• Whittemore Peterson Institute
• News articles, Resources and XMRV Related Information
• Journal articles
• Research projects

In October 2009, the Whittemore Peterson Institute for Neuro Immune Disease announced that through their research, the retrovirus XMRV is present in greater than 95% of the more than 200 ME/CFS, Fibromylagia, atypical MS patients tested (http://wpinstitute.org/xmrv/index.html).

In January 2009, ME/CFS Australia (Victoria) confirmed with VIP Dx (Viral Immune Pathology, USA) that their test for XMRV is not yet available to Australians, only to those in the US and Canada. Marguerite Ross, Director of VIP Dx, noted that "the time and temperature changes from Australia may render the sample unsuitable for analysis. We need the sample within 24 hours for proper analysis."

Details on the US test are available here.

Information, articles and discussion related to ME/CFS and XMRV are available on the Dicussion Board on our Facebook page.

Whittemore Peterson Institute

The Whittemore Peterson Institute for Neuro Immune Disease exists to bring discovery, knowledge, and effective treatments to patients with illnesses that are caused by acquired dysregulation of both the immune system and the nervous system. Visit their website to keep up to date with the latest research findings regarding XMRV studies and replication studies: WPI home page; current news; and XMRV updates.

Resources from the Whittemore Peterson Institute:

• Questions and Answer Session with Dr. Judy Mikovits, Principal Investigator, Whittemore-Peterson Institute, from IACFSME Newsletter, vol. 3, iss. 1, April 2010.
• XMRV and ME/CFS Fact Sheet, posted 5th February 2010.
• Common questions and answers regarding ME/CFS and XMRV, posted 15th February 2010.
• A video presentation by Dr. Judy Mikovits on XMRV, posted on Prohealth on the 27th of January 2010.

News Articles, Resources and XMRV Related Information

August 2010

Macey, J (2010) 'PM - Mouse virus found in chronic fatigue syndrome', ABC PM Program (radio), 24th August 2010. Transcript available.

Fox, Maggie (2010) 'New mouse virus linked to chronic fatigue syndrome', ABC Science website, 24th August 2010.

1st International Workshop on XMRV, final workshop program, August 2010.

Powers, L (2010) 'Findings by Reno scientists confirmed by US government', RGJ.com, 16th August 2010.

SolveCFS: XMRV and Blood Safety, video presentation by Louis M. Katz MD. Posted 16th August 2010.

CFIDS Association of America Webinar: XMRV and Blood Safety, presentation by Louis M. Katz MD, Friday 13th August 4am (AEST). Click here to register.

Erwine, Dan (2010) 'Chronic fatigue [syndrome]: Dan Erwine looks at research into the causes of chronic fatigue syndrome being conducted in Reno by the Whittemore-Peterson Institute', KUNR FM, Nevada Newsline Program, broadcast 6/8/2010.

July 2010

Tsouderos, Trine (2010) 'Push and pull over chronic fatigue syndrome', Hartford Courant, accessed 29/7/10.

Dockser Marcus, A (2010) 'FDA Advisory Committee to hear about XMRV working group's research, Wall Street Journal: Blogs, accessed 27/7/10.

Virology Education (2010) 'Program for the first international workshop on XMRV' accessed 27th July 2010.

Tuller, David (2010) 'Delay in release of study on chronic fatigue syndrome prompts and outcry', New York Times, 14th July, accessed 15/7/10 from the ME Assocation (UK).

Johnson, Cort (2010)'A different kind of XMRV', Dr. Mikovits and Dr. Racaniello on XMRV, Phoenix Rising, 11th July, accessed 15/7/10.

Connor, Steve (2010) 'Study that 'solves' chronic fatigue syndrome blocked', The Independent (UK), 9th July, accessed 15/7/10.

Johnson, Cort (2010) 'The CDC XMRV study: How not to find XMRV', Phoenix Rising, 2nd July 2010, accessed 15/7/10.

June 2010

[News] (2010) 'Original Press Release from the Netherlands: FDA and NIH confirm 'XMRV findings'', Newswire, 22nd June, accessed 15/7/10.

Enserink, Martin (2010) 'Blood banks urged to discourage chronic fatigue syndrome patients from giving blood', Science Insider Website, 21st June 2010, accessed 28/6/10.

Norgen Biotech Corp (CAN) Urine-Based XMRV RT-PCR Detection Kit, 18th June 2010, accessed 20/6/10. Please note: This is not an ensdorsement nor recommendation for this product; this section on XMRV is merely a complication of latest information regarding XMRV related information.

[News] (2010) 'XMRV testing may be available across Eurpoe in 30 days', Viral Immune Pathology Dx clinical testing laboratory website, 1st June 2010, accessed 8/6/10.

