Circulating cell-free RNA signatures for the characterization and diagnosis of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.

People living with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) experience heterogeneous and debilitating symptoms that lack sufficient biological explanation, compounded by the absence of accurate, noninvasive diagnostic tools. To address these challenges, we explored circulating cell-free RNA (cfRNA) as a blood-borne bioanalyte to monitor ME/CFS. cfRNA is released into the bloodstream during cellular turnover and reflects dynamic changes in gene expression, cellular signaling, and tissue-specific processes.