August 31, 2010: Viruses Found in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Patients - National Institute of Health (NIH Research Matters, August 30, 2010)
View more...
August 30, 2010: I Hope You Dance Press Release
WPI Press Release [PDF]
August 30, 2010: ME/CFS Worldwide Patient Alliance Thank You Letter
View document [PDF]
August 24, 2010: New studies confirm Whittemore-Peterson Institute findings
KRNV, Reno
August 23, 2010: Study: Presence of Murine Leukemia Virus Related Gene Sequences Found in CFS Patients
PR Newswire
Positive replication study confirms WPI's findings (WPI Statement on XMRV/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome)
(WPI Press Release, August 23, 2010)
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA (PNAS) article: Shyh-Ching Lo, Natalia Pripuzova, Bingjie Li, Anthony L. Komaroff, Guo-Chiuan Hung, Richard Wang, and Harvey J. Alter, Detection of MLV-related virus gene sequences in blood of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome and healthy blood donors
(PNAS published ahead of print August 23, 2010, doi:10.1073/pnas.1006901107)
FDA Press Briefing on PNAS Publication (August 23, 2010)
Click below to listen to briefing...
View transcript...
WPI congratulates Alter and Lo
(YouTube, August 23, 2010)
Judy Mikovits reacts to the Lo/Alter paper
(YouTube, August 23, 2010)
Study Links Chronic Fatigue to Virus Class
(New York Times, August 23, 2010)
Study Finds Retroviruses in Chronic Fatigue Sufferers
(Wall Street Journal, August 23, 2010)
New evidence that virus may cause chronic fatigue
(Washington Post, August 23, 2010)
August 21, 2010: 6th Annual I Hope You Dance WPI Fundraising Gala
Friday, September 10, 2010, Peppermill Resort Casino, Reno, Nevada
View more...
August 17, 2010: Hopes Soar for Research Center
Reno Gazette-Journal
August 17, 2010: UNR President Milton Glick discussing opening Whittemore Peterson Institute
View more...
August 16, 2010: Center for Molecular Medicine opens at UNR
KRNV, Reno
August 16, 2010: Whittemore Peterson Institute Celebrates Formal Dedication of New Building
WPI Press Release [PDF]
August 16, 2010: Annette Whittemore and Andrea Goad on Nevada NewsMakers
View more...
August 6, 2010: WPI Vice-President Mike Hillerby in a discussion of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome research at the institute
KUNR NV Newsline
July 30, 2010: Detection of an infectious retrovirus, XMRV, in blood cells of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.
View document [PDF]
July 26, 2010: On July 22, 2010 the state of Nevada, and all of us at WPI, lost a great leader, advocate and friend with the unexpected and tragic death of former Governor Kenny C. Guinn.
View document [PDF]
July 14, 2010: Delay in Release of Study on Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Prompts an Outcry
New York Times
July 8, 2010: A Third Pathogenic and Lymphotropic Human Retrovirus
View document [PDF]
July 2, 2010: WPI Statement Regarding Center for Disease Control XMRV Study
View document [PDF]
July 2, 2010: With Papers On Hold, Government Scientists Fuel Debate on Virus for Chronic Fatigue
Science Magazine
June 30, 2010: One Research Group Finds Virus XMRV in the Blood of SyndromeÊSufferers, One Does Not; Papers Held From Publication
Wall Street Journal
June 23, 2010: Molecular Interventions - The Whittemore Peterson Institute: Building Bridges through Private and Public Sector Collaboration
[View more...]
June 14, 2010: Dr. Judy Mikovits presented a scientific lecture to 75 students at the Cardiovascular Research Center and Summer Research Internship Program (SRIP) at the University of Virginia on June 7th, 2010. Joel Hockensmith, Associate Professor of Biochemistry & Molecular Genetics and SRIP Director for the University of Virginia School of Medicine wrote to Dr. Mikovits thanking her for her exciting presentation. "Your enthusiasm for research and hypotheses was infectious as evidenced by the fact that not one, not two, but more than half a dozen students were still waiting to talk to you more than half an hour after the seminar. Kudos to you for stimulating such a diverse group of individuals." wrote Dr. Hockensmith. This is just one example of the many ways that Dr. Mikovits continues to educate and motivate future scientists while also encouraging novel research into neuro-immune diseases.
