not random. It’s a real biological disorder.”
Map the way forward
The team plans to release BioMapai tools and datasets to other researchers to explore more broadly how gut bacteria and immune responses affect chronic diseases. They believe this AI-powered framework could ultimately help guide targeted therapy or lifestyle interventions.
“The microbiome and metabolomic group are dynamic,” Oh added. “This means we may be able to intervene in ways that genomic data cannot provide.”
For patients who have not been verified for a long time, hope science finally catches up with the experience. Chronic fatigue may still be difficult to see, but it is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.
Journal Information
Magazine: Natural Medicine
doi: 10.1038/s41591-025-03788-3
Publication date: July 25, 2025
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