Judy Mikovits
Encyclopedia
Judy Anne Mikovits was the research director of the Whittemore Peterson Institute
(WPI), a chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) research organization and clinic in Reno, Nevada
, USA. Mikovits led a research effort that reported in 2009 that a retrovirus known as xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus (XMRV) is associated with and may cause CFS. In October 2011, Mikovits was terminated by WPI for refusing to turn over her work to another scientist and subsequently came under investigation for alleged manipulation of data in her publications related to XMRV. On November 18, 2011, Judy Mikovits was arrested in her Ventura County, California home. Her lawyer said she was arrested on charges of theft brought by the WPI, but that the charges had no merit. By November 28, however, after negotiations with the WPI, 18 missing notebooks were returned.
in Maryland
during the 1980s. She then completed a joint PhD program in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology with Ruscetti and remained in his lab as a postdoctoral researcher. Her work with Ruscetti included studies of several retrovirus
es and their interactions with the immune system.
. Silverman had found XMRV sequences, which are highly similar to mouse genomic sequences, in prostate cancer specimens several years earlier. Using tools obtained from Silverman, Mikovits began to look for XMRV in her CFS samples. In late 2008, a postdoctoral researcher obtained two positive results from a group of twenty samples. He and Mikovits successively altered the experimental conditions until all samples gave a positive signal.
In 2009, Mikovits and co-workers reported in the journal Science that they had detected XMRV DNA
in CFS patients and control subjects. Two of the original authors of this paper subsequently reanalyzed the samples used in the research and found that the samples were contaminated with XMRV plasmid DNA, leading them to publish a partial retraction of their original results.
Lo and Alter in their 2010 paper entitled Detection of MLV-related virus gene sequences in blood of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome and healthy blood donors stated "Although we find evidence of a broader group of MLV-related viruses, rather than just XMRV, in patients with CFS and healthy blood donors, our results clearly support the central argument by Lombardi et al. that MLV-related viruses are associated with CFS and are present in some blood donors."
The results reported by Mikovits and the WPI have not been replicated to date. Robert Silverman, who was a co-author of the original XMRV-CFS article, told the Chicago Tribune that he was "concerned about lab contamination, despite our best efforts to avoid it".
Mikovits was arrested on November 18, 2011, based on allegations by the WPI that she had removed notebooks and other proprietary information from WPI. She is being held for extradition pursuant to that case. According to one of her attorneys, Lois Hart, Mikovits is not in possession of the allegedly removed material.
Whittemore Peterson Institute
The Whittemore Peterson Institute for Neuro-Immune Disease is a research institute and charitable foundation known for its claims that the retrovirus xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus is associated with and may cause chronic fatigue syndrome and a variety of additional diseases...
(WPI), a chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) research organization and clinic in Reno, Nevada
Reno, Nevada
Reno is the county seat of Washoe County, Nevada, United States. The city has a population of about 220,500 and is the most populous Nevada city outside of the Las Vegas metropolitan area...
, USA. Mikovits led a research effort that reported in 2009 that a retrovirus known as xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus (XMRV) is associated with and may cause CFS. In October 2011, Mikovits was terminated by WPI for refusing to turn over her work to another scientist and subsequently came under investigation for alleged manipulation of data in her publications related to XMRV. On November 18, 2011, Judy Mikovits was arrested in her Ventura County, California home. Her lawyer said she was arrested on charges of theft brought by the WPI, but that the charges had no merit. By November 28, however, after negotiations with the WPI, 18 missing notebooks were returned.
Background
Mikovits worked for Francis "Frank" Ruscetti at the National Cancer InstituteNational Cancer Institute
The National Cancer Institute is part of the National Institutes of Health , which is one of 11 agencies that are part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The NCI coordinates the U.S...
in Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
during the 1980s. She then completed a joint PhD program in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology with Ruscetti and remained in his lab as a postdoctoral researcher. Her work with Ruscetti included studies of several retrovirus
Retrovirus
A retrovirus is an RNA virus that is duplicated in a host cell using the reverse transcriptase enzyme to produce DNA from its RNA genome. The DNA is then incorporated into the host's genome by an integrase enzyme. The virus thereafter replicates as part of the host cell's DNA...
es and their interactions with the immune system.
XMRV and CFS
The Whittemores hired Mikovits as research director of WPI in 2006. Frustrated by a lack of answers for the illness, Whittemore decided that, "if there was a place of our own where we could find the answers, we could do it more quickly." Her attempts to find a viral cause of CFS were initially unsuccessful. In 2007, she met a co-discoverer of XMRV, Robert Silverman, at a conferenceAcademic conference
An academic conference or symposium is a conference for researchers to present and discuss their work. Together with academic or scientific journals, conferences provide an important channel for exchange of information between researchers.-Overview:Conferences are usually composed of various...
. Silverman had found XMRV sequences, which are highly similar to mouse genomic sequences, in prostate cancer specimens several years earlier. Using tools obtained from Silverman, Mikovits began to look for XMRV in her CFS samples. In late 2008, a postdoctoral researcher obtained two positive results from a group of twenty samples. He and Mikovits successively altered the experimental conditions until all samples gave a positive signal.
In 2009, Mikovits and co-workers reported in the journal Science that they had detected XMRV DNA
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
in CFS patients and control subjects. Two of the original authors of this paper subsequently reanalyzed the samples used in the research and found that the samples were contaminated with XMRV plasmid DNA, leading them to publish a partial retraction of their original results.
Lo and Alter in their 2010 paper entitled Detection of MLV-related virus gene sequences in blood of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome and healthy blood donors stated "Although we find evidence of a broader group of MLV-related viruses, rather than just XMRV, in patients with CFS and healthy blood donors, our results clearly support the central argument by Lombardi et al. that MLV-related viruses are associated with CFS and are present in some blood donors."
Contradicting results
Negative results were published soon after, disputing Mikovits's findings.The results reported by Mikovits and the WPI have not been replicated to date. Robert Silverman, who was a co-author of the original XMRV-CFS article, told the Chicago Tribune that he was "concerned about lab contamination, despite our best efforts to avoid it".
Criticism
Mikovits has garnered criticism from some scientists for stating that XMRV is a communicable infection which is "clearly circulating through the population as is our fear and your fear" Virologist Vincent Racaniello said that saying that "is just inciting fear." Mikovits showed slides at a conference which linked XMRV to Parkinson's disease, autism and multiple sclerosis. However, there is no published evidence that XMRV is associated with these diseases.Mikovits was arrested on November 18, 2011, based on allegations by the WPI that she had removed notebooks and other proprietary information from WPI. She is being held for extradition pursuant to that case. According to one of her attorneys, Lois Hart, Mikovits is not in possession of the allegedly removed material.