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New UK research project info... Dr. Kate Bishop

voner

Senior Member
Messages
592
here is a post on a XMRV research project in the UK... Dr. Kate Bishop (heads a group under Dr Jonathan Stoye)

http://www.findaphd.com/search/showproject.asp?projectid=29601&searchtype=n&page=2

in this post it says:

We have already established PCR-based and serological tests for XMRV in the laboratory and are currently expanding our range of assays to include ELISA for high-throughput screening and viral culture assays. These assays will be used to study the prevalence of the virus in the general population, for example UK blood donors, and in patient groups of particular interest. We will use these epidemiological patterns to help examine possible routes of transmission of XMRV.


they go on to say:

We have shown that human restriction factors can inhibit XMRV and it has been suggested that it is also susceptible to RNase L. We will, therefore, analyse the effects of interferon treatment as well as other hormonal stimuli on XMRV infection. The mechanisms behind any enhancement or inhibition noted will be explored. We will compare XMRV replication to that of other exogenous and endogenous murine leukaemia viruses to determine general phenotypes and identify any characteristics unique to XMRV.

here's a link to Dr. Bishop's webpage:

http://www.nimr.mrc.ac.uk/research/kate-bishop/

these are the folks who couldn't find XMRV in their UK population tests of 299 patients...

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20156349

but looks like Dr. Bishop's group isn't giving up...

this is the group that also found:

We found that both human APOBEC3 and tetherin proteins are able to block XMRV replication.

(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20194752)

comments??
 

justy

Donate Advocate Demonstrate
Messages
5,524
Location
U.K
Any ideas how to get onto this study? i hope i have got this right and it is a proposed new study!
 

ukxmrv

Senior Member
Messages
4,413
Location
London
It was posted previously to other forums but may be the first posting here? It's the same site we found an earlier application for their previous project on.

Dr Bishop has yet to get approval for this. Probably a FOI is in to ask? Not sure as yet.
 

Enid

Senior Member
Messages
3,309
Location
UK
Wow University of St Andrews - UK at last - and working hopefully with all US research findings.
 

pictureofhealth

XMRV - L'Agent du Jour
Messages
534
Location
Europe
BSL3 - Biosafety Level 3

Adrian, from one of the UK XMRV forums, very astutely noticed the following biosafety recommendation for some of the work to be carried out on this new Dr Bishop XMRV research project - "BSL3".

He has given permission for his comment to be reposted in full on this thread:

"Biosafety level 3 -

This level is applicable to clinical, diagnostic, teaching, research, or production facilities in which work is done with indigenous or exotic agents which may cause serious or potentially lethal disease after inhalation.[7] It includes various bacteria, parasites and viruses that can cause severe to fatal disease in humans, but for which vaccines or other treatment exist, such as Leishmania donovani, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Bacillus anthracis, West Nile virus, Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus, Eastern equine encephalitis virus, Hendra virus, SARS coronavirus, Salmonella typhi, Coxiella burnetii, Rift Valley fever virus, Rickettsia rickettsii, and yellow fever virus.

Laboratory personnel have specific training in handling pathogenic and potentially lethal agents, and are supervised by competent scientists who are experienced in working with these agents. This is considered a neutral or warm zone.

All procedures involving the manipulation of infectious materials are conducted within biological safety cabinets, specially designed hoods, or other physical containment devices, or by personnel wearing appropriate personal protective clothing and equipment. The laboratory has special engineering and design features.

It is recognized, however, that some existing facilities may not have all the facility features recommended for Biosafety Level 3 (i.e., double-door access zone and sealed penetrations). In this circumstance, an acceptable level of safety for the conduct of routine procedures, (e.g., diagnostic procedures involving the propagation of an agent for identification, typing, susceptibility testing, etc.), may be achieved in a biosafety level 2 (P2) facility, providing
the filtered exhaust air from the laboratory room is discharged to the outdoors,
the ventilation to the laboratory is balanced to provide directional airflow into the room,
access to the laboratory is restricted when work is in progress, and
the recommended Standard Microbiological Practices, Special Practices, and Safety Equipment for Biosafety Level 3 are rigorously followed.

The decision to implement this modification of biosafety level 3 recommendations is made only by the laboratory director."
 

ukxmrv

Senior Member
Messages
4,413
Location
London
Cort,

Do you mind if I ask where this information came from?

(She was very helpful to Dr. Mikovits understanding of XMRV)
 

Marco

Grrrrrrr!
Messages
2,386
Location
Near Cognac, France
"Biosafety level 3 -

This level is applicable to clinical, diagnostic, teaching, research, or production facilities in which work is done with indigenous or exotic agents which may cause serious or potentially lethal disease after inhalation.[7] It includes various bacteria, parasites and viruses that can cause severe to fatal disease in humans, but for which vaccines or other treatment exist, such as Leishmania donovani, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Bacillus anthracis, West Nile virus, Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus, Eastern equine encephalitis virus, Hendra virus, SARS coronavirus, Salmonella typhi, Coxiella burnetii, Rift Valley fever virus, Rickettsia rickettsii, and yellow fever virus."

