The Hanson (Bell?) XMRV Study

[Cort]

Is this out? This is just the second grant this year from the NIH on XMRV and it looks like a good one. From the XMRV Buzz page

http://projectreporter.nih.gov/project_info_description.cfm?aid=7977530&icde=4320788

Moving at Lightning Speed NIH Funds XMRV Grant! *- Never count the NIH out with CFS. In one fell stroke the NIH doubled the number of grants its funded on XMRV this year with a grant to Rebecca Hanson at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. That's right, halfway through this year the NIH has managed to match its total of last year (2), before all the ruckus broke out.

The Bell Grant? - This is a good grant, though, that could have special implications for CFS. Dr. Hanson will be looking for XMRV in a cohort of individuals from rural New York who became ill in 1985 - it's hard to imagine that this is not Dr. Bell's pediatric cohort. It's a very nice study that will look at a number of hot topics; they'll do repeat exercise testing and look for changes in XMRV expression and protein production, pathogens, cytokines, nitric oxide, a growth factor and red blood cell changes. They'll also be looking for variants of the virus. As the author puts it: "We will investigate whether this retrovirus is both necessary and sufficient for the development of the illness, or whether additional pathogens are involved. We will determine whether the level of health and exercise intolerance in chronic fatigue syndrome is related to particular virus variants, expression of viral proteins, and/or dysfunction of the immune system." An important study, indeed!

CFS SEP sponsored - this study made it through the special panel for CFS (SEP) (a rarity) and was actually funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) - one of the big missing players in XMRV thus far. Its not a big grant as grants go - $270,000 - but it's quite and extensive project.* Its due to end May, 2012.

The WPI has yet to get a grant funded. As more grants work their way through the system we should see many more grants on XMRV and CFS from the NIAID.

 

[CBS]

Funding begins June 15, 2010 through May 31, 2012.

Assuming that most members of the New York cohort are infected with XMRV, we will amplify and sequence XMRV envelope genes derived from blood cells of 40 individuals who became ill as children in 1985. We will also sequence envelope genes from 80 subjects in the Nevada cohort known to exhibit a high degree of XMRV infection. We will examine phylogenetic relationships between the Nevada and New York XMRV variants and will observe whether any amino acid substitutions correlate with the current state of health of the subjects. We will also study the possible association of XMRV and XMRV protein expression in the phenomenon of exercise intolerance. We will examine XMRV-infected CFS patients before and after an exacerbation of symptoms caused by serial exercise testing. We will determine whether increases in inflammatory cytokines, a growth factor, and nitric oxide, or blood cell changes are correlated with the extent of reduced physical ability that can be measured during a second exercise test taken after induction of postexertional malaise. All of these experiments will be designed to assess whether particular XMRV sequences and expression levels play a role in the symptoms experienced by CFS patients and to detect possible underlying mechanisms of the disability that impairs their physical activity.

Wow, if I didn't know any better I'd say they sound fairly convinced that XMRV plays a role in CFS.

 

[Lynn]

Wow, if I didn't know any better I'd say they sound fairly convinced that XMRV plays a role in CFS.

I would agree. Wow, actual research. This so exciting!

Lynn

 

[Doogle]

Bell knows his way around. He was part of the 1991 HTLV II like retrovirus DeFreitas study with Cheney. http://www.pnas.org/content/88/7/2922.full.pdf

 

[usedtobeperkytina]

yes, it isn't whether it is in the rural New York patients, but they expect to find it there and then see how the virus acts and what it causes in these sick people.

And note, if NIH has a positive study in publication, then they have moved on, mentally, as well. As early as May 26, at least, they have known the high association. So, maybe even early May? So they are on to finding out how it acts, not whether it is in CFs patients.

This is a far cry from Strauss days. Is his picture hanging in the walls of NIH. Might want to take it down now.

Tina

 

[Ash]

And note, if NIH has a positive study in publication, then they have moved on, mentally, as well. As early as May 26, at least, they have known the high association. So, maybe even early May? So they are on to finding out how it acts, not whether it is in CFs patients.

Wow, would this imply that the NIH/FDA studies have nailed down how to test for XMRV?

Also "expression levels" - does that mean they have a valid measure of not just infected/not infected but also how infected?

Am I interpreting that right?

 

[Hope123]

This is good to hear, Cort! I know Dr. Bell's been looking for his pediatric patients to follow-up on over the last several months so this must mean he found a good number of them to re-test.

Just for some perspective on NIH funding, it varies for different departments but the funding rate on average is about 20% if I recall right so not knowing how how many CFS grants were submitted (perhaps this data is somewhere?) and the content of applications (much is confidential info), it's hard to gauge the WPI's statements entirely.

(Also didn't WPI get $1.6 mil last year already?)

 

[ixchelkali]

Great!

:victory::victory: Dr Bell's socks must have been knocked into the next county!

