Blastocystis Research Foundation

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Information about Blastocystis
 
** New Study **
 
We are collecting accounts from Blastocystis patients for an epidemiological study of infection - please contact us if you can participate.
 
** Looking for Board Members **
 
We are looking for people with a background in microbiology, medicine, chemistry, or pharmacology to serve on our Board of Directors.  Our board meets four times a year and sets general policy for the Foundation.  Please contact us if you would be interested.  
 
 
Foundation News
 
5/8/2008 Read BRF's follow-up letters to NIAID Directory Anthony Fauci, Representative Neal (D-Mass) and Representative Tauscher (D-CA).
4/27/2008 Read the letter from the Honorable Richard E. Neal (D-Mass) who wrote to support his constituent's request for a specific NIH Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) for clinical research into Blastocystis infection, and to add Blastocystis to the Blastocystis to the Category B pathogen list.
4/27/2008 Medscape reports on Center for Digestive Diseases 3-drug combination treatment for Blastocystis infection.
4/12/2008 Neurologically active proteases identified in patients with chronic gastrointestinal illness of unknown cause (IBS and inflammatory bowel disease).  Read about it in the New Scientist Article.  Scientists, reporting in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, reproduce symptoms of widespread pain in mice using tissue taken from colonic biopsies of IBS patients. 
4/7/2008 Testimony from BRF concerning potential role of Blastocystis infection in chronic gastrointestinal illness of unknown etiology in soldiers returning from the Middle East was presented at this meeting of the Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Illness.
3/10/2008 Blastocystis infection in IBS featured in UK Journal, Gut Reaction
09/01/2007 BRF awards Best Paper Prizes for 2006 to Blastocystis Researchers
06/18/2007 BRF and Maryland-based Clongen Inc. announce availability of first commercial PCR assay for detection and phylogenetic analysis of Blastocystis
 
06/10/2007
BRF announces successful completion of first phase of the Oregon Blastocystis Phylogenetics project.
 
03/01/2007
Ken Boorom, Director of Blastocystis Research Foundation, testifies before the Oregon State Legislature's Health Policy Committee in favor of making Blastocystis a reportable infection.  Letters of support are presented from physicians in Corvallis, and patients provide testimony as well.  Transcript of testimony.
02/14/2007
KVAL-TV broadcast a story on Blastocystis infection (click here for MPG video - 30 Megabytes)
 
02/12/2007
Representative Sara Gelser introduces bill into Oregon State Legislature to require the state health department to track Blastocystis infections the same way similar infections are tracked (click here for the text of the bill)
 
01/14/2007 Gazette Times publishes article on Blastocystis infection in Oregon.
 
11/15/2006 Oregon State University announces its Blastocystis Research Project.
 
10/15/2006 Blastocystis Research Foundation releases Legislator Fact Sheet for Blastocystis.
 
09/30/2006 Announcement of the publication of clinical reference on Blastocystis.
 
08/27/2006 Blastocystis Research Foundation publishes first newsletter.
 
06/16/2006 Blastocystis Research Foundation announces goals.
 

 

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This web site is for information only and is not meant to be used for self-diagnosis or as a substitute for consultation with a health care proider regarding Blastocystis hominis.  If you have any questions about the disease described above or think that you may have a parasitic infection, consult a health care provider.