Tuesday, April 27, 2010

XMRV Update

I've been meaning to post an update on the XMRV/CFS research but just haven't had the time to sort through everything (you're probably sick of hearing this, but I still haven't gotten through those hundreds of unread e-mails from my vacation two weeks ago!).
 
So, I was thrilled when, once again, Cort Johnson over at Phoenix Rising posted an excellent, thorough summary of all the latest XMRV news at his blog, Bringing the Heat.

Go on over and take a look - Cort has a real talent for distilling lots of complicated information into an understandable explanation.  Bottom line is this:
  • The negative replication studies in Europe have had a very bad effect on further funding for research into XMRV's role in CFS.
  • There are several possible explanations for  the negative results in the European studies, and WPI and the original study's authors still feel confident that XMRV is an important factor in CFS.
  • In one negative study (the Dutch one, I think), its authors actually traded samples with WPI and WPI did find XMRV in 3 samples (two from CFS patients and one from a healthy control), but the study's authors went ahead and published their results without even mentioning WPI's contrasting results.
Those are just a few important points.  Read Cort's summary and/or check out the news on WPI's website (several of the documents Cort references are available in full here) for details.  Lots more research is needed - as always with CFS, the lack of funding is limiting what can be done.  Consider donating to WPI or the CFIDS Association, if you are able to.

8 comments:

Dusty Bogwrangler said...

Thanks for this update from one who finds it difficult to distil the import from all the detail. It's not great news is it.

Sue Jackson said...

Jo -

I've been struggling with that myself lately, so i really appreciated Cort doing the hard work! (he has CFS too).

I think it's not bad news scientifically, but as usual, it looks bad politically. We have a CFSAC meeting coking up here (that's the only gov't advisory group involved with CFS), so I'm hoping that will help.

Sue

Lori P said...

Hi Sue,
Thanks for the update and for making it understandable. I'll have to head to his site soon to get the full story.

Hope you're doing well and the allergies have settled.

Renee said...

Thanks for this info, Sue. Having it simplifed helps me greatly. It is sad isn't it how political our illnesses are...I am always amazed. This week Conn. also ruled against changing any treatment guidelines for Lyme still stating that long term antibiotics are detrimental and don't help..and still going after doctors who treat there patients. The fact that patients get better is not used as a valid reason. Between the Lyme and CFS/ME I wonder what other medical conditions are manipulated and/or ignored by "those in power". MS was one thought to be completey psychological....sad sad..

Anonymous said...

Thanks Sue! Phoenix Rising is a great place... but there is so much there! Quite a lot about WPI and XMRV. It's like Facebook for the CFS community. I always like to come back here to this comfy small blog community, though! :D

cheers,

D.

Luke S said...

Thanks for the good info. I just got a positive XMRV test from VIPdx. Have you got your results back yet?

Sue Jackson said...

Hi, Luke -

I haven't been tested for XMRV yet, though my 15-year old son was, as part of the University of Illinois study we signed up for. He's in the study, and they drew blood last month, but I haven't been called yet.

Thanks for reminding me, though - I need to call and see if we can find out his results.

As for me, unless I have it done as part of the study, I figure I might as well wait until there's something to be done with the results.

Sue

aidan walsh said...

dr. garth nicolson already said there was a retro viral link to cfs and gulf war illnesses over 10 years ago and again in 2009.do not think for one minute that xmrv is any cause. the real truth lies in 45% of the hiv virus envelope and a host of other pathogens put there on purpose. when the forces invaded iraq it was george bush jr. who had one purpose and that was to retrieve or destroy the ilegal bio-weapons his father as director of the c.i.a. sold to suddam hussein during the iran/iraq 10 year war. and these pathogens were used by suddam during that war and when the american troops landed in 1990 he said prior to the war that if the americans and other forces landed in iraq there would be a surprise waiting for all these troops. the surprise was clear with suddam and he had positioned trucks used to spray these american bought weapons on the sand for these invading forces. over 100,000 troops from america and other countries returned home from the gulf and passed these on to their families, pets and communities. these same weapons were used even as far back as the early seventies on different counties within the u.s.a. and intentionaly used against innocent american men, women and children. the fact is clear by hanging suddam hussein is the sole reason to silence him for good. the nih/cdc and even the british government has one sole agenda and that is to completely silence all avenues of cfs/gwi research around the world and completely deceit the american and world public. there is no doubt in my mind and others that aids, cfs, gwi are all part of these ilegal agendas with only one purpose in mind. they did the same to poor black people with syphlis in southern georgia and were only interested in their medical files and testing on these innocent people. all of you reading this will say that this is just conspiracy talk and not fact. i can only say this is in 1969 $26 million changed hands with the dept. of science and technology and a secretary who recorded this meeting was not going to be any part of this activity against mankind. the specific words in that meeting was that they wanted to create 2 diseases of one which there was immuno-deficency and the second disease to incapacitate the individual. this is where they created the synthetic virus hiv and the other 45% of the aids hiv virus envelope. do not be fooled by the xmrv and one thing is even more clear now to me than ever.WHAT ARE THESE SO CALLED ANTI RETRO VIRAL DRUGS REALLY WORKING AGAINST??? IS IT THE XMRV HYPE OR IS IT REALLY 45% OF THE HIV VIRUS ENVELOPE??? DR. GARTH NICOLSON IS A MAN WHO SPEAKS THE TRUTH AND HE WILL NEVER EVER LET ANYONE STOP HIS MOST IMPORTANT WORK AND THE TRUTH FROM BEING TOLD TO THE AMERICAN/WORLD POPULATIONS. OF COURSE DR. ALDER SAID MYCOPLASMA WAS NOT A CAUSE IN HIS PAPER BUT DO NOT BELIEVE HIM AS HE IS ALSO PART OF THE COVER-UP AND WILL DO ANYTHING TO HIDE THE FULL TRUTH... DO NOT GET LED DOWN THE XMRV PATH WHEN OTER RESEARCHERS SUCH AS GARTH NEED YOUR SUPPORT. I TRULY WISH ALL OF YOU WHO ARE ILL TO ATLEAST HAVE AS MUCH OF A MERRY XMAS AND MAY GOD LEAD US ALL IN 2011 TO THE REAL TRUTH AND A THERAPY...GODS BLESSES AIDAN WALSH SOUTHAMPTON, U.K.