November 30, 2014 (copyright 2014)

From Winter 2014-2015 Forum

The National CFIDS Foundation (NCF) is pleased to announce its latest research grant recipients, Dr. Carmel Mothersill and Dr. Colin Seymour, both from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario Canada. The $100,000 grant will fund new research titled "The role of cellular stress signaling in the aetiology of CFIDS."

Dr. Mothersill is the Canada Research Chair in Radiobiology and Professor of Medical Physics and Applied Radiation Sciences at McMaster University. Dr. Seymour is a Professor in the same department at McMaster. Both Mothersill and Seymour are considered to be pioneers in the field of low-dose radiation effects. They are well known, highly respected and well published in this field of science.

According to Professor Alan Cocchetto, Medical Director for the NCF, "Mothersill and Seymour's research helped to establish the critical link between the effects of low-dose radiation exposure in cells to the development of mitochondrial DNA deletions identified in CFIDS patient biopsy samples."

Cocchetto further stated that "Dr. Mothersill had previously assisted the NCF with the analysis of urinary radionuclide testing. With this knowledge, the NCF then proceeded to fund research by Dr. Henry Heng, from Wayne State University, to look for chromosomal abnormalities in those CFIDS patients who had previously been screened for radionuclide detection. As such, the NCF forwarded Heng's results to Mothersill and Seymour for their review and subsequent feedback. Heng's research results were consistent with radiation exposure. This led to the next logical step to fund Drs. Mothersill and Seymour to directly engage in CFIDS research."

According to NCF President, Gail Kansky, "The real purpose of this research is to test the hypothesis that CFIDS can become established as a result of chronic exposure to low-dose ionizing radiation. This type of exposure is the result of ingestion or inhalation of radionuclides thereby making this a chronic internal low-level radiation poisoning model. Since this is where the science has led us, our Board of Directors opted to fund this project. This research is particularly noteworthy since Chernobyl scientists had previously found that CFIDS development had been identified as part of the characteristic aftermath of radioecological catastrophe."

According to the NCF, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) is also known as Chronic Fatigue Immune Dysfunction Syndrome (CFIDS) as well as Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME). Founded in 1997, the goals of the NCF are to help fund medical research to find a cause and to expedite appropriate treatments for CFIDS/ME. The NCF, an all volunteer 501(c)(3) federally approved charity, is funded solely by individual contributions. Additional information can be found on the Foundation's website at www.ncf-net.org or in The National Forum quarterly newsletter. The NCF can be reached by phone at 781-449-3535.