Is ME/CFS an Autoimmune Disease?

Written By: Alana Karran The first annual Community Symposium on the Molecular Basis of ME/CFS was held at Stanford University on August 12th, 2017. Sponsored by the Open Medicine Foundation, the Symposium featured talks by the world’s leading experts in ME/CFS research and related fields that are informing that research. Immunologist Mark Davis, PhD, spoke on the ever-present question of autoimmunity in ME/CFS. To understand where the current research is headed, Dr. Davis first explained how the immune system works and how autoimmunity is determined. The immune system is made up of white blood cells that patrol the body looking for invaders like bacteria, viruses, parasites, etc. When these pathogens are detected, the immune system utilizes cytokines – small proteins that are important in cell signaling – to communicate with each other and coordinate a defense. The innate immune system