May 2010

Alter, Harvey (2010) Slides: Classification of infectious threats to blood safety, from the presentation 'Surveillance and screening of blood borne pathogens', IPFA/PEI 17th Workshop, Regent Esplanade Hotel, Zagreb, Croatia, 26th-27th May 2010. Slides 9 and 10 have specific information on ME/CFS. Other conference slides are available here.

Johnson, Cort (2010) 'Dr. Coffin on XMRV', Bringing the heat: An ME/CFS blog, 21st May 2010, accessed 30/5/10.

Virology Education Organising Committee (2010) 'First international workshop on XMRV', Virology Education, 17th May 2010, accessed 20/5/10.

Mikovits, Judy (2010) Letter to the editor: 'The precise methods used when XMRV was amplified from the patient samples', IACFSME Spring Bulletin 2010, 17th May, accessed 21/5/10.

[News] (2010) 'XMRV: A Virus in Search of a Disease or A Novel Virus that Causes Prostate Cancer and/or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?' National Collaborating Centre for Infectious Diseases Website (CAN), May 2010, accessed 27/5/10.

April 2010

Ruschetti, F et al (2010) 'Repeated Detection of Infectious Xenotropic Murine Virus-Related Virus (XMRV) in Human Neoplasia and Neuroimmune Diseases (listed as 'Pathogenic Consequences of Xenotropic Murine Virus-related Virus (XMRV) Expression in the Development of Chronic Diseases', from the Program Book: 12th International Conference On Malignancies In AIDS And Other Acquired Immunodeficiencies (ICMAOI) April 26-27, 2010, NIH Main Campus, National Cancer Institute, p. 33.

Swan, Norman (2010) 'Virus linked to prostate cancer and chronic fatigue syndrome', ABC Health Report, 12th April 2010, accessed 13/4/10.

Canwest News Service (2010) ''Canada to ban chronic-fatigue blood', National Post, 8th April 2010, accessed 10/4/10.

Canwest News Service (2010) 'Canada bans blood donation from people with chronic fatigue', The Gazette, 7th April 2010, accessed 10/4/10.

Spencer, Christina (2010) 'Chronic fatigue suffers can't give blood', Toronto Sun, 7th April 2010, accessed 10/4/10.

[News] (2010) 'No blood from chronic fatigue donors: Agency', CBC News (CAN), 7th April 2010, accessed 12/4/10.

Kane, Sarah (2010) 'New investigation supports correlation between XMRV and prostate cancer', EurekAlert, 5th April 2010, accessed 11/4/10.

Maugh, Thomas H (2010) 'HIV drugs combat virus that might be linked to prostate cancer and chronic fatigue', Los Angeles Times (USA), 5th April 2010, accessed 10/4/10.

[News] (2010) 'Potential risk to blood supply probed, Wall Street Journal (USA), 4th April 2010, accessed 6/4/10.

Goff, Steven (2010) Radio interview: XMRV with Professor Stephen Goff, from TWiV76. Audio of the origin of the retrovirus XMRV and its association with prostate cancer and chronic fatigue syndrome, 4th April 2010, accessed 13/4/10.

March 2010

Cleveland Clinic (2010) Video: XMRV discovery, 9th March 2010, accessed 15/7/10.

Vernon, Suzanne D (2010) 'Playing a weak hand well', CFIDS Association of America, 1st March 2010, accessed 9/3/2010.

February 2010

Vernon, Suzanne D (2010) 'Second XMRV negative study: Still in search of a proper and robust replication study', CFIDS Association of America, 23rd February 2010, accessed 23/2/2010.

US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (2010) Questions and answers about XMRV, CDCP Website, 23rd February 2010, accessed 4/3/2010.

Phend, Crystal (2010) 'CROI: Secrets of novel retrovirus unfolding', MedPage Today, 21st February 2010, accessed 12/3/10.

Kean, Sam (2010) 'New challenge to chronic fatigue 'virus'', ScienceNow Journal, 16th February 2010, accessed 24/2/2010.

Invest in ME (2010) 'XMRV research - Look to the end', February Newsletter, 18 February 2010, accessed 10/3/2010.

[News] (2010) 'Further doubt cast on virus link to chronic fatigue syndrome, ScienceDaily, 16th February 2010, accessed 23/2/2010.

January 2010

Mikovits, Judy (2010) Seminar transcript with slides (19mb file), XMRV Seminar, 22 January 2010, accessed 24/2/10.

Klimas, Nancy (2010) 'Fibromyalgia, HIV and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome', Consults: Blogs, The New York Times Online, 21st January 2010, accessed 26/1/2010.