June 11, 2010: The Whittemore Peterson Institute (WPI) has licensed its XMRV technology to WP Biotechnologies (WPBio), a subsidiary of WPI. This exclusive licensing arrangement was established to facilitate the rapid and broad commercialization of WPI's technology to benefit patients. WPBio has and will continue to enter into sublicense agreements with capable partners to improve and increase the availability of XMRV testing worldwide.
June 3, 2010: Xenotropic Murine Leukemia Virus-related Gammaretrovirus in Respiratory Tract
View document [PDF]
June 1, 2010: 2010 I Hope You Dance 6th Annual WPI Fundraising Gala
Save the date: Friday, September 10, 2010, Peppermill Resort Casino, Reno, Nevada
View document [PDF]
May 18, 2010: Whittemore Peterson Institute and Cerus Confirm Inactivation of XMRV by the INTERCEPT Blood System
View document [PDF]
May 17, 2010: Annette Whittemore and Dr. Donnica Moore on NV Newsmakers.
You can watch the episode Tuesday, May 18, 2010 at: www.nevadanewsmakers.com.
May 12, 2010: International ME/CFS and Fibromyalgia Awareness Day
View document [PDF]
May 10, 2010: Annette Whittemore's Testimony to CFSAC 2010
View video...
May 6, 2010: Bulletin of the IACFS/ME Letter to the Editor by Dr. Judy Mikovits
View more...
May 6, 2010: The Whittemore Peterson Institute's study of XMRV with UK ME patients is now closed. We want to thank everyone who volunteered for the study to donate blood samples to the institute for research on XMRV incidence in ME/CFS. The patients that have been selected have been contacted by International Phlebotomy Services. If you have not been contacted we are sorry but you will not be part of this study and have been put on a waiting list for future studies. We encourage you to check the websites for announcements of additional studies but do not anticipate additional studies for at least 6 months.
May 4, 2010: Dr. Bell's Personal Appeal for Donations to WPI
View letter [PDF]
April 28, 2010: Whittemore Peterson Institute announces search for Medical Director
View document [PDF]
April 28, 2010: Chronic fatigue link prompts blood ban in Australia
View more...
April 23, 2010: KUNR (NPR) "Few Minutes with Milt" featuring Dr. Judy Mikovits
Listen to podcast
April 23, 2010: WPI response to Members of the DSM-5 Task
View letter [PDF]
April 21, 2010: IACFS Q&A
View document [PDF]
April 21, 2010: 29th Annual Athens to Atlanta Road Skate
WPI is pleased to have been selected by the 29th Annual Athens to Atlanta Road Skate as this year's charity. We are looking forward to raising awareness of our work in the southern states. We thank APRR for their generosity and efforts to help the WPI
View more...
April 21, 2010: Chronic fatigue donors face rejection
View more...
April 12, 2010: WPI and Myra McClure Communication regarding XMRV
View April 12 letter to Dr. McClure [PDF]
View letter to Annette Whittemore/WPI [PDF]
View April 27 letter to Dr. McClure [PDF]
April 8, 2010: The WPI applauds the Canadian government for their response to the findings of a new human retroviral infection, XMRV, in patients with ME/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Due to the serious nature of ME/CFS and the possibility of transmitting XMRV through blood transfusions, we believe that it is prudent to be cautious until the scientific community can conduct the necessary studies to determine the prevalence and risk of XMRV in those individuals with ME/CFS. Read the story ("Canada bans blood donations from people with chronic fatigue," April 7, 2010) at Canwest News Service.
April 5, 2010: Potential Risk to Blood Supply Probed: XMRV Virus Gets Attention of Health Officials, but It's Unclear if There Is Any Danger
Read the story at Wall Street Journal.
February 18, 2010: A recent study of XMRV sheds light on the cancer causing properties of retroviruses and suggests a pathway to future vaccine development.
