A strong argument that the novel human retrovirus XMRV is not a laboratory contaminant is the finding that viral DNA is integrated in chromosomal DNA of prostate tumors. Why does this result constitute such strong proof of viral infection? Establishment of an integrated copy of the viral genome – the provirus – is a critical …
Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Alan Dove, and Rich Condit On episode #114 of the podcast This Week in Virology, Vincent, Alan, and Rich revisit ten compelling virology stories of 2010. [powerpress url=”http://traffic.libsyn.com/twiv/TWiV114.mp3″] Click the arrow above to play, or right-click to download TWiV #114 (64 MB .mp3, 88 minutes). Subscribe to TWiV (free) in iTunes , at the Zune Marketplace, by …
Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Alan Dove, Rich Condit, and Alan Rein On episode #113 of the podcast This Week in Virology, Vincent, Alan, and Rich discuss the retrovirus XMRV with retrovirologist Alan Rein of the National Cancer Institute. [powerpress url=”http://traffic.libsyn.com/twiv/TWiV113.mp3″] Click the arrow above to play, or right-click to download TWiV #113 (55 MB .mp3, 76 minutes). Subscribe to …
Yesterday the Chicago Tribune published my reaction to the four papers on the retrovirus XMRV published this week in the journal Retrovirology. I was quoted as saying “These four papers are probably the beginning of the end of XMRV and CFS”. I wish to retract this statement and explain my reasons for doing so. Early Monday a …
Since the first observations that the human retrovirus XMRV is associated with prostate cancer and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), new studies have been carried out to determine the role of the virus in these diseases. The results have been conflicting: XMRV (and related retroviruses) have been found in some patients, but not in others. Whether laboratory contamination …
John Coffin, Professor of Genetics and Molecular Microbiology at Tufts University, studies the molecular biology and evolution of retroviruses. He wrote a commentary (A new virus for old diseases?) that accompanied the publication by Lombardi and colleagues of the finding of the new retrovirus XMRV in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome, and has spoken widely …
