Whittemore Peterson Institute (WPI) is a 501(c)(3)nonprofit[3] medical research institute dedicated to scientific discovery surrounding complex neuroimmune diseases including chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and other similarly presenting illnesses.[4] Founded in 2005, it is currently located within the Center for Molecular Medicine at the University of Nevada, Reno. It was founded in 2005.[5]
Whittemore Peterson Institute is a research institute and charitable foundation[6] known for its claims[7] that the retrovirusxenotropic murine leukemia virus–related virus (XMRV) is associated with and may cause CFS and a variety of additional diseases. A report by WPI scientists of an association between CFS and XMRV[8][9][10] was forcibly retracted by the journal Science[11] when the results could not be replicated,[12][13][14][15] and it was discovered that XMRV was a laboratory-created recombinant of two mouse viruses.[7][16][17][18] Amid allegations of sloppiness and scientific misconduct,[19] WPI personnel criticised the methods and motives of other scientists, implying that the negative results were part of a "cover-up" or a "bias against this disease (CFS)".[20][21]
WPI was created by the parents of a CFS patient, Annette and Harvey Whittemore,[22] and by Daniel Peterson, an early researcher of the illness.[23] Peterson left WPI in 2010 due to concerns related to the XMRV research.[20] The institute is affiliated with the University of Nevada, Reno.[24]Judy Mikovits joined as research director in 2006,[22] but was terminated by WPI in October 2011 for not turning her work over to another scientist[25] while also coming under investigation for alleged manipulation of data in her publications related to XMRV.[26] WPI moved to the newly constructed Center for Molecular Medicine in August 2010.[27]
^Menéndez-Arias L (January 2011). "Evidence and controversies on the role of XMRV in prostate cancer and chronic fatigue syndrome". Rev. Med. Virol. 21 (1): 3–17. doi:10.1002/rmv.673. PMID21294212. S2CID45289501.