DR. MICHAEL SNYDERMAN'S ONE-MAN DRUG TRIAL

Dr. Michael Snyderman, an oncologist at the State University of New York at Buffalo, also has Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), one of the cancers that's relatively common in CFS patients.  His poster presentation at the NIH conference showed that on a trial of AZT and Isentress (raltegravir)—two HIV drugs with efficacy against XMRV in test tube studies—several inflammatory cytokines decreased.  Cytokines are proteins secreted by immune and glial cells.  For Snyderman, the drop in interleukin 8 was particularly striking.  His CLL numbers decreased as well—and his CLL cells expressed XMRV. 

In an email, Snyderman wrote to CFS Central, “I believe there is excellent supporting data for treatment trials to start right now (as long as a good lab like Judy's [Mikovits] is involved). I am upset by delays when people with neurological, autoimmune and neoplastic disease are suffering. I don't know if treatment will work but my personal data validates trials. This is why I have put myself through this. I knew I was working with a center of excellence (WPI), and if there was anything important to learn, we would.  Waiting more to do these studies will not make the data stronger or more convincing. The studies can be modest at first to learn the parameters before doing a multi-million dollar study.”

Snyderman promises a longer interview with CFS Central in two weeks.  Right now, he’s snowed under finishing another poster presentation, this one for MD Anderson Cancer Hospital at the University of Texas.