Amy Dockser Marcus on Ila Singh's paper and Lipkin study

[urbantravels]

http://blogs.wsj.com/health/2010/11/04/whats-next-for-x-as-in-xmrv/

Among Singhs suggestions: Studies should have large numbers of patients, all of whom have been diagnosed according to well-recognized criteria for CFS. The number of healthy people used in studies as controls should also be large and come from the same geographic area as the patients. Blood samples from both patients and controls should be collected and treated the same way. Researchers shouldnt know whether the samples theyre studying are from CFS patients or healthy controls. And more than one kind of XMRV-detecting test should be used.

Singh adds that an ideal study would also use at least one test that has successfully detected XMRV in already published studies, perhaps also using the same patient samples.

Kim McCleary, the head of the CFIDS Association of America, a CFS advocacy group, says Singhs paper offers a really strong template for reducing some of the confounding issues in the studies that have already been published.

The guidance comes at an opportune moment. W. Ian Lipkin, the Columbia University-based virus hunter tasked by the government with resolving some of the XMRV questions, is convening a meeting this week. Representatives from HHS and the academic and advocacy communities are in New York to develop a strategy for a study to determine whether XMRV is found at higher rates in CFS patients.

Singh tells the Health Blog: I sent a copy of my paper to Ian.

 

[Sasha]

Thanks, urban - we should all visit Amy's page so her bosses on the WSJ can see the hits and let's leave her some positive comments as well. I just left one.

I thought this was interesting: "The guidance comes at an opportune moment. W. Ian Lipkin, the Columbia University-based virus hunter tasked by the government with resolving some of the XMRV questions, is convening a meeting this week."

I wonder what sort of meeting, and with whom?

 

[Merry]

Thank you for posting the link, urbantravels.

And thank you, Sasha, for the suggestion to leave a comment about the article.

 

[LaurelW]

Yup, me too. It was hard not to act like a groupie at the OFFER conference in September when I talked to her.

 

[ixchelkali]

So what about this meeting that Ian Lipkin is convening this week? What do we know about it? Like who's invited, and are they going to tell us what comes out of it?

 

[CBS]

So what about this meeting that Ian Lipkin is convening this week? What do we know about it? Like who's invited, and are they going to tell us what comes out of it?

I know of a few key people who are "out of town and unavailable until next week," whatever that means.:innocent1:

 

[George]

The meeting this week was mentioned at the CFSAC by Mr Mangan. The phase II portion of the BWG is finished this week and folks are meeting to discuss primers that work in detecting clinical virus. I've been on the edge of my seat all week waiting for the poop, er, scoop. But dag nabit ther hasn't been a peep!

 

[citybug]

I know of a few key people who are "out of town and unavailable until next week," whatever that means.:innocent1:

Are any of the people patients, or advocates who understand the testing issues?

 

[pictureofhealth]

Quote - "Singh tells the Health Blog: “I sent a copy of my paper to Ian.” "

Oh well done Ila! I really like this woman, she is so 'on the ball' and so well organised. I'm feeling v happy to have her doing her excellent research in this field.

 

[pictureofhealth]

The meeting this week was mentioned at the CFSAC by Mr Mangan. The phase II portion of the BWG is finished this week and folks are meeting to discuss primers that work in detecting clinical virus.

Yup, it was mentioned a while back that we would get these results from the BWG's Phase 2 in 'early November'. Looks like the main honchos are convening then ...

 

[Otis]

OK, I'm with George. Where the poop, uh scoop, er peep? Any one of those things.

 

[George]

Hey ya Otis!!!

I've been haunting every place I can think of and haven't found a peep about the results. Anybody know somebody who knows somebody who's got an inside?????? (batting doggy eyelashes)

ummm, by the way Otis erm, are those like psychedelic titties in your avatar??? (blushing) I've been trying to figure it out for a while now. (grins)

 

[Sasha]

ummm, by the way Otis erm, are those like psychedelic titties in your avatar??? (blushing) I've been trying to figure it out for a while now. (grins)

I thought they were cocktail umbrellas but had been too embarrassed to ask (Otis's previous avatar had been a posh data representation method and I had thought it was a teatowel).

 

[Otis]

George, are doggie minds always in the gutter? (big grins)

I like Sasha's interpretation, and George has me looking at things in a new way.

There's really only one "cocktail umbrella" before I mirrored into a double image. It's actually from a photo where someone morphed an incredible stained glass window photo into that funnel shape. The original is pretty cool. I just wanted some color after the black and white BLAST results. So I guess I'm letting my freak flag fly after letting my geek flag fly.

So now, wasn't it better when your imaginations were running wild? Time for a new avatar?

 

[CBS]

ummm, by the way Otis erm, are those like psychedelic titties in your avatar??? (blushing) I've been trying to figure it out for a while now. (grins)

I wasn't embarrassed before but I am now! And I thought that I was too sick to be twisted.

 

[urbantravels]

As I'm fond of saying, usually after getting busted for expression of my inappropriate ideas...I'm sick, but not DEAD.

How about a nice out-with-the-trash Friday afternoon press release from the BWG letting us all know...something? Anything?

 

[Otis]

I've used that exact expression before urbaltravels.

Perhaps CBS is more sick or we're more twisted. The latter is more contagious. :mask:

Happy to keep everyone's imaginations going! What else do we have most of the time?

 

[Cort]

The meeting this week was mentioned at the CFSAC by Mr Mangan. The phase II portion of the BWG is finished this week and folks are meeting to discuss primers that work in detecting clinical virus. I've been on the edge of my seat all week waiting for the poop, er, scoop. But dag nabit ther hasn't been a peep!

By George, I think George has got it. The NHLBI person at the CFSAC meeting said by early Nov this info would be coming out and would be very important to the XMRV story. This fits in with Dr. LeGrices statement to me (three weeks!). Lipkin's study is supposed to used the Blood Working Groups findings to form the protocols for sample collection, storage (and contamination) ...

If CBS knows of missing personages my guess, based on the sphere in which he travels, is that thata could mean Dr. Montoya, Dr. Bateman and/or Dr. Singh

 

[alex3619]

As I'm fond of saying, usually after getting busted for expression of my inappropriate ideas...I'm sick, but not DEAD.

Hi urbantravels: but what about undead? Welcome to the Xombie Apocalypse! Everyone is invited. All we are waiting for is official acknowledgment.

Bye, Alex

 

[George]

ooohhh Xombi Apocalypse, I like it, it has a nice ring, and after invalidating my mornings I often feel like I've become one of the Xombies. (girns)

Hey Otis, I can't help it I'm short and gutters are kind of at my eye level. (hhhheeeeehhhehe, grins) Besides I like your er, em, thingies. They remind me of mom, need several more though.