*MS Article* Animal Virus Role In MS?

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New virus found in CFS, MS and Epilepsy

last modified: Wed, 31 May 14:38 EDT

New virus found in CFS, MS and Epilepsy

Reply to: comm-166555919@...

Date: 2006-05-31, 2:38PM EDT

Major progress in CFS/MS research!

To read more specific information and/or background resources go to:

http://www.ncf-net.org/Discoveries.htm

Potential Animal (Zoonotic) Virus Identified in Patients with Chronic

Fatigue Syndrome, Multiple Sclerosis and Epilepsy

Needham, MA May 31, 2006 -- Recent independent scientific research

funded by the National CFIDS Foundation, Inc. (NCF) of Needham, MA

provided preliminary confirmation of a new virus identified in

patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. The Foundation's medical

research dovetails with that completed to date by Cryptic Afflictions,

LLC *, a private company.

Dr. J. Robbins, virologist and Chief Executive Officer of

Cryptic Afflictions, LLC has discovered a major neuropathogen

identified as an RNA virus designated as Cryptovirus. Substantial

clinical and molecular evidence indicates that this virus is involved

in the development of neurological disorders that include Chronic

Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), also known as Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (M.E.)

by the World Health Organization, Multiple Sclerosis (M.S.) and

Idiopathic Epilepsy of unknown cause.

According to the company, " This previously undetected virus appears to

be of significant importance to researchers looking for a cure to

Multiple Sclerosis and many other neurological illnesses. Antibodies

to the newly discovered virus were found in the cerebrospinal fluid

and blood of over 90% of the patients tested with Multiple Sclerosis.

It is believed that this newly discovered virus may prove to be

responsible for a host of neurological disorders. Tests are currently

being prepared for tissue samples of lesions within the brains of

patients with Multiple Sclerosis. This will be the final round of

tests before approaching the FDA for approval of the diagnostic tests. "

Dr. Robbins' evidence includes the presence of virus-specific

antibodies in the serum and cerebrospinal fluid of patients suffering

from these disorders, the ability of the virus to cause virtually

identical disease in experimentally-infected animals, and nucleotide

sequence data that indicates that the virus is pandemic and represents

a single virus species much like measles.

A recently published medical journal article suggests that Cryptovirus

is most similiar to Parainfluenza Virus-5, a rubulavirus in the

paramyxovirus family. Another rubulavirus related to Cryptovirus and

Parainfluenza Virus-5, that has gained national attention for its

large outbreak, is the mumps virus. Rubulavirus infections have been

associated with encephalitis, meningitis, orchitis, inflammation of

the testicles or ovaries, spontaneous abortion, and deafness.

The NCF has conducted its own preliminary research into the potential

role of Cryptovirus and Parainfluenza Virus-5 in Chronic Fatigue

Syndrome. Professor Alan Cocchetto, Medical Director for the

Foundation stated, " Our own funded research first confirmed the lack

of a vital protein, known as Stat-1, in the blood of patients with

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Stat-1 plays an indispensable role in immunity.

Without this protein, patients are unable to effectively fight viral

and bacterial infections. Thus, the next logical question to be

answered was 'Could a virus be causing this Stat-1 depletion?' "

Cocchetto continued, " Parainfluenza Virus-5 is a virus that had to be

seriously considered as a possible piece of this medical puzzle

because it directly targets and destroys the Stat-1 protein. " Gail

Kansky, President of the NCF stated, " Once we determined the status of

Stat-1 in patient blood samples, we knew that we had to look for

possible evidence of Parainfluenza Virus-5 infection. It was during

this phase of our own research that we actually learned of Dr.

Robbins' discovery of Cryptovirus specific antibody reactivity in

patients with CFS. " Dr. Robbins had tested fifty-six serum specimens

from patients who had been diagnosed with CFS along with eleven

matching cerebrospinal fluid samples obtained from physicians in

Brisbane and Southeast Queensland.

Dr. Robbins had determined that 96% of the blood samples and 91% of

the spinal fluid samples tested positively for Cryptovirus specific

antibodies in these CFS patients.

The National CFIDS Foundation's own research began to dovetail with

that of Dr. Robbins. Scientists funded by the Foundation performed

numerous tests for Parainfluenza Virus-5 that included antibody as

well as PCR specific probes. Antibody testing provided some initial

hints, however a PCR specific probe picked up the infection in a

former patient

of S. Bell, M.D. and R. Cheney, Ph.D., M.D., both

considered well known specialists in the field of Chronic Fatigue

Syndrome. Kansky commented, " Though our funded research continues in

diagnostic testing, our findings have served to highlight the

important work of Dr. Robbins and the role of Cryptovirus and

Parainfluenza Virus-5 infection in CFS. "

NCF scientists utilized the NIH Genbank database to find the

nucleotide sequence for a specific viral protein of Cryptovirus that

matched 100% to the porcine (swine) strain of Parainfluenza Virus-5

known as the SER strain. In 1994, scientists at Bayer AG in Germany

first isolated the SER strain from swine with Porcine Reproductive and

Respiratory Syndrome.

" This may represent a zoonotic process since zoonotic viruses are

those that can be transmitted between animals and people " stated

Cocchetto. Kansky commented, " Here we have what appears to be the same

viral strain of Parainfluenza Virus-5 on two continents and in two

different populations, swine and humans. Given that the NCF found

Parainfluenza Virus-5 in one CFS patient in the United States

certainly raises the bar. " The Foundation is currently funding further

research.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has several ongoing grants in

the Parainfluenza Virus-5 field. Currently, however, there is only one

U.S. scientist specifically funded for research on the SER strain of

Parainfluenza Virus-5 by the NIH.

Founded in 1997, the National CFIDS Foundation has grown to become the

largest, all-volunteer patient organization of its type in the United

States. The Foundation has no paid employees and is funded solely by

individual donations for the primary purpose to fund medical research

into the cause and treatment and/or cure of Chronic Fatigue Immune

Dysfunction Syndrome (CFIDS/CFS).

* " Limina Biotechnologies, Inc. is a recently formed subsidiary of

Global Medical Technologies, Inc. that was established for the purpose

of merging Cryptic Afflictions LLC and Global Medical Technologies,

Inc. It is the intent of management to spin off this newly formed

corporation once the merger is completed so Limina can raise capital

through its own IPO, " according to the company's website,

www.globalmedicaltech.com.