DISCOVER-ME

Uncovering the biological mechanisms underlying ME/CFS

Bringing together clinical, biological and data-driven research to identify and validate biologically defined patient subgroups

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Latest from DISCOVER-ME

8 Oct 2026

DISCOVER-ME partners meet in Valencia for project kick-off

DISCOVER-ME at a Glance

48 Months

2026 – 2030

21 Partners

Collaborative consortium
Across Europe and beyond

12 Countries

International collaboration

FIRST EU Funded

Dedicated to ME/CFS
Horizon Europe

Translating

Identification • Validation • Prioritisation • Discovery

Uncovering the biological mechanisms underlying ME/CFS

DISCOVER-ME is a Horizon Europe research initiative investigating the biological mechanisms underlying myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME or ME/CFS), with the goal of identifying and validating biomarkers to support better classification, diagnosis and treatment.

Myalgic encephalomyelitis is a debilitating multisystem disease for which there is currently no validated diagnostic biomarker and no treatment that targets its underlying biology. DISCOVER-ME brings together biomedical researchers, clinicians, industry partners and people with lived experience to address these fundamental gaps.

It is the first Horizon Europe-funded research project dedicated specifically to ME/CFS, bringing together 21 partner organisations across 12 countries to investigate the biological mechanisms underlying the disease.

From identification to discovery

Identification

Finding candidate biological signals across five interconnected areas of research
Validation

Testing promising findings across independent cohorts, samples and biobanks
Prioritisation

Selecting the strongest candidates for further study
Discovery

Biologically defined patient subgroups and new understanding of ME/CFS

The connecting thread is translation, carrying findings forward from each step towards discovery

Through an integrated programme of biomedical research, the project aims to identify measurable biological changes, strengthen the scientific evidence base and lay foundations for improved diagnosis and future treatments.