This doesn't seem to have been posted yet:
http://www.ukrituximabtrial.org/Rituximab news-Aug14 02.htm
and it's looking exciting:
@Jonathan Edwards - I've been wondering whether, if a UK biobank had already been set up, whether you'd have been able to use it to do this work immediately. If I understood your comments some months back, it was having to get ethical approval and recruit well-defined patients that was causing the delay.
The MEA are currently raising money for the UK biobank - big fundraising push with big matching funds possible.
There's a chance to meet the scientific team involved with the biobank in a week's time in London.
http://www.ukrituximabtrial.org/Rituximab news-Aug14 02.htm
and it's looking exciting:
We are also interested in certain molecules present in non-cellular fractions of the blood (i.e. serum), the levels of which change in relation to B cell activity.
As serum samples can be easily frozen we can perform these tests developed here at UCL on large batches of samples from other centers.
We are currently in the process of measuring these molecules in patients with CFS/ME and have already got some extremely exciting results which we look forward to publishing as soon as possible.
Briefly, it may help us identify why some patients may respond better than others to rituximab.
I look forward to giving you some more specific information about our progress and results soon.
As serum samples can be easily frozen we can perform these tests developed here at UCL on large batches of samples from other centers.
We are currently in the process of measuring these molecules in patients with CFS/ME and have already got some extremely exciting results which we look forward to publishing as soon as possible.
Briefly, it may help us identify why some patients may respond better than others to rituximab.
I look forward to giving you some more specific information about our progress and results soon.
@Jonathan Edwards - I've been wondering whether, if a UK biobank had already been set up, whether you'd have been able to use it to do this work immediately. If I understood your comments some months back, it was having to get ethical approval and recruit well-defined patients that was causing the delay.
The MEA are currently raising money for the UK biobank - big fundraising push with big matching funds possible.
There's a chance to meet the scientific team involved with the biobank in a week's time in London.