Quantitative Assays for Xenotropic Murine Leukemia Virus-Related Virus

[Bob]

Quantitative Assays for Xenotropic Murine Leukemia Virus-Related Virus

Sato E, Yoshikawa R, Miyazawa T.

Laboratory of Signal Transduction, Department of Cell Biology, Institute for Virus Research, Kyoto University.

J Vet Med Sci

2011 Sep 30

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21959892

Abstract

Xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus (XMRV), a novel gammaretrovirus in humans, was found in patients with prostate cancer (PC) and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). However, there has been controversy whether XMRV is directly associated with human diseases. In this study, we developed a LacZ marker rescue assay using human embryonic kidney 293T cells and a focus assay using a feline fibroblastic sarcoma-positive leukemia-negative QN10S cells. XMRV induced prominent foci in QN10S cells and the viral titer determined by the focus assay was as high as that by the LacZ marker rescue assay. Because the focus assay is simple and sensitive, it will be useful for monitoring infectious XMRVs in CFS and PC patients and virological studies for XMRV.

 

[Enid]

What is going here Bob for non scientists - XMRV in one moment and out the next - also confusingly referred to as part of the family of HGRVs. Is this as important as it looks ? (interesting connection with PC of which my old Dad with no other family member passed away).

 

[Bob]

I don't understand this abstract either Enid.
I've only read the abstract, and it looks like they are working on a sensitive XMRV assay.
But I don't understand why kidney cells or feline cells are involved.
When the full paper is available, then it might make more sense!

 

[Enid]

Thanks Bob - just have wait and see the import of this.

 

[Purple]

But I don't understand why kidney cells or feline cells are involved.
When the full paper is available, then it might make more sense!

It looks like the paper will be published in the Journal of Veterinary Medicine Science / The Japanese Society of Veterinary Science... hopefully it will make more sense later.

 

[Jemal]

This is the entire publication I think?
http://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jvms/advpub/0/1109270638/_pdf

 

[Esther12]

Didn't Sato also do one of the negative XMRV/CFS studies? I wonder if they've tried this new testing method on humans yet?

 

[ukxmrv]

T Miyazawa was co-author of this poster at a conference a while back.


5/300(1.7%) of healthy Japanese blood donors positive for antibodies to
XMRV 'The Prevalence of Xenotropic Murine Leukemia Virus-related Virus in Healthy Blood Donors in Japan'.

Furuta RA, Miyazawa T, Sugiyama T, Kimura T, Hirayama F, et al.

Cold Spring Harbor Retrovirus Symposium 2009

 

[Lee]

They have created a tool. They have developed assays that can be used to detect virus if it exists.

They have not detected virus in humans.

They say this assay "will be useful for monitoring infectious XMRVs in CFS and PC patients and virological studies for XMRV." That is only true if there are "infectious XMRVs" to detect.