Scientist Who Led XMRV Research Team Let Go
By Amy Dockser Marcus
Judy A. Mikovits, the embattled scientist who led the research team
that found a possible link between the retrovirus XMRV and patients
with chronic fatigue syndrome, has been terminated from her job as
director of research at the Whittemore Peterson Institute for
Neuro-Immune Disease in Reno, Nev.
The controversial finding, published in a 2009 Science paper, excited
patients and researchers who have long been searching for a cause for
chronic fatigue syndrome, which has an array of debilitating symptoms
that include cognitive difficulties, severe pain, and overwhelming
fatigue. On Sept. 22, the authors of the paper, including Mikovits,
published a partial retraction of the findings in Science, after two
of the 13 study authors found contamination in blood samples from
patients.
A week later, Mikovits was fired, she told Health Blog.
In a letter from Whittemore Peterson President Annette Whittemore to
Mikovits, which was reviewed by Health Blog, Mikovits was terminated
after refusing Whittemore=92s direct request that cell lines be turned
over to another scientist at the institute who wanted to do research
on them.
In a letter of response, Mikovits said that the cells were for use in
a specific NIH-funded project and that it would be inappropriate to
use them for another purpose without her knowledge and consent.
Whittemore told the Health Blog that she and Mikovits were =93not seeing
eye-to-eye=94 on who controlled the cells. Research on retroviruses and
their possible connection to CFS as well as other diseases continues,
she said. =93We will keep going down that path as long as it continues
to show promise,=94 Whittemore says.
Mikovits is a principal investigator on an ongoing NIH-funded study
that will test CFS patients and healthy controls for XMRV or related
viruses, and she said that she plans to take her grant with her to a
new institution where she wants to continue her work on CFS.
But like many things in the long-running XMRV saga, this may not be
simple. Whittemore says that the institute wants to continue to
participate in the NIH study and has =93the research capacity, the lab
and the researchers=94 to follow through on the work. In terms of the
fate of that grant, =93=91it is an NIH call,=94 Whittemore says.
UPDATED to add response from the Institute above.
The Whittemore Peterson Institute has added the following message to
their Facebook Page -
The Whittemore Peterson Institute is announcing the departure of Dr.
Judy Mikovits from WPI. We wish to thank her for her previous work and
commitment. The WPI remains committed to a comprehensive research
program. Our research team and program remains active, and our lab
open to authorized employees. We will continue the critical work of
finding answers to M.E. and related diseases.
We will use the opportunity created by the departure of Dr. Mikovits
to do a full evaluation of our research lab and current research
projects. WPI is dedicated to the highest standards in research and
patient care, and to advocating for the patients, families and
caregivers we exist to serve.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Whittemore-Peterson-Institute/154801179671
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