Re: [CFS-L] Letter from OFFER (re: XMRV research)
Tom Kindlon
other conference videos available on their website). With Paypal there is a
little box, "special instructions" and one can specific one wants to give it
to the XMRV research if you want.
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Tom Kindlon
>Sent: 16 December 2009 19:30
>To: 'cf...@listserv.icors.org'
>Subject: FW: Letter from OFFER (re: XMRV research)
>
>[I am not associated with OFFER but they have thanked me before for
>forwarding their e-newsletter to list. It's possibly best to
>say what the
>money is for, if donating for XMRV research, which can usually
>be done when
>paying through PayPal or else E-mail them after you donate. Tom]
>
>
>
> OFFER
><https://app.icontact.com/icp/loadimage.php/mogile/35474/c615b4
>3410024905cb8
>a64be4b6cbff3/image/gif>
>
>
>
> Organization for Fatigue and Fibromyalgia Education and Research
>
>
> December 2009
>
> Dear member of OFFER community:
>
> Imagine your life better because of new FMS &
>CFS research!
>Then imagine significant research taking place here in Utah. Prime time
>television ads have acquainted most households and thousands of medical
>providers with FMS as a painful neurological disorder, yet
>only a handful of
>on-going research projects throughout the U.S. have been
>searching for the
>cause(s) of CFS----until now.
>
> The biggest CFS news is the discovery of XMRV(xenotropic
>murine leukemia virus-related virus), found to be highly
>associated with CFS
>in a study published in the October 23rd issue of Science
>Magazine. This
>retrovirus was found in the blood of the large majority of CFS
>patients in
>this study compared to low levels in the general population.
>Now we need to
>know more.
>
> OFFER applauds this breaking research but recognizes the
>imperative for more answers. OFFER would like your help in moving this
>science forward quickly. A leading XMRV scientist, Dr. Ila
>Singh, is here on
>the faculty of the University of Utah. Our own Dr. Lucinda Bateman, an
>experienced clinician and recognized expert on CFS, would like
>to harness
>the scientific genius of Drs. Alan and Kathy Light, recruit
>the local CFS
>patient population as volunteers and combine resources with
>Dr. Singh to
>study XMRV in CFS right now!
>
> In addition, the CDC will be conducting XMRV
>studies. They
>have asked Dr. Bateman and select clinicians around the
>country to obtain
>blood samples from their local CFS patients. Beyond the costs
>of actual
>laboratory research are the expenses of identifying and
>contacting patients,
>obtaining Informed Consent, collecting, storing and shipping
>samples. So,
>while exciting, it is extremely expensive.
>
> We need your help now more than ever before.
>The "R" in the
>OFFER name is for Research. OFFER needs your help now to
>accelerate this
>ground-breaking research opportunity. Finding the cause(s) of
>CFS and FMS
>will lead to more effective treatment, a possible cure and prevention.
>
> OFFER has set a goal of raising $50,000 for
>research. We are
>reaching out to you, the CFS/FMS community and the public at
>large, for help
>to fund immediately-relevant, promising local research. We
>cannot emphasize
>enough the importance of acting now. We are closer than we
>have ever been to
>understanding these debilitating illnesses. Please help with your
>tax-deductible gift. There is a link at the bottom of the page
>that will
>allow you to make a contribution through PayPal, using your
>credit or debit
>card or your check. Or, you can also donate on-line by visiting
>www.OFFERUtah.org and using Pay Pal .
>
> Watch our OFFER E-NEWS monthly newsletter for
>the date and
>venue for our Spring 2010 Conferences for providers and patients.
>Presentations will include XMRV research updates. Visit
>OFFERUtah.org to
>sign up for the OFFER E-NEWS, to view past conference
>speakers, and much
>more. Stay connected. Stay hopeful.
>
> Sincerely, OFFER Board of Directors
>
> OFFER: 1002 E. South Temple, Suite 408. Salt
>Lake City, UT
>84102. Phone: (801) 328-8080. Fax: (801) 359-7404
>
> Board of Directors: Lucinda Bateman MD, Stuart Drescher PhD, Ted
>Kaly BSEE RR, Loren Lambert JD, Linda Milne, Paul Shepherd M
>Ed, N. Lee
>Smith MD, Scott Stevens Webmaster. OFFER is a 501(c)(3) non-profit
>organization
>
> Paypal - the safer way to pay online!
>
> PayPal - The safer, easier way to pay online!
><https://www.paypal.com/en_US/i/scr/pixel.gif>
>[Tom: there is a hotlink here but not sure if link will be
>different each
>time so use the one on the OFFER site:
>http://www.offerutah.org/donations.htm ]
>
>
> This message was sent from OFFER UTAH to
>xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx. It was sent from: OFFER (Organization for
>Fatigue &
>Fibromyalgia Education and Research, 1002 E South Temple Ste
>408, Salt Lake
>City, UT 84102. You can modify/update your subscription via
>the link below.
>Email Marketing by <http://www.icontact.com/a.pl/144186>
> iContact - Try It Free! <http://www.icontact.com/a.pl/144186>
>
>
Tom Kindlon
"OFFER applauds this breaking research but recognizes the
imperative for more answers. OFFER would like your help in moving this
science forward quickly. A leading XMRV scientist, Dr. Ila Singh, is here on
the faculty of the University of Utah. Our own Dr. Lucinda Bateman, an
experienced clinician and recognized expert on CFS, would like to harness
the scientific genius of Drs. Alan and Kathy Light, recruit the local CFS
patient population as volunteers and combine resources with Dr. Singh to
study XMRV in CFS right now!"
In case people were wondering who Dr. Ila Singh is, here's an abstract of a
study she co-authored which found XMRV in prostate cancer, so she knows how
to find it.
=====================
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2009 Sep 22;106(38):16351-6. Epub 2009 Sep 8.
XMRV is present in malignant prostatic epithelium and is associated with
prostate cancer, especially high-grade tumors.
Schlaberg R, Choe DJ, Brown KR, Thaker HM, Singh IR.
Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Medical
Center, 622 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032, USA.
Xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus (XMRV) was recently
discovered in human prostate cancers and is the first gammaretrovirus known
to infect humans. While gammaretroviruses have well-characterized oncogenic
effects in animals, they have not been shown to cause human cancers. We
provide experimental evidence that XMRV is indeed a gammaretrovirus with
protein composition and particle ultrastructure highly similar to Moloney
murine leukemia virus (MoMLV), another gammaretrovirus. We analyzed 334
consecutive prostate resection specimens, using a quantitative PCR assay and
immunohistochemistry (IHC) with an anti-XMRV specific antiserum. We found
XMRV DNA in 6% and XMRV protein expression in 23% of prostate cancers. XMRV
proteins were expressed primarily in malignant epithelial cells, suggesting
that retroviral infection may be directly linked to tumorigenesis. XMRV
infection was associated with prostate cancer, especially higher-grade
cancers. We found XMRV infection to be independent of a common polymorphism
in the RNASEL gene, unlike results previously reported. This finding
increases the population at risk for XMRV infection from only those
homozygous for the RNASEL variant to all individuals. Our observations
provide evidence for an association of XMRV with malignant cells and with
more aggressive tumors.
PMID: 19805305 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
PMCID: PMC2739868