Understanding, diagnosing, and treating Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome - State of the art: Report of the 2nd international meeting at the Charité Fatigue Center

Abstract

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) is a devastating disease affecting millions of people worldwide. Due to the 2019 pandemic of  coronavirus disease (COVID-19), we are facing a significant increase of ME/CFS  prevalence. On May 11th to 12th, 2023, the second international ME/CFS conference  of the Charité Fatigue Center was held in Berlin, Germany, focusing on  pathomechanisms, diagnosis, and treatment. During the two-day conference, more  than 100 researchers from various research fields met on-site and over 700  attendees participated online to discuss the state of the art and novel findings  in this field. Key topics from the conference included: the role of the immune  system, dysfunction of endothelial and autonomic nervous system, and viral  reactivation. Furthermore, there were presentations on innovative diagnostic  measures and assessments for this complex disease, cutting-edge treatment  approaches, and clinical studies. Despite the increased public attention due to  the COVID-19 pandemic, the subsequent rise of Long COVID-19 cases, and the rise  of funding opportunities to unravel the pathomechanisms underlying ME/CFS, this  severe disease remains highly underresearched. Future adequately funded research  efforts are needed to further explore the disease etiology and to identify  diagnostic markers and targeted therapies.