alex3619
Senior Member
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- 13,810
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- Logan, Queensland, Australia
Hi, there is a presumption inherent in the claim "can find the pathogen". The presumption is that ME is caused by a pathogen rather than triggered by a pathogen. It could still be a form of immune dysregulation that multiple pathogens can induce. It would be easier in some ways if one pathogen were the cause, and we will know soon if XMRV is a candidate for that. So there is a large risk factor in spending a million or more dollars to search for a pathogen. If they find one, great, our knowledge gets a big boost. If they miss one that is there, it will slow down further search for many years. If there is no such pathogen, and all they find is many different pathogens in a random mix, then this would indicate that ME is a triggered immune dysregulation.
Since there are a range of outcomes, with uncertain risk, getting funding could be a problem. To me its a no-brainer - whats a million against the hundred billion or so ME is probably costing the world every year? However, funding agencies on tight budgets will necessarily think differently to me. They have short term goals and accounting cycles. It will take a statesman in a government or a government agency to push this, and so far nobody has stepped up to back ME research with enough influence to make things happen - not anywhere. (But I do not know enough about the history of the Japanese research.)
Bye
Alex
Since there are a range of outcomes, with uncertain risk, getting funding could be a problem. To me its a no-brainer - whats a million against the hundred billion or so ME is probably costing the world every year? However, funding agencies on tight budgets will necessarily think differently to me. They have short term goals and accounting cycles. It will take a statesman in a government or a government agency to push this, and so far nobody has stepped up to back ME research with enough influence to make things happen - not anywhere. (But I do not know enough about the history of the Japanese research.)
Bye
Alex