Paprotka, Tobias, Venkatachari, Narasimhan J, Chaipan, Chawaree et al. · Journal of virology · 2010 · DOI
This study investigated how a virus called XMRV, which has been found in some ME/CFS patients, survives and spreads in human cells. Researchers discovered that the virus can replicate more easily in certain cells that have low levels of natural antiviral proteins called APOBEC3. The study also found that some HIV medications (AZT, tenofovir, and raltegravir) can block XMRV replication in laboratory tests.
Since XMRV has been detected in ME/CFS patient immune cells, understanding its replication strategy is critical for developing potential treatments. This work identifies specific cell types permissive to XMRV infection and demonstrates that existing antiretroviral drugs can inhibit the virus, suggesting potential therapeutic avenues worth investigating in clinical contexts.
This laboratory study does not prove that XMRV causes ME/CFS or that antiretroviral drugs would be clinically effective in ME/CFS patients. The presence of XMRV in patient cells does not establish causation, and in vitro drug susceptibility does not guarantee in vivo efficacy or safety in human treatment trials.
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
Paprotka, Tobias, Venkatachari, Narasimhan J, Chaipan, Chawaree, Burdick, Ryan, Delviks-Frankenberry, Krista A, Hu, Wei-Shau, et al. (2010). Inhibition of xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus by APOBEC3 proteins and antiviral drugs.. Journal of virology. https://doi.org/10.1128/JVI.00134-10
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-paprotka-2010-inhibition-xenotropic,
author = {Paprotka, Tobias and Venkatachari, Narasimhan J and Chaipan, Chawaree and Burdick, Ryan and Delviks-Frankenberry, Krista A and Hu, Wei-Shau and Pathak, Vinay K},
title = {Inhibition of xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus by APOBEC3 proteins and antiviral drugs.},
journal = {Journal of virology},
year = {2010},
doi = {10.1128/JVI.00134-10},
note = {PubMed: 20335265},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/paprotka-2010-inhibition-xenotropic},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-25. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/paprotka-2010-inhibition-xenotropic
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