NIH awards total of $1.3m to Lipkin, Klimas, Hanson

[jimells]

It only took ten years to put a man on the Moon - that was real commitment.

In comparison, thiry years of heel-dragging looks pretty pathetic. They are not even spending enough to replace the worn heels.

 

[Sasha]

I've just noticed the "Award Notice Dates" on this - only the Lipkin/Hornig grant is new (14 Aug). The other two were awarded in April.

Oh well! It's still some nice big money for the CII!

 

[jimells]

Such great news. All three look like promising studies to me. We must thank people involved, especially the decision makers. Hope someone knows who we need to be thanking?

haha, whose face is pasted over the lead dancer?

 

[SOC]

I've just noticed the "Award Notice Dates" on this - only the Lipkin/Hornig grant is new (14 Aug). The other two were awarded in April.

Oh well! It's still some nice big money for the CII!

Doesn't matter. It shows things have started moving over the past 6 months, probably due to the IOM report. Somebody is finally thinking about maybe, possibly, if things go right, taking us seriously.

 

[Sasha]

Can anyone remind me where to find Dr Lipkin's quote about his grant application previously being turned down because one reviewer thought ME was psychosomatic and another thought it was chronic herpes infection?

 

[akrasia]

Can anyone remind me where to find Dr Lipkin's quote about his grant application previously being turned down because one reviewer thought ME was psychosomatic and another thought it was chronic herpes infection?

http://www.cfscentral.com/2014/05/candid-conversation-with-dr-ian-lipkin.html

The guy really is into "elimination."

 

[aimossy]

Thanks @akrasia all I could remember was thinking maybe did that come from Mindy Kitei interview!

 

[Battery Muncher]

Re Maureen Hanson (Cornell)



Yes, odd combo indeed:

I guess the linkage between plant biology and ME/CFS is her interest in mitochondria?

 

[shannah]

haha, whose face is pasted over the lead dancer?

@jimells @snowathlete

It's Ian Lipkin's face. Why not send it to him. He seems to have a good sense of humour and would probably really like it.

 

[Scarecrow]

I guess the linkage between plant biology and ME/CFS is her interest in mitochondria?

Her interest in ME looks to me to be wider than just mitochondria.

The recently funded study will examine both glycolysis and mitochondrial respiration.

She's also interested in the microbiome which includes prokaryotes, which do not contain mitochondria, as well as eukaryotes and other organisms.

Her Cornell biography notes that the connection between her plant and ME/CFS research interests are in genome sequencing and gene expression.

 

[Battery Muncher]

Her interest in ME looks to me to be wider than just mitochondria.

The recently funded study will examine both glycolysis and mitochondrial respiration.

She's also interested in the microbiome which includes prokaryotes, which do not contain mitochondria, as well as eukaryotes and other organisms.

Her Cornell biography notes that the connection between her plant and ME/CFS research interests are in genome sequencing and gene expression.

That's really interesting to know, thanks!

 

[Scarecrow]

Quote: ...to evaluate differences in the methylation patterns between CFS/ME patients and healthy controls.

I find it interesting that they will study methylation too. At last we may get an answer if impaired methylation is related and how, or not at all, to ME . I guess they should have to investigate other sick people too, not only compare to healthy controls if decreased methylation could be an effect of severe sickness itself.

When you're referring to methylation it isn't clear to me in what sense you mean it.

Just in case anyone is reading the Klimas study description and is assuming it's related to the methionine cycle as discussed frequently in the Methylation / B12 forum, it isn't - at least not in any direct sense. The study is referring to gene methylation, i.e. it concerns gene expression.

 

[Helen]

Thanks @Scarecrow . Then I misunderstood the aim of the study.

 

[jimells]

http://www.cfscentral.com/2014/05/candid-conversation-with-dr-ian-lipkin.html

The guy really is into "elimination."

Thanks for the link. It's certainly an interesting interview. I think Dr Lipkin is being diplomatic in regards to Collins and Fauci, and I certainly appreciate that he needs to tread carefully to avoid the snakes and alligators.

As for Dr Unger, she is *still* publishing rubbish based on Reeves useless cohorts. This brandy-new paper implies "CFS" may be caused by pelvic pain and other "women's complaints".

 

[viggster]

RE my comment on "chump change"
In Aggregate, $1.3m for ME compared to what is spent on illnesses who have fewer citizens afflicted, like MS(100m) and Aids (3billion) and just about everything else, is abominably low. @jspotila has a nice blog on parity funding.
Here is the NIH page of all disease funding

It's great that these studies have been awarded grants.Fantastic. Yay. Good to be happy.
But this is taken out of the only $5m budgeted.(so far -- we need to keep pressure on)

These grants are only a start.
We are so used to getting nothing that when we are thrown a bone we are over the moon.
Again, I don't want to take away from these important studies receiving funding.
BUT as a community I hope we don't become complacent due to this funding. We need more much more. We deserve much more. We need to continue to demand much more.

Oh I most certainly agree that NIH needs to fund much more. But the NIH works largely by funding individual research projects, and it's very positive they are funding this one.

Also, there is not a pot of "ME/CFS" money at NIH. This is something we at #MEAction are trying to change - to get a dedicated pot of money. Over the past several years, they've funded about $5m per year in "ME/CFS" research, but there is no set aside saying that is the amount they must spend. They could spend more, they could spend less. We are trying to get Congress to tell the NIH they have to spend much more.

 

[Hutan]

Also, there is not a pot of "ME/CFS" money at NIH. This is something we at #MEAction are trying to change - to get a dedicated pot of money. Over the past several years, they've funded about $5m per year in "ME/CFS" research, but there is no set aside saying that is the amount they must spend. They could spend more, they could spend less.

Does #MEAction have an idea of other researchers that are hoping to get NIH funds for ME/CFS research (and an idea of the amount of funds they want)? Does anyone know if a research team is working on a rituximab trial proposal to submit?

 

[beaker]

Oh I most certainly agree that NIH needs to fund much more. But the NIH works largely by funding individual research projects, and it's very positive they are funding this one.

Also, there is not a pot of "ME/CFS" money at NIH. This is something we at #MEAction are trying to change - to get a dedicated pot of money. Over the past several years, they've funded about $5m per year in "ME/CFS" research, but there is no set aside saying that is the amount they must spend. They could spend more, they could spend less. We are trying to get Congress to tell the NIH they have to spend much more.

mY understanding is that 5m is the amt budgeted and approved by Congress for NIH mecfs research. ( the being eliminated from CDC budget is separate) See document in my post. And that we need to lobby congress to up the amt allocated for ME/CFs research.
Yes NIH has some discretionary funds they can move around. but the best thing is to have congress budget it.

 

[Gingergrrl]

Sorry if I missed the explanation (if there is one?) but how & why were these three studies approved but Ron Davis and OMF's study denied?

ETA: I read the other thread but I still do not get it.

 

[Sasha]

Sorry if I missed the explanation (if there is one?) but how & why were these three studies approved but Ron Davis and OMF's study denied?

ETA: I read the other thread but I still do not get it.

Nobody gets it, Gingergrrl. What the NIH is doing doesn't make any sense at all.

 

[aimossy]

@Gingergrrl in the #MEAction article there is a link to a letter from Ron Davis regarding information and reasons they gave and his responses. I'm not sure if you missed it that. Seems to me that it was all about the fact that they wanted this to cost 500,000 only.