Derek Lowe, an Arkansan by birth, got his BA from Hendrix College and his PhD in organic chemistry from Duke before spending time in Germany on a Humboldt Fellowship on his post-doc. He's worked for several major pharmaceutical companies since 1989 on drug discovery projects against schizophrenia, Alzheimer's, diabetes, osteoporosis and other diseases.
To contact Derek email him directly: derekb.lowe@gmail.com
Twitter: Dereklowe
Dismissals, accusations, possible data theft, and now an arrest - when a scientific hypothesis (and a scientific career) unravels, it unravels all the way. . .
Despite all this, the patients are still there. The original paper found evidence of the virus in an incredibly high percentage of CFS patients, which implied to me from the get go that it was not to be believed. CFS, is likely to be as heterogeneous a condition as fever was before Pasteur.
Any thoughts on the newly published study using rituximab to treat CFS?
Fluge Ø, Bruland O, Risa K, Storstein A, Kristoffersen EK, et al. 2011 Benefit from B-Lymphocyte Depletion Using the Anti-CD20 Antibody Rituximab in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. A Double-Blind and Placebo-Controlled Study. PLoS ONE 6(10): e26358. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0026358
6. robert christ on May 7, 2012 11:56 PM writes...
Had cfs for 15 years, didn't think much of the xmrv connection, been around long enough to know people hype these things and they come and they go. I know there is a strong correlation between my symptoms and moldy houses, I was forced out of mine on my hands and knees after 2 years of denial. I never took much stock in all the "fad diet's" either until I read about celiac disease. So after 14 years of denying the connection between food sensitivity and cfs I'm a firm believer of this also.
1. luysii on December 1, 2011 10:50 AM writes...
Despite all this, the patients are still there. The original paper found evidence of the virus in an incredibly high percentage of CFS patients, which implied to me from the get go that it was not to be believed. CFS, is likely to be as heterogeneous a condition as fever was before Pasteur.
Permalink to Comment2. basudin on December 1, 2011 3:41 PM writes...
Any thoughts on the newly published study using rituximab to treat CFS?
Fluge Ø, Bruland O, Risa K, Storstein A, Kristoffersen EK, et al. 2011 Benefit from B-Lymphocyte Depletion Using the Anti-CD20 Antibody Rituximab in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. A Double-Blind and Placebo-Controlled Study. PLoS ONE 6(10): e26358. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0026358
Permalink to Comment3. pete on December 1, 2011 9:30 PM writes...
@2 basudin
Thanks for mentioning this article. Small N but interesting results.
I wonder what card-carrying CFS researchers/rheumatologists would have to say about the magnitude of these changes, as well as the autoimmune idea?
Permalink to Comment4. TSL on December 2, 2011 6:21 AM writes...
Basudin, funny you mentioned it, I'll be reading the study later today, will definitely get back on this blog to share my ideas!
Permalink to Comment5. exGlaxoid on December 28, 2011 3:53 PM writes...
Science has now retracted the original paper. Below is a link to one story on it.
http://news.yahoo.com/study-linking-virus-chronic-fatigue-retracted-164823785.html
Permalink to Comment6. robert christ on May 7, 2012 11:56 PM writes...
Had cfs for 15 years, didn't think much of the xmrv connection, been around long enough to know people hype these things and they come and they go. I know there is a strong correlation between my symptoms and moldy houses, I was forced out of mine on my hands and knees after 2 years of denial. I never took much stock in all the "fad diet's" either until I read about celiac disease. So after 14 years of denying the connection between food sensitivity and cfs I'm a firm believer of this also.
Permalink to Comment