Tate, Prof. Warren (2010) 'Chronic Fatigue Syndrome:XMRV as a potential cause of chronic fatigue syndrome', Co-Cure.Org, 21st January 2010, accessed 24/1/10.

Powers, Lenita (2010) 'Reno researchers dispute British challenge to virus discovery', RGJ.Com Website, 13th January 2010, accessed 19/1/10.

Connor, Steve (2010) 'Scientists claim to have found the cause of ME is 'premature', The Independent, 6th January 2010, accessed 10/1/10.

November 2009

Klimas, Nancy (2009) 'Video: XMRV CFS/ME and You',  CFS Knowledge Centre, November 2009.

October 2009

ABC News (US) (2009) 'Video: Does a virus cause Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?' (5.34 mins), 19th October 2009, accessed 2/1/10.

Renee Montagne (2009) NPR Morning Edition: 'Radio interview: Dr. Dan Peterson' (4.34 mins) (transcript also available), 9th October 2009, accessed 2/1/2010.

Cleveland Clinic (2009) 'Research Shows a Potential Retroviral Link Between XMRV and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome' Cleveland Clinic Website, 8th October 2009, accessed 10/12/09.

Hamilton, J (2009) NPR All Things Considered: 'Radio interview: Dr. Milkovits and Annette Whittemore' (3.37 mins) 8th October 2009, accessed 2/1/2010.

National Institutes of Health (USA) (2009) Press release: 'Consortium of Researchers Discover Retroviral Link to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome', 8th October 2009, accessed 2/1/2010.

Journal Articles

Qiu, X et al (2010) 'Characterization of antibodies elicited by XMRV infection and development of immunoassays useful for epidemiologic studies', Retrovirology, vol. 7, no. 68 [Full Article, August 17].

Mikovits, J et al (2010) 'Detection of an infectious retrovirus, XMRV, in blood cells of patients
with chronic fatigue syndrome', Virulence, vol. 1, no. 5 [Full Article, September/October 2010].

Stieler, K et al (2010) 'Apobec 3G efficiently reduces infectivity of the human exogenous gammaretrovirus XMRV' Plos One,  vol. 5, no. 7 [Abstract, July 23].

Crowhurst, G (2010) 'XMRV: Does this virus hold the key to myalgic encephalomyelitis?', Internurse Journal, vol. 19, no. 14', pp. 919-922 [Abstract, July 21].

Carter, C (2010) 'Proteins of the XMRV retrovirus implicated in chronic fatigue syndrome and prostate cancer are homologous to human proteins relevant to both diseases', Nature Precedings, [Abstract, July 15].

Switzer, W et al (2010) 'Absence of evidence of Xenotropic Murine Leukemia Virus-related virus
infection in persons with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and healthy controls in the United States', Retrovirology, vol. 7, no. 57 [Full Article, July 1].

Weyenburgh, J (2010) 'A third Pathogenic and Lymphotropic Human Retrovirus', AIDS Review, vol. 12, p. 121-123 [Full Article].

Lloyd, A et al (2010) 'Comment on "Detection of an Infectious Retrovirus, XMRV, in Blood Cells of Patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome"', Science, vol. 328, no. 5980, pp. 825.

Arnold, R et al (2010) 'XMRV Infection in Patients With Prostate Cancer: Novel Serologic Assay and Correlation With PCR and FISH', Urology, vol. 75, no. 4, pp. 755-761 [Abstract, April 2010].

Lombardi, et al (2009) 'Detection of an Infectious Retrovirus, XMRV, in Blood Cells of Patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Science, vol. 326, no. 5952, pp. 585-589 [Full Article].

Research Projects

Hanson, Maureen Rebecca (2010) 'The relationship of XMRV to functional status and co-infections in chronic fatigue syndrome', Cornell University Ithaca.

We plan to learn more about the association of XMRV and other pathogens with CFS by examining an outbreak cohort not previously screened for the presence of XMRV. We will determine whether the presence of XMRV and/or other pathogens is related to the current state of health of individuals who became ill during a 1985 outbreak in rural New York.

Invest in ME (2010) 'Funding biomedical research into ME'.

Two charities are joining forces to fund research into ME/CFS. ME Solutions and Invest in ME are working together to maximise the opportunities to fund research into ME/CFS. The research project is 'The role of XMRV in modulation of NK cell cytotoxicity and NK cell gene abnormalities in ME/CFS patients and normal blood donors'.

ME Research UK (2010) 'Independent confirmation of the relationship between XMRV and ME/CFS in Sweden'.

This investigation is one attempt to answer the question regarding replication of results for XMRV in other geographical areas, ie, to establish whether XMRV nucleic acid can be found in peripheral blood mononuclear cells, plasma and serum of Swedish patients and controls.