Veterans Day Research Open House - Gulf War Illness, TBI, PTSD

The Roskamp Institute in Sarasota, FL is hosting a *virtual* open house event on Veterans Day, November 11, 2020 with a special invitation to veterans and members of the military. All are welcome to attend this event.

Highlighting the work at The Roskamp Institute and Clinic and showcasing research programs on:

Traumatic Brain Injury

Gulf War Illness

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Also featuring a live Q-and-A with our top researchers on these topics.

For details and to RSVP for the event: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_otczati0RgeR_9iGfuUPNA

Gulf War Veteran Survey Now Open

 

The Nova Southeastern survey study of Gulf War veterans is open for a limited time.  

If you have already taken it already, don't take it again. There are two parts.

Research Finds Gulf War Pesticide Associated with Immune Response in Gulf War Illness

 A permethrin metabolite is associated with immune responses in Gulf War Illness

(Sarasota, FL - Roskamp Institute) - Gulf War Illness remains difficult to diagnose and treat since exposure to Gulf War chemicals happened nearly 30 years ago.  Many studies now provide strong support that pesticide exposure during the Gulf War is one of the key factors in causing GWI. 

This recent work at the Roskamp Institute shows that the pesticides used during the 1991 Gulf War can cause the body to negatively react to its own proteins that play important roles in supporting bodily functions. 

Treatment Research Studies for 1990-91 Gulf War Veterans

(91outcomes.com - August 18, 2020)  There are several important resources for veterans of the 1990-91 Gulf War interested in participating in treatment research studies.

Individual Studies

There are numerous individual clinical trials and other studies around the U.S. that are actively recruiting veterans of the 1990-91 Gulf War.  Below are several resources to find them.

**Action Alert** Call on Your Senators to Continue Gulf War Treatment Research

(91outcomes.com) - The treatment-focused Gulf War Illness research program expires at the end of this fiscal year.  The goal is to continue to grow this critically important treatment development research for the nearly one-third of Gulf War veterans debilitated by Gulf War Illness.

It parallels the effort in the U.S. House that just concluded, led by Rep. Gregorio Sablan (D-NMI) and Rep. Jack Bergman, LtGen, USMC (Ret.) (R-Mich.) with 108 bipartisan cosigners including the leadership and many members of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee.

Help Grow Gulf War Illness Treatment Research

(91outcomes.com) - The treatment-focused Gulf War Illness research program expires at the end of this fiscal year.  The goal is to continue to grow this critically important treatment development research for the nearly one-third of Gulf War veterans debilitated by Gulf War Illness.

Veterans with Gulf War Illness have widespread brain inflammation, new study shows

SOURCE:  https://www.bostonherald.com/2020/02/17/veterans-with-gulf-war-syndrome-have-widespread-brain-inflammation-new-study-shows/

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ARCHIVED ARTICLE:

By ALEXI COHAN | alexi.cohan@bostonherald.com | Boston Herald

PUBLISHED: February 17, 2020 at 7:40 p.m. | UPDATED: February 17, 2020 at 8:14 p.m.

Veterans with Gulf War Syndrome have 

widespread brain inflammation, new study

shows

BOSTON, MA. – SEPTEMBER 20: Mass. General Hospital , September 20, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Staff Photo By Stuart Cahill/Boston Herald) 

By ALEXI COHAN | alexi.cohan@bostonherald.com | Boston Herald

PUBLISHED: February 17, 2020 at 7:40 p.m. | UPDATED: February 17, 2020 at 8:14 p.m.

Veterans who fought against Iraq in the Gulf War and now battle debilitating symptoms of what’s been called Gulf War Syndrome have widespread inflammation in the brain, researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital confirmed for the first time.

“We are documenting objective neurochemical changes in the brains of these people which is a way to validate their complaints,”

Highlights of Recent Gulf War Illness Research Findings

Highlights of GWIRP 2019-20 Peer-Reviewed Published Findings

Updated February 12, 2020

New results from a GWIRP-funded brain-imaging study in Boston provide the first direct evidence of neuroinflammation in veterans with GWI.  Based on early GWIRP-funded study results, a focus on identifying and confirming or denying the presence of persistent neuroinflammation in GWI has been a key GWIRP goal.  These results provide the first objective evidence confirming the relevance of neuroinflammation in GWI and that treatments should indeed be targeted at countering this neuroinflammation.[1]

Another key area of GWIRP-funded research has been related to role of the gut-brain axis in GWI.  A GWIRP-funded study also from Boston and also just published assessed the relationships between GWI, GI symptoms, gut microbiome and inflammatory markers in GWV from the Boston Gulf War Illness Consortium (GWIC).  Results showed

5 Questions about Presumptions for Gulf War and Undiagnosed Illnesses

New drug GVT progresses in research aimed at helping Gulf War Illness and other neurodegenerative diseases

(91outcomes.com - August 17, 2019) - A small pharmaceutical company has taken positive findings from a Gulf War Illness (GWI) treatment research pilot study and now working on the next steps to test it to verify that it may indeed help alleviate Gulf War Illness symptoms.

