Novel characterization of endogenous transient receptor potential melastatin 3 ion channels from Gulf War Illness participants 2024 Marshall-Gradisnik

I'm afraid they are referring to this study by the Griffith team, which does not seem lik a landmark study at all:

Maybe not landmark, but once again a curious concept, this one of acquired channelopathy, in that in many ways it fits into several contested diseases' sequelae - including ME/CFS and Gulf War.

You'd think large scale replication efforts would have already been done, or at least attempted. Maybe they have and I've simply forgotten. If not, time to get on with it?

The implications of "acquired" are what continue to fascinate me. Is there a genetic component that's triggered artificially? Is there a viral agent that's introduced and somehow persists?

Of course, cool theories are a dime a dozen in our world. They're a dime a dozen in BPS literature as well - or at least, a dime a dozen variations of a single repetitive talking point.

We need to distinguish our work from their's with science that is both unambiguous and unassailable. That's dicey when dealing with subject matter with so little substantive and trustworthy precedent.
 
The implications of "acquired" are what continue to fascinate me. Is there a genetic component that's triggered artificially? Is there a viral agent that's introduced and somehow persists?

Of course, cool theories are a dime a dozen in our world. They're a dime a dozen in BPS literature as well - or at least, a dime a dozen variations of a single repetitive talking point.

We need to distinguish our work from their's with science that is both unambiguous and unassailable. That's dicey when dealing with subject matter with so little substantive and trustworthy precedent.

Work was done in the US claiming that sarin gas exposure in genetically prone individuals was at the root of the problem. I don't know about the quality of the work or how it fits with Times study.

UTSW genetic study confirms sarin nerve gas as cause of Gulf War illness: Newsroom - UT Southwestern, Dallas, Texas
 
Gulf War Syndrome is not recognised in Australia:



Wessely given a platform yet again:

That's interesting. I looked this thread up having come across the article in the Times (and assumed there might already be one on here, I see it has been merged) which is dated 17th July. Cause of Gulf War syndrome identified in landmark study (thetimes.com)

This covers ideas that it affects cells, in particular moelcules involved in transporting calcium

And lots of comments pick up on the sample being 6 veterans and 6 Healthy controls. And some other issues like it needing specific statistics to produce effects etc. I've just glanced through but basically am not assuming here either way.

But there is no mention of Wessely, and the end of the article focuses on the following:

Although veterans suffering have been able to claim a war pension, they have complained that they can no longer pursue the MoD for compensation through the courts after a law was brought in under the Conservatives that imposed a six-year limit on any civil case involving personal injury or death.

John Healey, the new defence secretary, said when he was shadow defence secretary that the law meant that the government was legislating to “disadvantage our own armed forces personnel who serve overseas by blocking any injury or negligence claim against the Ministry of Defence if troops miss a hard six-year deadline”.


I say interesting because I suspect Wessely's suggestion of 'compare veterans from the Gulf War who don't have the symptoms' is a red herring.

If something specifically changed vs eg veterans who didn't go to the Gulf he seems to be inferring 'and there are those who went to the Gulf and had the same change but are well, then it's not that'?

Plus that seems dualist if he is inferring that other things on top might be required so rule-out such a change.
 
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