Laboratories around the world are working on the disease. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institutes of Health are supporting much of the research. Results from an interesting CDC-sponsored study were published in April 2006. Four teams of researchers compared genetic and other test results from 58 people with chronic fatigue syndrome with those from "nonfatigued" controls. The researchers found that certain genes important in brain function, immune activation and energy metabolism were unusually active in people with chronic fatigue syndrome.
We're still a long way from identifying a cause or definitive test for chronic fatigue syndrome, let alone a reliable treatment. But we've made progress in understanding the biological basis of the illness. And that's the first, essential step in fixing any medical condition.
© 2006, President and Fellows of Harvard College. Distributed by Tribune Media Services.
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