The original work on this formulation was funded through a Fiscal Year 2013 treatment study by the treatment-focused, veteran-driven Gulf War Illness Research Program (GWIRP) funded by Congress at the request of ill Gulf War veteran advocates and within the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program (CDMRP).

I think I might have Gulf War Illness, what should I do?

(91outcomes.com) - If you think you might have Gulf War Illness (GWI), below are some basic suggested steps.

1) Read this overview about GWI: 

Review this "state of the science" overview of Gulf War Illness (GWI):  https://dx.doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.cortex.2015.08.022. 

While it's fairly technical, skim and read the parts you can understand.  You can also share this with your doctor or others.

Does it sound like you meet the following GWI criteria? 

"The Kansas definition of GWI requires that cases have moderately severe or multiple chronic symptoms in at least three of six categories: fatigue/sleep problems, pain, neurological/cognitive/mood symptoms, respiratory complaints, gastrointestinal problems or skin symptoms (Steele, 2000) [lasting at least 6 months in duration]. Veterans who have severe psychiatric disorders or other medical conditions that might predict similar symptoms are excluded." 

Most 1991 Gulf War veterans with GWI have had the symptoms for a very long time.  Many had their symptoms begin during or soon after Gulf War deployment.

Funding Pre-Announcement - Gulf War Illness Treatment Research Grant opportunities

SOURCE:  CDMRP, April 10, 2019

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---------- Original message ---------
From: Communications@cdmrp.org <Communications@cdmrp.org>
Date: Wed, Apr 10, 2019 at 11:00 AM
Subject: JUST RELEASED! FY19 GWIRP, LRP, MRP and VRP Pre-Announcements

This e-mail is to notify the research community of recently released pre-announcements for the Gulf War Illness, Lupus, Melanoma, and Vision Research Programs managed by the Department of Defense office of Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP) https://cdmrp.army.mil/pubs/press/cdmrp_presses to allow investigators time to plan and develop ideas for submission to the anticipated FY19 funding opportunities.

FY19 funding opportunities are anticipated for the following programs:

Gulf War Illness Research Program (GWIRP)

*       Idea Award

*       Idea Development Award

*       Clinical Evaluation Award

*       Therapeutic/Biomarker Trial Award

*       Patient-Provider and Health Communications Award

*       New Investigator Award

Lupus Research Program (LRP)

*     Concept Award

*     Impact Award

Melanoma Research Program (MRP)

*     Concept Award

*     Idea Award

*     Team Science Award

*     Translational Research Award

Vision Research Program (VRP)

*     Focused Translational Team Science Award

*     Investigator-Initiated Research Award

*     Translational Research Award

   

Descriptions of each of the anticipated funding opportunities, eligibility, key mechanism elements, and funding can be found in the Program pre-announcement.  FY19 pre-announcements can be found in the CDMRP home page features at https://cdmrp.army.mil . Subsequent notifications will be sent when the program announcements/funding opportunities are released.

Please do not respond directly to this message.  To be added or removed from this email list please use the “Subscribe/unsubscribe” to program specific news and updates at https://ebrap.org.

                                                                                    

…………………………………………………………………………………

CDMRP also provides news and updates through Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Follow CDMRP on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheCDMRP

Follow CDMRP on Twitter: https://twitter.com/CDMRP

Subscribe to CDMRP on YouTube:  http://www.youtube.com/CDMRP

GWIRP-funded study finds elevated rates of 7 chronic health conditions in Gulf War Veterans

(91outcomes.com – March 18, 2019) – Newly published results of a study of a large cohort of U.S. veterans of the 1991 Gulf War show a higher risk of numerous chronic health conditions, as compared to the general population.  The excess risk was linked to reported exposure to Gulf War chemical weapons or an experimental drug troops were forced to take without informed consent.  

Seven of nine surveyed conditions were shown to be at elevated risk among the veterans, including high blood pressure (HBP), high cholesterol, heart attack, diabetes, stroke, arthritis and chronic bronchitis.

For veterans reporting chemical weapons exposure, they showed higher risk of HBP, diabetes, arthritis, and chronic bronchitis. Those who reported taking pyridostigmine bromide (PB) nerve agent protective pills (NAPP’s), showed increased risk of heart attack and diabetes.

