Autoantibody targeting therapies in post COVID syndrome and myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.
Wohlrab, Felix, Eltity, Mailam, Ufer, Friederike et al. · Expert opinion on biological therapy · 2025 · DOI
Quick Summary
This article reviews how certain immune system proteins called autoantibodies—which the body mistakenly makes against itself—may contribute to both long COVID and ME/CFS. The authors discuss different treatment approaches that aim to reduce or neutralize these harmful autoantibodies. This editorial examines the current evidence and potential of these new therapies to help patients with these conditions.
Why It Matters
This editorial is timely given emerging evidence that autoimmune mechanisms may underlie both post-COVID syndrome and ME/CFS. For patients, it highlights promising new treatment avenues that could move beyond symptom management. For researchers, it frames autoantibody-targeting as a potentially transformative therapeutic direction for these debilitating conditions.
Observed Findings
- Autoantibodies have been identified in both post-COVID syndrome and ME/CFS patients
- Multiple autoantibody-targeting treatment strategies are being explored in clinical practice
- These approaches include immunoglobulin therapy, B-cell depletion, and other immunomodulation techniques
- Both conditions share potential autoimmune mechanisms warranting similar therapeutic investigation
Inferred Conclusions
- Autoantibody-targeting therapies represent a promising treatment frontier for post-COVID syndrome and ME/CFS
- Therapeutic approaches successful in other autoimmune conditions may warrant investigation in these patient populations
- Further research is needed to validate these approaches and identify which patients are most likely to benefit
Remaining Questions
- Which specific autoantibodies are truly pathogenic versus bystanders in ME/CFS and post-COVID syndrome?
- Which patients with these conditions are most likely to respond to autoantibody-targeting therapies?
- How do treatment outcomes differ between ME/CFS and post-COVID syndrome populations?
- What is the optimal timing and duration of autoantibody-targeting treatment interventions?
What This Study Does Not Prove
As an editorial, this is expert opinion rather than new evidence. It does not present original data, clinical trial results, or systematic evidence synthesis. Therefore, it cannot prove efficacy of any specific therapy, establish causation of autoantibodies in disease pathogenesis, or provide definitive treatment recommendations.
Topics
Tags
Metadata
- DOI
- 10.1080/14712598.2025.2492774
- PMID
- 40211686
- Review status
- Editor reviewed
- Evidence level
- Early hypothesis, preprint, editorial, or weak support
- Last updated
- 7 April 2026