Monday, December 27, 2010

Another retrovirus discovered at University of Alberta - Same controversy as XMRV

In the last year, there has been no shortage of controversy regarding the association of CFS with XMRV and related retroviruses.  For several years, Dr. Andrew Mason at the University of Alberta has been studying the association between Primary Biliary Sclerosis, and a Betaretrovirus bearing a close resemblance to Murine Mammary Tumor virus.  Much like the CFS studies, the research has been plagued by negative studies.  Like the study at Whittemore Peterson Institute, the virus was visualized using electron microscopy.  Like in CFS, negative studies have hampered the progress of research.

3 comments:

  1. Fascinating. Dr. Ila Singh recently filed patents for XMRV tests for breast cancer. She found a 25% prevalence rate.
    Happy new year.

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  2. Hi Dr. Luckett. I believe it should be Primary Biliary Cirrhosis, not Sclerosis. http://www.pnas.org/content/100/14/8454.full.pdf+html

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  3. Oh, and of course the newly formed Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology, with its $80 million in new funding, is there, too. They're running the XMRV studies with patients and controls from ME/CFS doc Eleanor Stein. Patients were selected in September and it's been quiet ever since.

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