Scientists may have solved a decades-old mystery by uncovering the cause of an illness that affects one in three Gulf War veterans. The discovery paves the way for future treatments and relief, offering hope to hundreds of veterans suffering from Gulf War illness.
The Gulf War was an international conflict that took place from 1990 to 1991, triggered by Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait in 1990. Nearly one million military personnel from 41 countries participated in the fighting and were exposed to a variety of chemical and biological weapons.
In 1994, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) was launched investigation The hospital was inundated with reports of unexplained illnesses from Gulf War veterans, who reported symptoms including recurrent rashes, diarrhea, muscle pain, cognitive impairment and fatigue.
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Thirty years later, some questions still remain about so-called Gulf War illness, but most scientists agree that the diseases likely resulted from exposure to a combination of biological and chemical weapons and other environmental hazards in war-torn areas.
Now, scientists from Griffith University have, for the first time, identified the biological mechanism that may be causing this mysterious disease.
In a study published in the journal PLOS OneThe team said veterans with Gulf War illness had defects in a molecule involved in transporting calcium into cells, which plays a key role in cell signaling and helps regulate a variety of essential functions, including muscle contraction, nerve function and hormone secretion.
“This discovery is a major step forward in understanding this mysterious and complex disease,” study author Sonia Marshall Gradisnick, professor and director of the National Centre for Neuroimmunology and Emerging Diseases at Griffith University, said in a statement.
Previous studies have demonstrated a clear link between environmental toxins, including biological and chemical weapons, and damage to calcium transport structures.
“Our findings provide clear scientific evidence that the health problems experienced by Gulf War veterans are directly related to their exposure to specific toxic substances during their military service,” said Marshall Gradisnick. “Our study clearly demonstrates that the cellular structures of the human body are sensitive and vulnerable to these substances, causing impairment of cellular function.”
Researchers hope that by improving their understanding of the biochemical basis of the disease, they will soon be able to develop effective treatments to cure or at least manage the symptoms of Gulf War illness.
“This breakthrough in understanding the causes of Gulf War illness gives hope that researchers may be able to develop new treatments that will improve the future for veterans,” said Marshall Gradisnick.
Ian Allwood, a Gulf War veteran and Australian Gulf War Illness advocate, said he was extremely grateful for the study. “It means the world to us to be believed,” he said in a statement. “This research is life-changing for Gulf War veterans.”
“For those in the suffering veteran community, this is the first step towards identifying the cause. This is groundbreaking research that will hopefully pave the way for treatment of an often debilitating condition.”
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