Invest in ME
 

5^th Invest in ME

International ME/CFS Conference 2010

A New Era of ME/CFS Research 

Welcome to the 5^th Invest in ME International ME/CFS Conference 2010 in Westminster, London, UK, on 24th May 2010.

The key to resolving, treating and curing ME/CFS lies in biomedical research.

However, apart from a knowledge of the biomedical research which is ongoing it is necessary for healthcare staff to be aware of the multiple symptoms exhibited by ME patients and of the possible treatments available.

The education of healthcare staff about ME/CFS now needs to break with the past and reflect the newfound knowledge about the pathogenesis of ME/CFS which high quality biomedical research is providing.

The conference will be oriented toward providing healthcare staff and others with knowledge of the latest research and the biomarkers which allow appropriate treatments to be prescribed.

Our 2008 conference focused on Sub Grouping and Treatments and showed indisputable proof from leading ME/CFS experts regarding the pathology of this illness.

Our 2009 conference concentrated on the severely-affected patients with ME/CFS.

With the recent discovery of the xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus (XMRV) in patients with ME/CFS by the Whittemore-Peterson Institute, the US National Cancer Institute and the Cleveland Clinic of Ohio, we are witnessing a major breakthrough in attitudes toward reseach into ME/CFS.

Research data and experiences of managing and treating ME/CFS will be presented as will findings from the latest biomedical research.

The time is right for a scientific approach to research and treatment associated with ME/CFS.

Invest in ME are pleased to announce the following speakers at the conference-

Professor Brigitte Huber PhD  
Brigitte Huber is Professor of pathology at Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston. She has studied the presence of a specific retrovirus(HERV-K18) as a predictor for ME/CFS, as people who develop ME/CFS may be susceptible to activation of this ancient retrovirus in the human genome. 

Dr Judy Mikovits PhD  
Judy Mikovits is Research Director at the Whittemore Peterson Nevada CFS centre for Neuro-Immune disorders and has co-authored over 40 peer reviewed publications that address fundamental issues of viral pathogenesis, hematopoiesis and cytokine biology.

Dr Mikovits is one of the authors of the ground-breaking study published in Science magazine in October 2009 which detected XMRV in CFS patients (Detection of an infectious retrovirus, XMRV, in blood cells of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome).

Dr Jonathan Kerr MD, PhD
Sir Joseph Hotung Senior Lecturer in Inflammation, St George's University of London.

Dr Kerr has published several papers on CFS and gene expression the latest one being: Differentially expressed genes in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome / Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) patients reveal seven subtypes with distinct clinical phenotypes.

Dr Paul Cheney MD, PhD
Paul Cheney is Medical Director of the Cheney Clinic in Asheville, North Carolina. Dr. Cheney has been a pioneering clinical researcher in the field of ME/CFS and is an internationally recognized authority on the illness. He has lectured around the world and is author/co-author of numerous publications and scientific presentations about ME/CFS. Dr. Cheney was practicing in Lake Tahoe in 1984-1987, along with Dr. Daniel Peterson, when he helped lead a research effort with the NIH, the CDC and Harvard University School of Medicine studying the ME/CFS epidemic in Incline village.

Dr. Nancy Klimas MD
Dr. Klimas is a Professor of Medicine, Psychology, Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Miami School of Medicine. As principal investigator of one of the NIH sponsored CFS Research Centers she leads a multidisciplinary research team representing the fields of immunology, autonomic medicine, neuroendocrinology, behavioral psychology, rheumatology, nutrition, and exercise physiology. The University of Miami CFS Research Center is exploring interactions between the immune, autonomic and neuroendocrine systems, and evaluating therapies based on interventions at this level.

Professor Nora Chapman PhD
Nora Chapman is a Research Scientist at the University of Nebraska Enterovirus Research Laboratory and Associate Professor at the University of Nebraska Medical Centre, USA. Dr. Chapman studies persistent coxsackie infections in murine models of chronic myocarditis and dilated cardiomyopathy. She and her associates have demonstrated that selection of defective enterovirus in heart and other tissues leads to persistent infections despite active antiviral immune responses.Dr. Chapman is presently studying the mode of selection of these viruses and the effects of replication of these viruses upon infected cell function. Dr. Chapman and her associates at the University of Nebraska are further investigating Dr. John Chia's work in regards to enterovirus in the gut biopsies.

Dr. John Chia MD
Dr Chia is an infectious disease specialist, Torrance, California, USA. He has published research (Chronic fatigue syndrome associated with chronic enterovirus infection of the stomach) on the role of enteroviruses in the aetiology of ME/CFS - an area which has been implicated as one of the causes by a number of studies. There are more than 70 different types of enteroviruses that can affect the central nervous system, heart and muscles, all of which is consistent with the symptoms of ME/CFS.  By analyzing samples of stomach tissue from 165 patients with CFS, Dr. Chia's team discovered that 82% of these individuals had high levels of enteroviruses in their digestive systems. Dr Chia's research may result in the development of antiviral drugs to treat the debilitating symptoms of ME/CFS. 

Professor Leonard Jason PhD
Professor Jason has been among the most prolific of all ME/CFS researchers. For more than a decade, Professor Jason and his team at DePaul University�s Centre for Community Research in Chicago have worked to define the scope and impact of ME/CFS  worldwide.

Also present at the conference will be representatives of the European ME Alliance.

CPD Accreditation from the Royal colleges has been applied for and we hope to obtain the maximum credits for the conference, as in previous years.

Discounted rate - Sponsor a Medic:  IiME are again offering a discounted rate for healthcare staff who are recommended to attend by a local ME Support Group. IiME welcome all professionals who are working with, or have an interest in, ME/CFS.

Background:
The Invest in ME conferences have attracted presenters and delegates from fifteen countries and our DVDs of the conferences have been distributed to over 20 countries including Europe, USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis is a serious neurological illness (classified by the World Health Organisation under ICD-10-93.3) that causes severe problems for an estimated 250,000 people in the UK, of whom 25,000 are estimated to be children and young people.  It is five times more prevalent than HIV/AIDS in the UK and the leading cause of long term absence of children from school.

The conference will be a unique opportunity to be informed of the latest research and information from some of the leading experts on ME/CFS in the areas of diagnosis, management, treatment, epidemiology and research.

Conference Registration:

We welcome everyone who may be interested to attend this major international conference on ME/CFS.

Registration may be made by using the internet web-site at http://tinyurl.com/ydudvl5

Full details of the conference can be found at - http://tinyurl.com/ykdoqkc

Should you have any further questions relating to the conference please contact us at meconference@investinme.org.

We look forward to welcoming you to the conference,

Invest in ME
UK Registered Charity Nr. 1114035

Invest in ME, PO BOX 561, Eastleigh SO50 0GQ, Hampshire, UK
www.investinme.org

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