Read this story at ScienceDaily. Link to the abstract at Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
February 18, 2010: WPI is aware of the recent UK study that was unable to detect the presence of XMRV in any CFS patient samples. Although researchers at the WPI were not involved in this project, our work in XMRV continues with researchers around the world. We look forward to the results of studies which replicate the methods used in the original research described in the journal Science in October, 2009.
View more...
Information Regarding XMRV Studies
1. The authors of the Science paper established the existence of XMRV as an infectious human blood borne retrovirus for the first time in blood of patients diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS). Previous studies had established the presence of XMRV sequences and protein in human prostate tissue.
2. In the Science paper, the presence of XMRV in well-characterized patients with CFS was established using multiple technologies:
a) PCR on nucleic acids from un-stimulated and stimulated white blood cells;
b) XMRV protein expression from stimulated white blood cells;
c) Virus isolation on the LNCaP cell line; and
d) A specific antibody response to XMRV.
3. The authors of the two UK studies did not attempt to “replicate” the WPI study. Replication requires that the same technologies be employed. The WPI sent reagents and information to several groups of researchers in an effort to support their replication studies. Neither UK study requested positive control blood, plasma or nucleic acids from the WPI.
4. The collection, preparation and storage of DNA were completely different between the Science and UK papers. The latter studies do not show data on blood harvesting or storage. Nor do the studies disclose the quantity of isolated cells. Insufficient number of cells analyzed may result in failure to detect a low copy virus like XMRV, regardless of the sensitivity of the assay. Neither UK study provides detail to allow interpretation of how many white blood cells were analyzed.
5. Patient population selection may differ between studies.
6. The UK authors were unable to detect XMRV, even though 4% of healthy individuals were found to be infected in the US. Japanese scientists detected XMRV in 1.7% in healthy blood donors in Japan. The two previously identified human retroviruses have distinct geographical distributions.
7. Perhaps the most important issue to focus on is the low level of XMRV in the blood. XMRV is present in such a small percentage of white blood cells that it is highly unlikely that either UK study’s PCR method could detect it using the methods described. Careful reading of the Science paper shows that increasing the amount of the virus by growing the white blood cells is usually required rather than using white blood cells directly purified from the body. When using PCR alone, the Science authors found that four samples needed to be taken at different times from the same patient in order for XMRV to be detected by PCR in freshly isolated white blood cells. More importantly, detection methods other than PCR showed that patients whose blood lacks sufficient amount of XMRV detectable by PCR are actually infected. This was proven by the isolation of viral proteins and the finding of infectious XMRV isolated from the indicator cell line LNCaP. The authors of the Retrovirology paper admit that their neutralization assay did not detect bacterially expressed XMRV gag and that positive control sera was needed to validate their assay. The WPI’s monoclonal antibodies specifically and sensitively completed the immune response demonstrating the assays sensitivity and specificity for XMRV envelope.
Simply stated the only validated reliable methods for detecting XMRV in CFS patients, to date, are the methods described in Science. Failure to use these methods and validated reagents has resulted in the failure to detect XMRV. A failure to detect XMRV is not the same as absence of this virus in patients with CFS.
February 9, 2010: Does a virus cause ME?
NHS Choices
February 9, 2010: WPI Announces Health Expert Dr. Donnica Moore is New Spokesperson, Advocating for XMRV & Neuro-Immune Disease Research
ProHealth
February 8, 2010: Whittemore Peterson Institute Announces Renowned Health Expert Dr. Donnica Moore as New Spokesperson.
CNBC | Fox Business | WPI Press Release [PDF]
January 31, 2010: Dr. Mikovits XMRV Seminar and Q&A by ProHealth and HHV-6 Foundation now available as video. Dr. Mikovoits' PowerPoint slides now also available as PDF.
