By K. Kimberly McClearyPresident & CEO, The CFIDS Association of America In October 2009 CFS was linked to xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus, or XMRV, in a paper published by Lombardi et al in Science. A second study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) in August 2010 broadened the search, [...]

On May 24, 2011, the CFIDS Association launched Research1st, a website/blog intended to become a “one-stop shop” for the most current and reliable information about CFS research being conducted by top-flight scientists worldwide. Since then we’ve added 166 blog posts by members of our staff, volunteers and top experts in a variety of fields. Here is an [...]

By K. Kimberly McCleary, President & CEO As a new year begins, we look ahead to research initiatives under way to help better define CFS, understand its biological underpinnings, discover biomarkers, identify objective diagnostics and determine better treatment approaches. There are many individual grantees at work, too. (Find links to reports on the Association’s grantees here: [...]

By K. Kimberly McCleary, President & CEO For the second time in five days, a major paper linking CFS to a family of gammaretroviruses has been retracted. The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) released a notice of retraction to be published in its Dec. 27, 2011 issue.  The notice was included in [...]

By K. Kimberly McCleary, President & CEO In its Dec. 23, 2011 issue, Science issued a full retraction of the 2009 paper by Lombardi et al. that first linked CFS to XMRV. “Science is fully retracting the report “detection of an infectious retrovirus, XMRV, in blood cells of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.” Multiple laboratories, [...]

By K. Kimberly McCleary, President & CEO Journalist David Tuller wrote his first news story about CFS in 2007, when his byline ran under the New York Times headline, “Chronic fatigue no longer seen as ‘yuppie flu.’” He has written eight articles about CFS for the Times since then; they are listed and linked below. Most have been published in [...]

Our scientific director, Suzanne D. Vernon, PhD, has dedicated the majority of her professional career to studying CFS and bridging gaps in our scientific understanding of it. It’s more than just an occupation for Suzanne, it’s a personal passion. From the podium at scientific meetings to the steep and narrow trail at a 24-hour bike [...]

(Originally posted on Oct. 5, 2011; updated periodically as documented below and reposted on Nov. 19, 2011.) By K. Kimberly McCleary, President & CEO A story that began developing in the blogosphere in the last days of September broke loose on Oct. 3, with a story in the Wall Street Journal that reported Judy Mikovits, Ph.D., director [...]

Comments to the DHHS CFS Advisory Committee Public Testimony: November 8, 2011 Kim McCleary Two years ago when this committee met in October 2009, the session held in the Great Hall of the Humphrey Building had star power. The main attraction – XMRV. Called there to speak: retrovirology expert John Coffin; pioneering CFS experts Daniel [...]

By K. Kimberly McCleary, President & CEO The AABB is holding its annual meeting in San Diego this weekend where 6,000 blood banking professionals, scientists and physicians are gathered to hear the latest information of importance to blood safety. The organization, formerly known as the American Association of Blood Banks, now uses just the acronym because [...]