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Top Brains Gather to Fight CFS in Australia - Focus on Neuroimmunology

Cort

Phoenix Rising Founder
Does anyone know what happened with this? These were neuroscientists and immunologists......a two day meeting. Looks like a great meeting. I haven't heard a thing....

Cost to Australian economy - 380 million (I'll bet it's quite a bit higher).


Top brains tackle chronic fatigue syndrome
December 3, 2010
AAP
Some of the world's leading researchers in neuroscience and immunology have gathered on the Gold Coast for an international science symposium on the debilitating chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).

It's estimated about a quarter of a million Australians are affected by the illness, which causes dysfunction of the brain and the gastro-intestinal, immune, endocrine and cardiac systems.

The cost to the Australian community is put at close to $380 million a year.

Symposium co-organiser Dr Sonya Marshall-Gradisnik said for the next two days top scientists from around the world will focus on the current state of research into CFS and help set a focus for research in the future.

"The objective is to bring new research ideas and different approaches to explaining and treating this disabling condition," she said.

It's the first conference to pull together scientists involved in CFS research and others who haven't worked closely in the field but whose "incisive minds and research skills" may help in unravelling this perplexing condition.

The symposium at Bond University's Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine will end on Saturday.


 

Cort

Phoenix Rising Founder
Does anyone know what happened with this? These were neuroscientists and immunologists......a two day meeting. Looks like a great meeting. I haven't heard a thing....

Cost to Australian economy - 380 million (I'll bet it's quite a bit higher)


Found more info. Proceedings will be published.

Bond University in collaboration with Alison Hunter Memorial Foundation is pleased to host an International Science Symposium for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/ Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) in December 2010.
The Symposium, to be held within the Population Health and Neuroimmunology Unit (PHANU), brings together a number of national and international specialist scientists working in the field of ME/ CFS.
ME/ CFS is characterised by neurological ,cardiovascular and myoarthralgic symptoms. Severe forms can present with paresis, seizures, intractable headache and life threatening complications. ME/ CFS may be also associated with metabolic disturbances and chemical intolerance.
This Symposium will explore recent advances in scientific disciplines to gain understanding of the pathomechanisms of this condition.
Organising Committee

Associate Professor Don Staines
Associate Professor Sonya Marshall
Christine Hunter AM

The Symposium is for a small research group investigating neuropathology including autopsy findings and particular aspects of neuroimmunology. Unfortunately on this occasion it is not an open meeting for general attendance. Proceedings will be published following the Symposium. If you wish to be notified when they become available please email Diane McDonald.
Thank you to our sponsor - Office of Health and Medical Research
bd3_015320.jpg
 

alex3619

Senior Member
Messages
13,810
Location
Logan, Queensland, Australia
Hi, the $380 million cost would have to be direct costs only. Indirect costs including loss of productivity (e.g. earnings) could push it over two billion dollars in my view. I think their figure is ultra-conservative. Bye, Alex
 

Snow Leopard

Hibernating
Messages
5,902
Location
South Australia
Hi, the $380 million cost would have to be direct costs only. Indirect costs including loss of productivity (e.g. earnings) could push it over two billion dollars in my view. I think their figure is ultra-conservative. Bye, Alex

My back of the envelope estimates based on US/UK studies (not using the 1%+ incidence figures however) would suggest between 1.5-2 billion per year.
I have heard that $380 million figure before, but I can't remember where. It might have been a Lloyd study.

I am interested to see the outcome of the conference too...
 

Enid

Senior Member
Messages
3,309
Location
UK
Top brains now with so much research/findings in the US and the range of pathologies/viral infections. Science all over on the move.
 

WillowJ

คภภเє ɠรค๓թєl
Messages
4,940
Location
WA, USA
from the aussie boards, here is who Tony said was to be there:

"This Symposium will explore recent advances in scientific disciplines to gain understanding of the pathomechanisms of this condition."

