Review False Alarm: XMRV, Cancer, and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, 2024, Coffin and Kearney

Xenotropic murine leukemia virus (MLV)-related virus (XMRV) was first described in 2006 in some human prostate cancers. But it drew little attention until 2009, when it was also found, as infectious virus and as MLV-related DNA, in samples from people suffering from myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). This discovery was rapidly followed by efforts of the international research community to understand the significance of the association and its potential to spread widely as an important human pathogen. Within a few years, efforts by researchers worldwide failed to repeat these findings, and mounting evidence for laboratory contamination with mouse-derived virus and viral DNA sequences became accepted as the explanation for the initial findings. As researchers engaged in these studies, we present here a historical review of the rise and fall of XMRV as a human pathogen, and we discuss the lessons learned from these events.

Paywall, https://www.annualreviews.org/content/journals/10.1146/annurev-virology-111821-125122

 

A fascinating, and deeply troubling, tale. I was in the early stages of my illness but not part of any patient groups at the time so it's curious to read about how this evolved.

I suppose many S4MEers won't have access to this so I will just share this snippet here:

 

Even my GP mentioned XMRV to me many years ago. I was quite surprised she brought it up considering she never mentioned anything regarding ME/CFS research.

It was during the time period when pwME were not allowed to donate blood.

 

As far as I know we are still not able to donate blood here in the UK.

Which I am fine with, though no one seems to discuss the inconsistency of this with the many people who believe ME is psychogenic.

[added - I meant also to say this inconsistency was previously more significant when the NICE guidelines recommended GET/CBT as curative treatment for ME, at least now the official NHS guidelines are on paper consistent, though many individual services/clinicians are not.]