Animal Virus found in people with CFIDS, MS and Epilepsy

Potential Animal (Zoonotic) Virus Identified
in Patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome,
Multiple Sclerosis and Epilepsy

http://www.ncf-net.org/PressReleases.htm

Needham, MA May 31, 2006 -- Recent independent scientific
research funded by the National CFIDS Foundation, Inc. (NCF)
of Needham, MA provided preliminary confirmation of a new
virus identified in patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. The
Foundation's medical research dovetails with that completed to
date by Cryptic Afflictions, LLC *, a private company.

Dr. Steven J. Robbins, virologist and Chief Executive Officer of
Cryptic Afflictions, LLC has discovered a major neuropathogen
identified as an RNA virus designated as Cryptovirus.

Substantial clinical and molecular evidence indicates that this
virus is involved in the development of neurological disorders
that include Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), also known as
Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (M.E.) by the World Health
Organization, Multiple Sclerosis (M.S.) and Idiopathic Epilepsy
of unknown cause.

According to the company, "This previously undetected virus
appears to be of significant importance to researchers looking
for a cure to Multiple Sclerosis and many other neurological
illnesses.

Antibodies to the newly discovered virus were found in the
cerebrospinal fluid and blood of over 90% of the patients tested
with Multiple Sclerosis. It is believed that this newly discovered
virus may prove to be responsible for a host of neurological
disorders. Tests are currently being prepared for tissue
samples of lesions within the brains of patients with Multiple
Sclerosis. This will be the final round of tests before
approaching the FDA for approval of the diagnostic tests."

Dr. Robbins' evidence includes the presence of virus-specific
antibodies in the serum and cerebrospinal fluid of patients
suffering from these disorders, the ability of the virus to cause
virtually identical disease in experimentally-infected animals, and
nucleotide sequence data that indicates that the virus is
pandemic and represents a single virus species much like
measles.

A recently published medical journal article suggests that
Cryptovirus is most similiar to Parainfluenza Virus-5, a
rubulavirus in the paramyxovirus family. Another rubulavirus
related to Cryptovirus and Parainfluenza Virus-5, that has gained
national attention for its large outbreak, is the mumps virus.
Rubulavirus infections have been associated with encephalitis,
meningitis, orchitis, inflammation of the testicles or ovaries,
spontaneous abortion, and deafness.

The NCF has conducted its own preliminary research into the
potential role of Cryptovirus and Parainfluenza Virus-5 in
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Professor Alan Cocchetto, Medical
Director for the Foundation stated, "Our own funded research
first confirmed the lack of a vital protein, known as Stat-1, in the
blood of patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Stat-1 plays
an indispensable role in immunity.

Without this protein, patients are unable to effectively fight viral
and bacterial infections. Thus, the next logical question to be
answered was 'Could a virus be causing this Stat-1 depletion?'

"Cocchetto continued, "Parainfluenza Virus-5 is a virus that had
to be seriously considered as a possible piece of this medical
puzzle because it directly targets and destroys the Stat-1
protein."

Gail Kansky, President of the NCF stated, "Once we determined
the status of Stat-1 in patient blood samples, we knew that we
had to look for possible evidence of Parainfluenza Virus-5
infection. It was during this phase of our own research that we
actually learned of Dr. Steven Robbins' discovery of Cryptovirus
specific antibody reactivity in patients with CFS."

Dr. Robbins had tested fifty-six serum specimens from patients
who had been diagnosed with CFS along with eleven matching
cerebrospinal fluid samples obtained from physicians in
Brisbane and Southeast Queensland.

Dr. Robbins had determined that 96% of the blood samples and
91% of the spinal fluid samples tested positively for Cryptovirus
specific antibodies in these CFS patients.

The National CFIDS Foundation's own research began to
dovetail with that of Dr. Robbins. Scientists funded by the
Foundation performed numerous tests for Parainfluenza Virus-5
that included antibody as well as PCR specific probes.

Antibody testing provided some initial hints, however a PCR
specific probe picked up the infection in a former patient
of David S. Bell, M.D. and Paul R. Cheney, Ph.D., M.D., both
considered well known specialists in the field of Chronic Fatigue
Syndrome. Kansky commented, "Though our funded research
continues in diagnostic testing, our findings have served to
highlight the important work of Dr. Robbins and the role of
Cryptovirus and Parainfluenza Virus-5 infection in CFS."

NCF scientists utilized the NIH Genbank database to find the
nucleotide sequence for a specific viral protein of Cryptovirus
that matched 100% to the porcine (swine) strain of Parainfluenza
Virus-5 known as the SER strain. In 1994, scientists at Bayer
AG in Germany first isolated the SER strain from swine with
Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome.

"This may represent a zoonotic process since zoonotic viruses
are those that can be transmitted between animals and people"
stated Cocchetto. Kansky commented, "Here we have what
appears to be the same viral strain of Parainfluenza Virus-5 on
two continents and in two different populations, swine and
humans. Given that the NCF found Parainfluenza Virus-5 in one
CFS patient in the United States certainly raises the bar." The
Foundation is currently funding further research.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has several ongoing
grants in the Parainfluenza Virus-5 field. Currently, however,
there is only one U.S. scientist specifically funded for research
on the SER strain of Parainfluenza Virus-5 by the NIH.

