XMRV- Proving XMVR -The Next Steps
"We need much more research from the CDC, from the NIH, from the National Cancer Institute - from everybody...
(everyone) needs to take
this retrovirus as seriously as they did the last most famous retrovirus - HIV" Dr. Donnica Moore on Good Morning America
FIRST UP! - Probably A Commercially Available Blood Test
- The only blood test
currently available can only be used by researchers but a commercial
blood test your doctor can order appears to be proceeding rapidly first we heard it would be a year - now
(Oct 15th)
we're hearing mere weeks. Stay tuned!
THE CRITICAL STEPS - Does XMRV Cause Chronic Fatigue
Syndrome (ME/CFS)? - Below are hurdles the virus must overcome to be considered the cause of this
disease
- Replication - Studies by independent laboratories
are where the rubber meets the road in science. It was the inability to
replicate the original studies results where the last retroviral discovery
in ME/CFS foundered. What do we know now? The fact that t the NIH convened at
least one private conference in August to discuss XMRV suggests that replication
efforts by other laboratories were probably already been underway. There is a
report of an upcoming National Cancer Institute study and we know of at least
three other efforts; the CDC, Dr. Kerr in the U.K., Dr. LLoyd in Australia and
there are reports of others. When they're done expect quick publication; because
this is a hot topic these papers will likely jump to the front of the queue at
medical journals.
- More Different types of Patients in Future Studies - one of the big questions
regarding the original finding is if they will translate from the severely ill patients in the original study to the more
moderately ill patients that probably make up the bulk of the chronic
fatigue syndrome community. Quickly expect studies that determine if the virus is found in a
range of chronic fatigue syndrome patients.
- Studies That Examine if XMRV is the Cause Of
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Expect studies that attempt to correlate how
much virus is present (viral load) with how ill patient is (their symptoms).
Correlation is not causation but it helps. The study below is the clincher in
this regard.
THE XMRV INFO CENTER
Info
Testing, Treatment and Transmission
Blogs and Articles
The Science
ME/CFS Professionals Talk on XMRV
Translate this page into any language
- Treatment Studies - the Whittemore Peterson Institute is
reportedly already beginning to
engage in treatment studies using
antiretrovirals and other drugs. The best test of causation is to remove the
virus and determine if the patient recovers or gets better. If as viral loads
drop the patient recovers or gets better we can assume the virus is causing or
significantly contributing to an illness. (Note, though, that the typical course
of my anti-retrovirals in AIDS rapidly results in reduced viral loads and increased
immune functioning but that symptom remission usually takes far longer to achieve. Interestingly,
the same is often true with the current antiviral regimes in ME/CFS; improved laboratory results
can often be seen quite rapidly but it takes a quite sustained
course of antivirals (>1 year) for symptoms to improved markedly.)
IMPORTANT STUDIES
- Studies That Attempt to Determine How Infectious the Virus Is
- the Science paper was the first time researchers looked to see if this
virus was found in the general population. They were rather aghast to find it in
almost 4% of their control samples. Because the virus is found in the blood this
finding brought into question the safety of the blood supply. Expect
studies to come whizzing out of the NIH how often this virus is found in the
general population and if it can be transmitted via the blood, the saliva, the
semen, etc.
- Studies of Close Contacts and Relatives - Expect studies
to quickly come out assessing how many family members and close contacts of the
positive ME/CFS patients test positive for the virus.
- Finding the Trigger - Not everyone with this virus is
ill. Look for studies trying to determine what triggers the virus to either
become activated or to somehow cause its ill effects.
- Studies That Look for This Virus In Other Parts of the Body
- thus far the virus has been found in white blood cells which are easy
to test. Expect studies that look for it in more cells and that more clearly
elucidate which types of white blood cells the virus has targeted.
- Studies That Expand the Focus Beyond Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
(ME/CFS) -The Whittemore Peterson Institute has also found the virus in autism, fibromyalgia
and 'atypical MS' patients hence the preliminary name "X Associated Neuro- Immune Disorder." Expect the
WPI try to uncover what other diseases XMRV is associated with.
- Studies That Examine XMRV's Effects in Healthy People -
Expect researchers to follow XMRV infected healthy people to see if they
either.develop chronic fatigue syndrome or display increasing immune
abnormalities over time.
Whittemore Peterson Institute Update - The NIH
The Phoenix Rising website is compiled by a layman. It is not a substitute for a
physician and is for informational uses only.