Honkimaa, Anni, Sioofy-Khojine, Amir-Babak, Oikarinen, Sami et al. · Journal of clinical virology : the official publication of the Pan American Society for Clinical Virology · 2020 · DOI
This study tested whether common antiviral medications could eliminate persistent coxsackievirus B infections in laboratory pancreatic cells. Researchers found that four drugs—Enviroxime, Fluoxetine, Hizentra (an immune protein), and Pleconaril—successfully cleared the virus from infected cells. The results suggest these medications might be worth testing in patients with chronic enterovirus infections.
Persistent enterovirus infections have been hypothesized to contribute to ME/CFS pathogenesis in some patients. This study identifies specific antiviral candidates that can eliminate coxsackievirus B from cells in laboratory conditions, providing a foundation for evaluating whether these drugs might benefit ME/CFS patients with evidence of persistent enteroviral infection.
This laboratory study does not prove that these antivirals will cure ME/CFS or that coxsackievirus B causes ME/CFS in patients. It does not establish that viral eradication in cells will translate to clinical benefit, nor does it demonstrate safety or efficacy in human trials. The study cannot determine whether persistent enterovirus plays a role in any individual patient's illness.
About the PEM badge: “PEM required” means post-exertional malaise was an explicit required diagnostic criterion for participant inclusion in this study — not that PEM was studied, observed, or discussed. Studies using criteria that do not require PEM (e.g. Fukuda, Oxford) are tagged “PEM not required”. How the atlas works →
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