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UK XMRV Retrovirus replication studies

Dx Revision Watch

Suzy Chapman Owner of Dx Revision Watch
Messages
3,061
Location
UK
[With apologies if this has already been posted in another thread. Note that University College London (UCL) is not the same institution as King's College London (KCL). It is not established what criteria are to be used or from where patient samples are to be sourced. As an academic institution, UCL will be subject to FOIA and it may expedient for this information to be requested.]


http://www.findaphd.com/search/showproject.asp?projectid=18971


Dept/SchoolDivision of Infection & Immunity, University College London
Project Supervisor(s)Prof G Towers


Dr P Kellam
Funding AvailabilityCompetition Funded Project (European/UK Students Only)

Application Deadline 23 November 2009

A role for XMRV in human disease

Laboratory supervisor: Prof Greg Towers

Clinical supervisor: Prof Deenan Pillay

Xenotropic murine retrovirus (XMRV) has recently been associated with chronic fatigue syndrome as well as prostate carcinoma in humans (1-3). XMRV is a murine endogenous virus found in the genome of mice and until recently has been thought to be absent from the human population. It is now becoming clear that XMRV has transmitted to humans by a process of zoonosis, presumably from mice, and appears to be associated with a variety of diseases not previously associated with viral infection.

1. We will establish quantitative PCR assays and serology assays including enzyme linked immunosorbant assays (ELISA) to detect and quantify XMRV. Importantly, assays used to detect related murine leukaemia viruses in the lab are expected to be suitable.

2. We will use these assays to measure XMRV load in chronic fatigue patient samples as well as, well but XMRV infected control samples, with a view to establishing whether viral load relates to disease, episodes of illness and/or severity.

3. The receptor for XMRV has been identified. We will seek human polymorphism in the xenotropic receptor and assess which human cells express it. We will also establish which cells in vivo in blood express the receptor and which cells are infected with XMRV by quantitative PCR on sorted subsets of B and T cells from XMRV infected individuals.

This project proposes to address some of the most important questions surrounding the recently described XMRV infection of humans and to seek a therapeutic strategy for XMRV treatment. We expect it to be a competitive project and the experiments performed are likely to be influenced by ongoing studies published as we go. We expect that the candidate will be fully trained in modern techniques of molecular virology during the course of this project.


TO APPLY Send THREE COPIES of your CV (including full contact details of two academic referees) a personal statement and an indication of your top two preferences, on a separate page, from the list of projects below to:

Isabel Lubeiro, Division of Infection & Immunity, Windeyer Building, 46 Cleveland Street, London W1T 4JF.
CLOSING DATE: 23 NOVEMBER 2009
 

anne_likes_red

Senior Member
Messages
1,103
Good!

...Things are moving in the right direction :)

If people were aware of how many different illnesses XMRV could potentially affect I'm sure the applicants would be lining up around the block.
Because everybody knows at least somebody with one of those illnesses....
 

leelaplay

member
Messages
1,576
creaks in the UK

I thought I heard some creaks in the UK - is that the doors to certains minds creaking open - or the sound of backpedaling? I can't remember exactly all the things making me hope this. Might be useful to have a UK thread

Think there was a call for PHD students in xmrv studies posted by levi??
Then a few quotes as to how CFS/ME is a biological disease
I think something on adding better services

Then this article.

I agree with the 1st point ME Agenda makes - that the criteria and patient sample source should be clarified from the beginning - how does one effectively do this? Does anyone know the clinical supervisor or his boss?

I note that they haven't got the terminology down and refer to chronic fatigue when referring to the patient samples - not an auspicious beginning.

It is not established what criteria are to be used or from where patient samples are to be sourced. As an academic institution, UCL will be subject to FOIA and it may expedient for this information to be requested.]...........

Xenotropic murine retrovirus (XMRV) has recently been associated with chronic fatigue syndrome as well as prostate carcinoma in humans (1-3). XMRV is a murine endogenous virus found in the genome of mice and until recently has been thought to be absent from the human population. It is now becoming clear that XMRV has transmitted to humans by a process of zoonosis, presumably from mice, and appears to be associated with a variety of diseases not previously associated with viral infection.
.......

2. We will use these assays to measure XMRV load in chronic fatigue patient samples as well as, well but XMRV infected control samples, with a view to establishing whether viral load relates to disease, episodes of illness and/or severity.

islandfinn:)
 
C

cold_taste_of_tears

Guest
[With apologies if this has already been posted in another thread. Note that University College London (UCL) is not the same institution as King's College London (KCL). It is not established what criteria are to be used or from where patient samples are to be sourced. As an academic institution, UCL will be subject to FOIA and it may expedient for this information to be requested. :)

Hi, inititally it appears to be good news - except if you have experience in what UCL does to ME (CFIDS) patients.

NHNN (National Hospital for Neurology & Neurosurgery) at Queens Square locks ME/Dysautonomia patients in Psychiatric wards - is part of University College London UCL. :eek:

NHNN believes ME does not exist and is a form of conversion/hysterical disorder, and employs the somatization expert Professor Michael Trimble, Psychiatrist Professor Maria Ron (Co-Authored work on CFS with Simon Wessely), and also Simon Wessely's CBT expert Buckley to deal with patients in NHNN & UCL - they also spread their wings to St Mary's down the road - and use Professor Mathias for the same reason.

