Hué, Stéphane, Gray, Eleanor R, Gall, Astrid et al. · Retrovirology · 2010 · DOI
This study investigated whether XMRV, a virus that some researchers claimed to find in ME/CFS patients, was actually a real discovery or a result of laboratory contamination. The researchers found strong evidence that the XMRV sequences reported in patient samples likely came from contamination with mouse DNA and a cancer cell line used in laboratories, rather than from actual infection in patients.
This study was critical in resolving a major controversy in ME/CFS research. The initial 2009 reports linking XMRV to ME/CFS generated significant hope but also widespread debate; this rigorous analysis provided evidence that the positive findings were likely artifacts rather than true viral discoveries, helping the field redirect resources toward more promising research directions.
This study does not prove that no retrovirus is associated with ME/CFS—only that XMRV specifically appears to be a laboratory artifact. It does not establish the cause of ME/CFS or rule out other potential viral or infectious contributors. The findings also do not address whether the original 2009 XMRV research was conducted with intentional misconduct or was an honest error in interpretation.
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 →
The first block is for the primary paper and is the citation you should use in research work. The atlas-snapshot line only applies if you are specifically referring to this atlas’s reading of the paper on the date shown.
Primary citation
Hué, Stéphane, Gray, Eleanor R, Gall, Astrid, Katzourakis, Aris, Tan, Choon Ping, Houldcroft, Charlotte J, et al. (2010). Disease-associated XMRV sequences are consistent with laboratory contamination.. Retrovirology. https://doi.org/10.1186/1742-4690-7-111
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-hu-2010-disease-associated,
author = {Hué, Stéphane and Gray, Eleanor R and Gall, Astrid and Katzourakis, Aris and Tan, Choon Ping and Houldcroft, Charlotte J and McLaren, Stuart and Pillay, Deenan and Futreal, Andrew and Garson, Jeremy A and Pybus, Oliver G and Kellam, Paul and Towers, Greg J},
title = {Disease-associated XMRV sequences are consistent with laboratory contamination.},
journal = {Retrovirology},
year = {2010},
doi = {10.1186/1742-4690-7-111},
note = {PubMed: 21171979},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/hu-2010-disease-associated},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-28. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/hu-2010-disease-associated
Contribute
Private, reviewed by a human. Not a public comment thread.