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CROI! — XMRV showed up in spades in the first major Retrovirology conference of the year, CROI (Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections), occurring in Boston. The big news came from a study which suggested XMRV may have been inadvertently created in a Cleveland, Ohio lab between 1993 and 1996. That was a blow but the theory rests on a couple of studies that have not been replicated and none of the researchers who’ve found XMRV (including Dr. Mikovits, Dr. Silverman, Dr. Ruscetti) were represented at the Conference. They all remain steadfast in their findings and will undoubtedly address the issue in a more detailed fashion in the future.
For more on this fascinating conference check out “Comedown at CROI: XMRV at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections“
Ampligen — On a happier note, Kelvin is back with his continuing series of posts on Ampligen. As former readers will know Kelvin entered into his Ampligen trial at a low point and in rather desperate health and did very well on the drug. Now he reports that Hemispherx, Ampligen’s producer, is devoting more resources to the drug and enrolling more physicians in its treatment trials. This is good news for a drug that’s remained out of reach of the CFS community for over two decades.
Check it out in “Hope For Ampligen:Breaking News!“
CFS Hits the Big Time — CFS gets on the front page of the most important newspaper in the US. Yes, an article on CFS appeared on the front page of the Wall Street Journal yesterday and it’s hard to remember any time something like that happened. In it Amy Dockser Marcus examined the push and pull between a CFS community that’s eager for answers on XMRV and a rather slow moving research community. The article wasn’t an entirely positive (or negative) one for the CFS community but it did indicate that CFS is still big news to the media and kept us in the public eye.
Check out “Amid War on Mystery Disease Patients Clash With Scientists“
Coming up next time, a review of Dr. Montoya’s talk on CFS and pathogens at Stanford.
Cort Johnson
Phoenix Rising – A non-profit 501(c)(3) charitable organization dedicated to improving the lives of people with chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) and other neuroendocrineimmune disorders
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