Cort
Phoenix Rising Founder
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The National CFIDS Association's latest funded research is a doozy. You have to say one thing about the organization - they are looking in corners no one else is looking and they do have the strength of their convictions. They did this before with ciguatoxin and it worked out - partially. They found that chronic fatigue syndrome patients had very high levels of the epitope but cancer and other patients had high levels as well: it was definitely not a marker for ME/CFS. Still even if it wasn't specific to this disease they may have stumbled onto an important inflammatory marker and it translated into an NIH grant.
Now they're funding basic research into processes involved in acute myeloid leukemia and a disorder called myelodysplasia. Myelodysplasia is a bone marrow stem cell disorder that often results in anemia and low blood cell production. People who get it have a good chance of coming down with leukemia (but not ME/CFS?). It effects slightly more men than women and causes these symptoms:
One would think the low blood volume problems would fit in here.
The elastase connection is what's really intriguing to the NCF. They're funding research to determine just how strong that connection is. Elastase has lost a little of its bloom lately. As I remember it did not appear to play a role in the postexertional problems in ME/CFS in one study but it's still a possible factor that's for sure and other studies suggest it could be a factor. This is basic, basic research - no CFS (or any other) patients are involved. this is the kind of research you do when you're sure that you've identified a fundamental factor in this disease. Is elastase that factor? Only time will tell.
The NCF is so convinced that the processes that lead to AML are also present in ME/CFS that they're funding research on botanicals that may help inhibit AML. They're out on the skinny branches that's for sure. They have found some markers that apparently suggest both diseases have something in common. Intriguing stuff!
http://www.ncf-net.org/forum/2009spring1.htm
Now they're funding basic research into processes involved in acute myeloid leukemia and a disorder called myelodysplasia. Myelodysplasia is a bone marrow stem cell disorder that often results in anemia and low blood cell production. People who get it have a good chance of coming down with leukemia (but not ME/CFS?). It effects slightly more men than women and causes these symptoms:
- Anemia—chronic tiredness, shortness of breath, chilled sensation, sometimes chest pain
- Neutropenia (low neutrophil count) —increased susceptibility to infection
- Thrombocytopenia (low platelet count) —increased susceptibility to bleeding and ecchymosis (bruising), as well as subcutaneous hemorrhaging resulting in purpura or petechia[2]
One would think the low blood volume problems would fit in here.
This new research brings the total to $255,000 awarded to researchers in just the last four months. The latest research grant recipient was awarded to Tsvee Lapidot, Ph.D., Professor of immunology at the Weizmann institute of Science in Israel. Dr. Lapidot has an extensive background in AML.
The elastase connection is what's really intriguing to the NCF. They're funding research to determine just how strong that connection is. Elastase has lost a little of its bloom lately. As I remember it did not appear to play a role in the postexertional problems in ME/CFS in one study but it's still a possible factor that's for sure and other studies suggest it could be a factor. This is basic, basic research - no CFS (or any other) patients are involved. this is the kind of research you do when you're sure that you've identified a fundamental factor in this disease. Is elastase that factor? Only time will tell.
This research is important to the Foundation because of the key role of elastase in the CFIDS/ME process. Since elastase plays a critical role in myeloid lineage development Dr. Lapidot will be using several compounds to explore their mechanistic action applicable to both myelodysplasia and AML utilizing in-vitro assays as well as a functional pre-clinical mouse model. Dr. Lapidot's research is titled "Involvement of elastase and SDF-1/CXCR4 axis in regulation of motility and development of human AML initiating cells."
The NCF is so convinced that the processes that lead to AML are also present in ME/CFS that they're funding research on botanicals that may help inhibit AML. They're out on the skinny branches that's for sure. They have found some markers that apparently suggest both diseases have something in common. Intriguing stuff!
Ongoing research is being performed by Hany El-Shemy, Ph.D., Professor of Biochemistry at Cairo University in Egypt as already announced. Dr. El-Shemy will be evaluating numerous compounds in-vitro against acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cell lines using markers found by the NCF in patients diagnosed with CFIDS/ME whom had participated in previous studies. His interests include the use of plant-based hotanicals for the eradication of AML. This research is important to the Foundation in light of patient results obtained from specialized flow cytometry and cytogenetics testing to establish the markers. The use of botanicals represents a novel approach towards the treatment of myelodysplastic cells that are progressing towards AML development. Early hints regarding potential treatment implications for long-term CFIDS/ME patients may result from this research.
Dr. El-Shemy did his postdoctoral fellowship in leukemia with Professor Kounosuke Fujita at Hiroshima University in Japan.Dr. El-Shemy's research is titled "Production of natural biological active formulas as anti-carcinogenic AML drugs.
http://www.ncf-net.org/forum/2009spring1.htm