For anyone who doesn't receive Emerge magazine, the quarterly journal of ME/CFS Aust (Victoria/ACT/NSW) the speakers (subject to change) are:

Dr A. Chaudhuri, neurologist UK, Prof De Meirleir, Dr Jonathon Kerr, UK, Dr Daniel Peterson USA,
Dr Richard Kwiatek, rheumatologist, NSW, Prof Barrie Marmion, Q fever Sth Aust,
Dr Mario Delgardo (vasoactive neuro peptides) Spain
Dr A Boullerne, MRI techniques and CNS lesions, Chicago
Dr D Feinstein, CNS pathology, USA
Dr H Perry, Uni of Southampton, encephalitis pathology
Dr D O'Donovan, Neuropathologist, UK
Prof W Tate, Biochemistry professor, NZ
Prof P Blumbergs, neuropathologist, Sth Aust
Dr Olga Sukocheva, Q fever researcher, Sth Aust


I don't see Klimas on the list but, like was said, she was supposed to be there, too
 

pictureofhealth

XMRV - L'Agent du Jour
Messages
534
Location
Europe
Dr Kerr will be there!

Not heard of Dr O'Donovan UK before.

Thrilled to see Dr Chaudhuri will be there. Is he involved in helping to set up the UK Brain/Tissue bank with the MEA's Dr Shepherd and others, I wonder? (Don't have all the details about this to hand currently, but will see what I can find out).

Great find Cort.
 

anne_likes_red

Senior Member
Messages
1,103
Great to see Warren Tate attending, I heard he was starting a study (XMRV?) in NZ but I have no details

Not a lot more details here - but (from The Listener)...
"Next for Tate is a new venture tackling Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (also known as ME). He and his lab are adapting his anti-HIV work to target the recently discovered retrovirus XMRV, which is believed to be associated with the debilitating ME, which affects up to 1% of the New Zealand population but has no simple diagnostic test and has never been well understood."

Also he told me he'd designed a study "about XMRV and the "RNAseL fragment" claimed by Demierlier to be a marker for CFS that we are working on. "

As far as I know (hope anzmes will correct me if I have it wrong!) that's all go, and he's very keen to get started. :)

Best, Anne.
 

Navid

Senior Member
Messages
564
I wonder what's happening with Kerr.

It was sad to hear he lost his job, and then the latest Patient Advocate bit has Stoye saying Kerr and Mikovits had 'come to blows'.

http://cfspatientadvocate.blogspot.com/2010/12/big-sweat_16.html

not sure what's going on with kerr...prob blackballed by the uk conspiracy to cover up xmrv.....but i would not trust anything stoye said/says....he's really got it out for the demise of the xmrv theory and i don't think he really cares much if they ever find out why ppl have this disease.

from everything i've read and heard abt him he is an A-1 a--hole
 

Cort

Phoenix Rising Founder
I wonder what's happening with Kerr.

It was sad to hear he lost his job, and then the latest Patient Advocate bit has Stoye saying Kerr and Mikovits had 'come to blows'.

http://cfspatientadvocate.blogspot.com/2010/12/big-sweat_16.html

Its such a shame....He and Mikovits are on the outs over the Groom XMRV study...They didn't find anything but she was helping them out and then didn't hear anything until the week before the study when Dr .Kerr told her they didn't find anything. She was quite upset that no one communicated with her about the findings until they were published - which seemed entirely understandable! My sense was Kerr was caught in the middle; she said she thought so too - he was probably told not to say anything - everyone seems to like him and in his studies he seemed to be collaborating with everyone he could; it just doesn't seem like his style not to communicate but it was quite painful for her. He was her chief collaborator on the NIH study........

What a great lineup, though, for that conference....Love to see Chaudhuri there and I didn;t know anything about the Brain Tissue bank in the UK.
 

ukxmrv

Senior Member
Messages
4,413
Location
London
He is working in a small UK hospital last time I asked someone who knew him. We did have some correspondance before he left his last job. Very sad his contract was not renewed.
 

Tony

Still working on it all..
Messages
363
Location
Melbourne, Australia
Dr Peterson was going to be there along with Dr Klimas and Prof De Meirleir. It would have been an excellent discussion place for the invited researchers and doctors. They devoted day one to lectures and day two for round table discussions. So lots of sharing to go on...and keeping in contact which is what the organisers are hoping for.
 

Sean

Senior Member
Messages
7,378
Interesting that Dr. Mikovitz isn't on that list? Nor is Dr. Singh or Dr. Ruscetti?
Understand what you are saying. But I would make the point that there is danger in relying too much on one or two main researchers. If we really want this to be properly investigated, then we need a bunch of different (competent) people looking at it. For me getting that to happen is one of the main aims. It gets the work done faster, and more comprehensively, and makes it harder to dismiss.

I am pleased Donald Staines is there, he has written some very interesting stuff.