And let's send up a shout of thanks to those Lyndonville patients that have let themselves be poked, prodded and tested inside and out for years, and are still game to do it again. Hero patients putting themselves on the line for all of us.



This is great. They're already looking for answers to many of the questions we've been asking on this forum. Looking to see if it actually is causation, not just correlation. Checking for co-factors. Trying to figure out the mechanisms for how it makes us ill. Even looking into post-exertional malaise.

This is just the kind of research they should be doing. Should have done 25 years ago, for that matter.

Oooo, doggies, it's going to be a long couple of years waiting for results.

 

[Tembo]

This is fantastic!!! I hope there are many more to come.

 

[V99]

Yahooooooo. This is fantastic. Actual research into cause and effect!!!

Questions must now be raised regarding the funding of the WPI. Where is it?

 

[paddygirl]

Dr Bell

This might explain why Dr Bell cancelled his European tour.

I was really looking forward to him coming to Ireland, but it all makes sense now I hear about this study. No contest on which comes first.

How exciting for him to have reached this stage of his lifes work. and how exciting for all of us to have this in the hands of such dedicated and committed people. The snowball is gathering speed.:victory:

 

[Esther12]

Is there any actualy news of results, or are people just hoping for the best here?

This might explain why Dr Bell cancelled his European tour.

It could be he was planning to tour with positive results, and called it off when they came back negative... who knows?

 

[Doogle]

Funding begins June 15, 2010 through May 31, 2012.

Esther12, they don't have results yet. http://projectreporter.nih.gov/project_info_details.cfm?aid=7977530&icde=4320788

 

[Cort]

This is good to hear, Cort! I know Dr. Bell's been looking for his pediatric patients to follow-up on over the last several months so this must mean he found a good number of them to re-test.

Just for some perspective on NIH funding, it varies for different departments but the funding rate on average is about 20% if I recall right so not knowing how how many CFS grants were submitted (perhaps this data is somewhere?) and the content of applications (much is confidential info), it's hard to gauge the WPI's statements entirely.

(Also didn't WPI get $1.6 mil last year already?)

Yes the WPI got a major immune research grant for CFS as a result of the Obama stimulus package - they were the only ones to do so. Dr. Mikovits has said several times that their grants for XMRV have been rejected - why I don't know. Dr. Mikovits believes the NIAID - the natural funders for XMRV at the NIH - has turned its back on XMRV. I don't know if enough time has passed for researchers to get their grant requests done and reviewed. It could be that the new researchers grants are finally just showing up.

There's no data that I know of on # of submissions. You can do a FOIA for that; I did that a couple of years ago and found that the acceptance rate for new grants for CFS was 9%.

 

[dipic]

Is there any actualy news of results, or are people just hoping for the best here?



It could be he was planning to tour with positive results, and called it off when they came back negative... who knows?

I assume you're referring to the XMRV study he was planning awhile back. If so, expect results soon. :Retro wink:

 

[shannah]

Funding begins June 15, 2010 through May 31, 2012.

"Assuming that most members of the New York cohort are infected with XMRV, we will amplify and sequence XMRV envelope genes derived from blood cells of 40 individuals who became ill as children in 1985. We will also sequence envelope genes from 80 subjects in the Nevada cohort known to exhibit a high degree of XMRV infection. We will examine phylogenetic relationships between the Nevada and New York XMRV variants and will observe whether any amino acid substitutions correlate with the current state of health of the subjects. We will also study the possible association of XMRV and XMRV protein expression in the phenomenon of exercise intolerance. We will examine XMRV-infected CFS patients before and after an exacerbation of symptoms caused by serial exercise testing. We will determine whether increases in inflammatory cytokines, a growth factor, and nitric oxide, or blood cell changes are correlated with the extent of reduced physical ability that can be measured during a second exercise test taken after induction of postexertional malaise. All of these experiments will be designed to assess whether particular XMRV sequences and expression levels play a role in the symptoms experienced by CFS patients and to detect possible underlying mechanisms of the disability that impairs their physical activity. "

Can you clarify for me where this quote was taken from.

 

[Sam Carter]

It's from here, shannah: http://projectreporter.nih.gov/project_info_description.cfm?aid=7977530&icde=4320788

 

[grant107]

Is this going to take 2 years?

 

[Sam Carter]

Is this going to take 2 years?

I think so, Jean.

From: http://projectreporter.nih.gov/project_info_details.cfm?aid=7977530&icde=4320788

"""""""""""""""""""""""""
Project Start Date: 15-JUN-2010 Project End Date: 31-MAY-2012
"""""""""""""""""""""""""

 

[anciendaze]

Who got Lyndonville tissue samples?

When Elaine DeFreitas closed her laboratory in Miami, she transferred samples, including tissue samples from a patient who committed suicide, to P. Cheney and to R. Suhadolnik at Temple University, until she could find a research microbiologist she trusted with them. Does anyone know more about later custody of those samples?