“Gulf War veterans are showing accelerated aging patterns resulting in

Boston University: Gulf War Veterans “Aging” Faster

SOURCE:  Boston University School of Public Health, Michelle Samuels reporting, March 18, 2019

https://www.bu.edu/sph/2019/03/18/gulf-war-veterans-aging-faster/

ARCHIVED ARTICLE:

Gulf War Veterans “Aging” Faster

POSTED ON: March 18, 2019 TOPICS: cardiovascular disease, chemical exposure, chronic diseases, diabetes, gulf war, gulf war illness, GWI, hypertension, joint pain, stroke, veteran health, veterans

Veterans of the Gulf War march in the 2018 National Memorial Day Parade in Washington, DC.

About 200,000 veterans of the 1991 Gulf War continue to suffer from Gulf War Illness (GWI), a set of symptoms including chronic pain, fatigue, and memory impairment caused by sarin chemical warfare agent, pesticides, and pyridostigmine bromide (PB) pills meant to protect soldiers from nerve gas during deployment.

Decades later, these exposures may also be causing higher rates and earlier onset of

**URGENT ACTION ALERT** -- Gulf War Illness Treatment Research in Congress

Updated April 4, 2019

(91outcomes.com) -- For the last several years, there has been gradually building momentum to develop treatments for Gulf War Illness, a debilitating chronic health condition that science has shown to affect between one-fourth and one-third of the veterans from the 1991 Gulf War and that likely resulted from a combination of toxic exposures.


SPECIFIC ACTION NEEDED:   The current targeted effort seeks co-signers in Congress before the fast approaching deadline for

Public Draft of Common Data Elements Released; Aim is to Improve Gulf War Illness Treatment Research

(91outcomes.com) - Gulf War Illness treatment researchers have completed the first public draft of a project to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of GWI clinical research studies and treatment, increase data quality, facilitate data sharing and aggregation of information across studies, and help educate new clinical investigators.  

Researchers, veterans, and advocates met for several months to define Common Data Elements (CDE's) useful for

Mouse model points to gastrointestinal neuroimmune disruption as contributing mechanism of Gulf War Illness

SOURCE:  FEDERATION OF AMERICAN SOCIETIES FOR EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY 
Press Release (via AAAS Eureka Alert!), https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-02/foas-tfj021219.php 

ARCHIVED ARTICLE:

PUBLIC RELEASE: 21-FEB-2019

The FASEB Journal: GI neuroimmune disruption contributes to Gulf War Illness

Mouse model points to gastrointestinal neuroimmune disruption as contributing mechanism of Gulf War Illness

FEDERATION OF AMERICAN SOCIETIES FOR EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY

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Many Persian Gulf War veterans experience Gulf War Illness (GWI), a chronic condition with symptoms ranging from gastrointestinal to neurological. While exposure to the anti-nerve gas pyridostigmine bromide (PB) is linked to the development of GWI, the exact cause and mechanisms of the illness remain unclear. Recently, an animal study published in The FASEB Journal tested the hypothesis that exposure to PB contributes to the development of GWI by disrupting the neural and immune systems of the intestine. 

A team of researchers

Gut bacterium deficiency linked to serious health issues -- is this related to recent progress finding treatments for Gulf War Illness

(91outcomes.com) - The Los Angeles Times reports that a new study suggests that sufficient levels of a critical gut bacterium may provide significant health benefits, while a deficiency is linked to serious health issues and an aging body.

The study by the

Gut chemical appears to be reduced in Gulf War Illness, may improve major GWI symptoms

(91outcomes.com) - A chemical important in the proper functioning of the gut appears in a new study to be problematically low in Gulf War Illness.  The study showed that restoring it effectively improved key complications of Gulf War Illness (GWI), including systemic inflammation, chronic fatigue, GI disturbances, metabolic complications and weight gain.  

The chemical, butyrate, is a

In Memory of Joy "JoJo" Chavez

(91outcomes.com - August 6, 2018) -- It is with deep regret and profound sadness that we announce the passing of Joy "JoJo" Chavez.  The Lord took JoJo home yesterday morning, August 5, 2018. 

She was an activist and true warrior for ill Gulf War veterans.  She led a focus group for multiple veterans who were ill.  She was recognized by the Presidential Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses (PAC) in 1996 for providing the PAC with important information related to ill Gulf War veterans.

JoJo was a valued friend, and a loving wife and mother.  She is survived by her husband, John Chavez -- formerly SSG Chavez, USAF, who served during the 1991 Gulf War, Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm.  Their experience with Gulf War Illness is described by former CIA analyst Patrick Eddington beginning in the opening paragraph of his 1997 book, "Gassed in the Gulf: The Inside Story of the Pentagon-CIA Cover-up of Gulf War Syndrome."  

Most of all JoJo was like a fierce Mother Bear when it came to “her vets and their families” who were in need! We will all miss her!

Joy is survived by her husband, John; her son and a former Marine, Jonathon, and his wife Kellie, a registered nurse.  Jonathon and Kellie are parents to Joy’s only grandchild, Everleigh Rose Lynn.  JoJo loved all children but she adored her grand baby!

Very Respectfully,

Marguerite Knox