View Video | View PDF
January 21, 2010: Dr. Mikovits of WPI to Host Live Q&A Session Regarding XMRV
WPI Press Release [PDF]
January 14, 2010: WPI Announces Availability of Updated XMRV Testing
WPI Press Release [PDF]
Winter, 2010: Whittemore Peterson Institute researcher makes major breakthrough in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Nevada Silver & Blue [PDF]
January 6, 2010: Official Statement from the Whittemore Peterson Institute Regarding UK Study
WPI Press Release [PDF]
December 9, 2009: Futures in Biotech - Podcast 50 - XMRV Debate
XRMV Breakthrough News
November 11, 2009: A Big Splash From an Upstart Medical Center
New York Times
November 1, 2009: Medical breakthrough puts Reno in spotlight
Reno Gazette-Journal [PDF]
November 1, 2009: The Institute's Origins: Daughter's illness led family to seek help, start institute
Reno Gazette-Journal [PDF]
October 28, 2009: WPI Announces Availability of XMRV Testing.
See our press release or visit VIP Diagnostics (VipDX).
October 9, 2009: Detection of an Infectious Retrovirus, XMRV, in Blood Cells of Patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (Science)
View Abstract | View Reprint | View Full Citation
Citation:
Detection of an Infectious Retrovirus, XMRV, in Blood Cells of Patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Vincent C. Lombardi, Francis W. Ruscetti, Jaydip Das Gupta, Max A. Pfost, Kathryn S. Hagen, Daniel L. Peterson, Sandra K. Ruscetti, Rachel K. Bagni, Cari Petrow-Sadowski, Bert Gold, Michael Dean, Robert H. Silverman, and Judy A. Mikovits
(8 October 2009)
Science [DOI: 10.1126/science.1179052]
Consortium of Researchers Discover Retroviral Link to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (NIH/National Cancer Institute Press Release, October 8, 2009)
Whittemore Peterson Institute Scientists Discover Significant link between XMRV and ME/CFS (WPI Press Release; October 8, 2009) [PDF]
Virus Linked To Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
(NPR, October 8, 2009)
Virus Found in Many With Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
(NYTimes.com, October 8, 2009)
ME virus discovery raises hopes
(BBC NEWS | Health, October 9, 2009)
Retrovirus Might Be Culprit In Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
(Science News, October 8, 2009)
Chronic fatigue caused by retrovirus, say scientists
(Mail Online, October 10, 2009)
'Most cases of chronic fatigue syndrome linked to virus'
(Telegraph, October 9, 2009)
Retrovirus May Be at Root of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
(US News and World Report, October 8, 2009)
Retrovirus Linked to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
(WebMD, October 8, 2009)
Study isolates virus in chronic fatigue sufferers
(Reuters, October 8, 2009)
Chronic fatigue linked with virus
(The Australian, October 10, 2009)
September 24, 2009: WPI Awarded Prestigious NIH R01 Grant
New Strategies to Decipher the Pathophysiology of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
WPI Research Director Dr. Judy Mikovits and collaborator Dr. Jonathan Kerr of St. George’s College in London were awarded this $1.6 million grant by the National Institute of Allergy And Infectious Diseases. This 5 year grant will provide critical support for the ongoing research into the causes and diagnosis of neuro-immune diseases.
February 4, 2009: New UNR Center Raises Hopes for CFS Patients
Reno Gazette-Journal [PDF]
Summer, 2008: Whittemore Family Invests in Neuro-immune Institute
Nevada Silver & Blue [PDF]
Summer, 2008: Center for Molecular Medicine Targets Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Nevada Silver & Blue [PDF]
Healthcare Heroes
Annette and Harvey Whittemore, Northern Nevada, Community Partner
Nevada Business Journal report [PDF; see page 20]
INIP award
September 8, 2007: NCI CCR (Ruscetti)/NIA (Taub) proposal submitted to the Integrative Neural Immune Program's Intramural Research Award competition, entitled "Role of Chronic Inflammatory Stimulation by Active Herpesvirus Infection in Development of Immune Dysfunction and Mantle Cell Lymphoma in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Patients", unanimously considered by the ad hoc reviewers and the INIP IRA subcommittee as a project that will yield important new interdisciplinary research findings. The award provides a postdoctoral fellow for 3 years to work on the Project with Dr. Ruscetti and Dr. Taub and WPI.