I wonder if this is just a matter of phrasing or whether Biosafety level 3 only applies to those pathogens "for which vaccines or other treatments exist"

If so, I'm assuming that other treatments for XMRV doesn't include CBT and GET.
 

pictureofhealth

XMRV - L'Agent du Jour
Messages
534
Location
Europe
Just to clarify - the content in my post #8 above is from a poster on an UK ME/CFS forum (Adrian), who spotted the BSL3 notice. The main body of the post above is his description for us of what a BSL3 notice is.
It was not written by Dr Bishop's team or the PhD website or the lab director.
 

Cort

Phoenix Rising Founder
Cort,

Do you mind if I ask where this information came from?

(She was very helpful to Dr. Mikovits understanding of XMRV)

Dr. Mikovits herself - Dr. Bishops finding that the APOBEC3 enzyme in PBMC's in the blood was altering the genetic sequence of XMRV relative to the prostate cancer clones researchers were mostly using to search for the virus, she felt could explain the disparate results and helped her better search for the virus in the blood.
 

Cort

Phoenix Rising Founder
here is a post on a XMRV research project in the UK... Dr. Kate Bishop (heads a group under Dr Jonathan Stoye)

http://www.findaphd.com/search/showproject.asp?projectid=29601&searchtype=n&page=2

in this post it says:

We have already established PCR-based and serological tests for XMRV in the laboratory and are currently expanding our range of assays to include ELISA for high-throughput screening and viral culture assays. These assays will be used to study the prevalence of the virus in the general population, for example UK blood donors, and in patient groups of particular interest. We will use these epidemiological patterns to help examine possible routes of transmission of XMRV.


they go on to say:

We have shown that human restriction factors can inhibit XMRV and it has been suggested that it is also susceptible to RNase L. We will, therefore, analyse the effects of interferon treatment as well as other hormonal stimuli on XMRV infection. The mechanisms behind any enhancement or inhibition noted will be explored. We will compare XMRV replication to that of other exogenous and endogenous murine leukaemia viruses to determine general phenotypes and identify any characteristics unique to XMRV.

here's a link to Dr. Bishop's webpage:

http://www.nimr.mrc.ac.uk/research/kate-bishop/

these are the folks who couldn't find XMRV in their UK population tests of 299 patients...

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20156349

but looks like Dr. Bishop's group isn't giving up...

this is the group that also found:

We found that both human APOBEC3 and tetherin proteins are able to block XMRV replication.

(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20194752)

comments??

I don't think there's any doubt that XMRV is a real virus and that researchers will continue to work on it no matter what happens with CFS. THey know it can infect both primates and humans - so it is of concern - and it is the third, I think, human infectious retrovirus - so it will get work. The big question for us, of course, is will they continue to be able to find it in CFS?I don't know if she's doing any more CFS studies or not - if she is that would be a very good sign because she's obviously avery accomplished researcher who works with XMRV; her one study unfortunately did not find it.
 

Countrygirl

Senior Member
Messages
5,428
Location
UK
These assays will be used to study the prevalence of the virus in the general population, for example UK blood donors, and in patient groups of particular interest. We will use these epidemiological patterns to help examine possible routes of transmission of XMRV.

The Department of Health has told us in the UK that 540 blood donors have been tested for XMRV, and the finding was again zero. No XMRV found at all. We haven't been told who was responsible for the study, but I am wondering if it was Bishop and Stoyle. Does anyone know more?

Thanks


C.G.
 

maryb

iherb code TAK122
Messages
3,602
Location
UK
Is that the result of one study? If you add Stoye and Bishops study numbers to the MaClure &Wessley one that gets you nearer to 500.
 

pictureofhealth

XMRV - L'Agent du Jour
Messages
534
Location
Europe
Is that the result of one study? If you add Stoye and Bishops study numbers to the MaClure &Wessley one that gets you nearer to 500.

Exactly what I was wondering maryb. Are the DoH referring to a new large UK study, or are they simply totalling the number of samples from the negative studies we already know about?
Perhaps Dr Shepherd would know?
 

Countrygirl

Senior Member
Messages
5,428
Location
UK
Exactly what I was wondering maryb. Are the DoH referring to a new large UK study, or are they simply totalling the number of samples from the negative studies we already know about?
Perhaps Dr Shepherd would know?

Here is the information, as stated by Anne Milton, Under-secretary of State for Health

The Advisory Committee on the Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs (SaBTO), on the basis of current evidence does not recommend further measures at present but wishes to continue to monitor the situation. The NHS Blood and Transplant and Health Protection Agency study group concur with the views expressed both by NEPNEI and SaBTO but also recognise the need for further research on the prevalence of XMRV in the United Kingdom. In a recent unpublished pilot study conducted by the group a series of 540 randomly selected English blood donors were screened for XMRV and none were found to be infected.

C.G.
 

pictureofhealth

XMRV - L'Agent du Jour
Messages
534
Location
Europe
Thanks CG. I sure would like to know the names of the researchers in this 'group', what methods they used and where/when the study was conducted. I wonder if Dr Shepherd, or Dr Mikovits know about this?