Founded in 1997, the National CFIDS Foundation has grown to
become the largest, all-volunteer patient organization of its type
in the United States. The Foundation has no paid employees
and is funded solely by individual donations for the primary
purpose to fund medical research into the cause and treatment
and/or cure of Chronic Fatigue Immune Dysfunction Syndrome
(CFIDS/CFS).

* "Limina Biotechnologies, Inc. is a recently formed subsidiary
of Global Medical Technologies, Inc. that was established for the
purpose of merging Cryptic Afflictions LLC and Global Medical
Technologies, Inc. It is the intent of management to spin off this
newly formed corporation once the merger is completed so
Limina can raise capital through its own IPO," according to the
company's website, www.globalmedicaltech.com.

For more information on these findings:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Potential animal (zoonotic) virus identified in patients with
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Multiple Sclerosis and Epilepsy
NCF Press Release (2006)- Click here for PDF version:
http://www.ncf-net.org/library/PressReleasePDF.htm

Parainfluenza Virus-5: A new paradigm and a serious host
challenge NCF Paper (2006) - Click here for the PDF version:
http://www.ncf-net.org/library/PIV5HostChallenge-PDF.htm

A novel virus (Cryptovirus) within the rubulavirus genus and uses
therefor Patent. Dr. Steven Robbins' discovery on new virus in
CFIDS, MS, and epilepsy. Patent (2002) - PDF file format:
http://www.ncf-net.org/pdf/WO02077211.pdf

Various informational press releases from Global Medical
Technologies (2004) - PDF file format:
http://www.ncf-net.org/pdf/GlobalMedicalTech1.pdf
http://www.ncf-net.org/pdf/GlobalMedicalTech2.pdf
http://www.ncf-net.org/pdf/GlobalMedicalTech3.pdf

Porcine parainfluenza virus 2 discovery by scientists at Bayer
AG Patent (1999) -PDF file format:
http://www.ncf-net.org/pdf/US5910310.pdf

Isolation of a cytopathogenic virus from a case of porcine
reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) and its
characterization as parainfluenza virus type 2 Archives of
Virology (1998) -PDF file format:
http://www.ncf-net.org/pdf/HeinenSER.pdf

Nucleotide sequence for Cryptovirus fusion protein identified as
a porcine rubulavirus Patent (2003) (PDF file format)
http://www.ncf-net.org/pdf/AJ278916.pdf

Cryptovirus fusion sequence returns 100% match for fusion
protein for SER strain of porcine parainfluenza virus BLAST
program, National Center for Biotechnology Information,
National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health (2004)
-PDF file format:
http://www.ncf-net.org/pdf/AX586949BLAST.pdf

Nucleotide sequence for the fusion protein of porcine
parainfluenza virus strain SER National Center for
Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine,
National Institutes of Health (2003) -PDF file format:
http://www.ncf-net.org/pdf/AJ278916.pdf

Porcine parainfluenza virus strain SER sequence doesn't return
match for the Cryptovirus fusion sequence though it is a 100%
match BLAST program, National Center for Biotechnology
Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of
Health (2004) -PDF file format:
http://www.ncf-net.org/pdf/AJ278916BLAST.pdf

Methods for diagnosis and treatment of chronic immune
diseases; Stat-1 deficiency discovery in CFIDS (2003) Patent
PDF file format:
http://www.ncf-net.org/pdf/US200377674.pdf

Viral mechanisms of immune evasion Immunology Today review
paper (2000) -PDF file format:
http://www.ncf-net.org/pdf/AlcamiViralImmuneEvasion.pdf

Silencing STATs: Lessons from paramyxovirus interferon
evasion Cytokine and Growth Factors review paper (2004)
-PDF file format:
http://www.ncf-net.org/pdf/HorvathSTAT1.pdf

The V protein of Simian Virus 5 inhibits interferon signaling by
targeting STAT1 for proteasome-mediated degradation Journal
of Virology (1999) (PDF file format)
http://www.ncf-net.org/pdf/Didcock.pdf

Interferons: cell signalling, immune modulation, antiviral
responses and virus countermeasures Journal of General
Virology (2000) -PDF file format:
http://www.ncf-net.org/pdf/Interferons.pdf

Risk factors associated with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in a
cluster of pediatric cases Reviews of Infectious Diseases (1991)
-PDF file format:
http://www.ncf-net.org/pdf/BellCFSEpidemiology.pdf

Relationships and host range of human, canine, simian and
porcine isolates of simian virus 5 (parainfluenza virus 5) Journal
of General Virology (2004) -PDF file format:
http://www.ncf-net.org/pdf/RandallPIV5Isolates.pdf

In vitro identification and characterization of a virus isolated from
a dog with neurological dysfunction Infection and Immunity
(1981) -PDF file format:
http://www.ncf-net.org/pdf/Baumgartner.pdf

Potential role of persistent paramyxovirus infection in Chronic
Fatigue Syndrome Interim progress report and research
proposal (2005) -PDF file format:
http://www.ncf-net.org/pdf/NCFReportKC1.pdf

II Corinthians 1: 4 - "Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God." Visit Dominie's FMS/CFIDS Homepage at www.fms-help.com for Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome sufferers and their families.

II Corinthians 1: 4 - "[God] Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God." Visit Dominie's FMS/CFIDS Homepage at www.fms-help.com for Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome sufferers and their families.