Why does this matter? Because UCL trust policy is that ME is a form of psycho neurosis, and call ME 'Chronic Fatigue'.
ANYONE with Chronic Fatigue can be used in research studies - thus for XMRV.

Chronic Fatigue is not ME/CFS, it's a symptom common in society and mental distress disorders.
Why would trust policy of mistreating and misdiagnosing ME/CFS at UCL - suddenly change to prove XMRV is a problem
in ME (CFIDS) patients?

The Department of Health (DOH) state that CFS is 'Long term tiredness'.
How and why would a trust that refuses to admite ME is a neuro immune disease - go against NHS policy?

The conclusion is, unless a rogue immunologist refuses to do what policy dictates - do not expect anyone in the DOH/NHS to mirror the Nevada findings.

:eek: However, Dr J Kerr working privately most probably can - and thus will.

Remember that Dr Kerr's clinic in Tooting (St George's) was closed by the DOH/NHS before it was even allowed to be opened because
it dared to view ME/CFS and physical disorder.
 

Sing

Senior Member
Messages
1,782
Location
New England
Response to Islandfinn

"I thought I heard some creaks in the UK - is that the doors to certains minds creaking open - or the sound of backpedaling? I can't remember exactly all the things making me hope this. Might be useful to have a UK thread"

Islandfinn, I love these metaphors! So telling! And what a good idea about a UK thread.

Thank you--

Cecelia
 

Dx Revision Watch

Suzy Chapman Owner of Dx Revision Watch
Messages
3,061
Location
UK
islandfinn wrote:

"I agree with the 1st point ME Agenda makes - that the criteria and patient sample source should be clarified from the beginning - how does one effectively do this? Does anyone know the clinical supervisor or his boss?


One sticks in request for information under FOIA. FOI requests are a formal process and have to be responded to within 20 working days.


At the October meeting of the All Party Parliamentary Group on ME (APPG on ME), Colin Barton (Chair, Sussex and Kent ME and CFS Society) has been reported as having said something in relation to Barts (Professor Peter White) planning (unspecified) XMRV Retrovirus studies.

No-one has been able to clarify for me exactly what Mr Barton had said around Barts and XMRV or whether he had addressed his comments to the APPG chair, in which case his comments might be transcribed, or in an aside.

Since the Minutes and the official, verbatim transcript of the October meeting won't be available for another couple weeks and as I prefer not to rely on speculation, I contacted Mr Barton on 2 November for a clarification.

I asked if he could confirm whether any study in which Barts might have some involvement related to the UCL PhD project that I have posted above, and if not, what of type of study Barts might be planning.

Mr Barton's response was that "Barts have no immediate plans to replicate now as two other London groups are already doing this, as well as the CDC."

Mr Barton had no information on whether "the two other London groups" included the UCL PhD project of which we are already aware.
 

Dx Revision Watch

Suzy Chapman Owner of Dx Revision Watch
Messages
3,061
Location
UK
ME agenda said:

"One sticks in a request for information under FOIA. FOI requests are a formal process and have to be responded to within 20 working days."

Looks like I'm going to be busy on Monday, then?
 

leelaplay

member
Messages
1,576
the dark ages

I can understand your names cold taste of tears; betrayed but not defeated better now.

With burning the books, ignoring the WHO definition and others, and throwing people in cages, it really seems you've been living through the dark ages, or maybe the inquisition.

Everyone having to live through this, from barely surviving with your head down to fighting - you have my respect and heart-felt sympathy (the word doesn't seem strong enough) and my outrage.

islandfinn

ETA Go ME Agenda Go yay you
 
Messages
5,238
Location
Sofa, UK
The mention of a possible Barts study sent a chill down my spine. I had a medical friend who went to work there (no details to preserve her identity, but she's quite brilliant IMO, very outspoken and dedicated to her job). What she experienced at Barts was so disillusioning that it caused her to leave medicine altogether, a pretty big step after many years of training and ludicrous hours to finally reach the position she'd got to. She's not prone to conspiracy theories, but the phrase I recall is "some kind of masonic old boys club".

I think we know we can't trust either of the UK studies, or the CDC, but it seems a bit hard to believe all the studies could be rigged. It might be worth people making some sort of summary statement as to which studies we predict will show weak associations, and why, so that if the picture becomes complex and the waters are muddied, we can point back to that and say "exactly what we predicted". The way it appears to work with mobile phone radiation and other such issues is: the scandinavians produce a few compelling studies showing an association, the UK and US produce an equal number to balance it all out, then they do a study of studies which finds it's all inconclusive. Then the scandinavians produce another set of even more compelling studies, and round we go again. So I'm pinning my hopes on the Swedes...

Finally: this FOIA stuff is critical, absolutely the most powerful weapon the people have against the establishment. I have a friend who was very close to the FOI request that ultimately led to the Expenses Scandal, and they assure me that the battle to get MPs' expenses revealed to the public was won by a whisker due to an FOI request on a point of detail - the info was never supposed to come out in the way that it did. Also I have a contact who works in the house of parliament and submitted the FOI request that revealed that the 200 injuries police claimed to have suffered on the Heathrow Climate Camp demo was made up of crap like "stung by possible wasp" (a classic of our time :D). So I know for sure that FOI works in getting them to reveal all kinds of stuff they really don't want you to know; it's an incredibly powerful tool.