researchers, it is unfortunate that Dr. Wessely focuses on blaming
patients rather than taking personal responsibility for his own
shameful role in patient mistrust of researchers. The atmosphere he
helped create is definitely not the kind of atmosphere that benefits
science or patients.
Journal retracts study linking a virus to ME / BBC
22 December 2011 Last updated at 12:07 ET
A study linking a virus to chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), also known
as ME, has been withdrawn by the journal which published it.
The 2009 study, in Science, suggested a mouse virus, XMRV, was linked
to the illness.
But in September this year, the study's authors withdrew some of their
findings, saying they were based on "contaminated data".
The journal said it had "lost confidence" in the study.
In a statement, editor-in-chief Bruce Alberts, said the journal had
decided to fully retracted the paper because of "poor quality control"
- and because the findings had not been replicated.
It had already published an editorial "expression of concern" in
September, saying that the validity of the study was "seriously in
question".
'Too good to be true'
The initial research suggested that DNA of the XMRV virus had been
found in 64% of CFS patients and just 4% of the general population.
But other scientists had been unable to find evidence of the virus and
many argued that the most likely explanation was contamination of the
laboratory samples.
Continue reading the main story
A study also published in Science in September claimed the virus could
not be reliably detected in ME patients, even in the labs which
originally made the link.
The journal says there is evidence of poor quality control in a number
of specific experiments reported in the paper, and raises specific
concerns about some CFS samples being treated differently to others.
Mr Alberts wrote: "Given all the issues, Science has lost confidence
in the report and the validity of its conclusions.
"We note that the majority of the authors have agreed in principle to
retract the report but they have been unable to agree on the wording
of their statement.
"It is Science's opinion that a retraction signed by all the authors
is unlikely to be forthcoming.We are therefore editorially retracting
the report."
"We regret the time and resources that the scientific community has
devoted to unsuccessful attempts to replicate these results."
Experts said they were not surprised that the paper had been retracted.
Prof Simon Wessely, of the Institute of Psychiatry at King's College
London said: "The results were simply too good to be true.
"CFS is a complex mulfactorial condition with fuzzy boundaries, and
almost certainly does not represent any single entity any more that it
is caused by any single agent."
But he added: "What is sad however is the degree of opprobrium hurled
from some quarters at the scientists who correctly failed to replicate
the original observation.
"This is not the kind of atmosphere that benefits science or patients."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-16306646
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