Yes, it was funded via donations to the foundation. I would expect publication before the end of the year if Melcangi’s estimates were accurate.
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Didn’t expect that, that’s fantastic news.
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Good news. This is outstanding work - KEEP IT UP BIG TIME. WE CAN FIX THIS.
Anyone confirm the study this funding became? This one?
http://www.pfsfoundation.org/news/possible-epigenetic-changes-pfs-patients-focus-new-clinical-study/
Yes, that’s the one.
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Any indication yet what the study is expected to reveal ?
Well that’s top news.
It also shows that simple action on here – small amounts of funding by users – can yield direct research into the problem. Clear lesson for us all. Simple, co-ordinated action is powerful.
Pumped to see the finished paper when Melcangi releases.
If there’s insights or useful stuff in there – he will become Roberto “the Magic Man” Melcangi.
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Quick question do you believe we may have a cure soon? Any idea when his studies will be published?
i doubt melcangi will be aple to synthesize 5ar2 enzymes from scratch
So you think no cure?
Insights are the start. This is a game of patience and funding.
from all the reading ive done and from all member stories, i think each persons pfs manifests differently, for me i think my 5ar2 is totally suppressed or silenced, for others they might have both 2 and 3 silenced, some other guy might be negatively affected by suppressed 5ar1 from the testo rise and so on, so no, universall cure for this syndrome is not possible by my logic
My understanding is they’ve been researching for years, they must be close to treatments in my mind.
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we all hope so 
I just have a feeling that there wont be a “universal” cure, something you magically swallow and return to normal.
Obviously I can’t talk about anything I know that hasn’t been shared publicly, but speculating from what is public one might imagine that Melcangi has found the methylation of 5 alpha reductase. I’ll share my own personal thoughts if anyone’s interested.
The impairment of 5 alpha reductase has long been a likely conclusion I’ve discussed (and argued with gurus offering magic beans…) given several symptoms of PFS, particularly mental, and the previous neurosteroid findings. Melcangi has apparently said to @PastUser there’s “very significant functional changes” to the enzyme in several of his studied subjects and as the public protocol suggests, he is modelling this in rats to perform various analysis in this study. However, it’s difficult to say until he publishes how enlightening this will be in terms of the puzzle of PFS. This publication is due in the next six months hopefully. @awor 's original hypothesis, which is still likely to be the root malady of PFS in my opinion, did indeed suggest that the downstream androgen dependent gene functions would be epigenetically downregulated due to the over-expression of the AR and consequential silencing of the AR signal. There are other scientific findings due that I’m hopeful for and, as “PFS” is capable of occurring through substances that are antiandrogens and nothing to do with 5ar (lupron etc), it is extremely unlikely to me that the root is the methylation of 5ar. Significant AR over-expression has been confirmed in PFS patients and in the brains of animals exposed to/withdrawn from finasteride; an over-expression that increased over time after withdrawal. Significant AR overexpression has been demonstrated to be toxic. Rather, it’s likely 5ar’s functional change is an important consequence and significant explanation for some symptoms and findings in PFS. Of course, a finding regarding this and a good paper from prof M will be useful data for our issue and well worth the money paid towards this extraordinarily cheap study. Really happy this was able to be done on such a shoestring.
I have recently read his recent publication: Post-finasteride syndrome and post-SSRI sexual dysfunction: two sides of the same coin?, which focuses on the likely connection between the two conditions, and it’s interesting to see Melcangi’s reasoning. My concern is Melcangi has repeatedly omitted a lot of the symptoms of PFS in his characterisations and thus is not currently working with an accurate symptom profile. Many of us, particularly severe cases, have suffered particular localised and systemic physical degeneration and changes. His characterisation seems to be only mental/emotional symptoms, neurological symptoms and loss of functionality with little mention besides muscle stiffness etc of physical effects that are well established to include genital damage, significant metabolic changes, muscle wasting, bone problems/diagnosed diseases, skin problems, increased hair loss etc. This also doesn’t account for one of the key observations of PFS that people still regularly pointing out: Improvement across the disorders with antiandrogenic substances or foods/further 5ari use, and worsening often entirely systemically in response to the administration of testosterone even in those that are hypogonadal. Melcangi’s background is of course as a world-leading expert on the regulation of 5 alpha reductase, so it is likely he’s pursuing this angle relative to this. I will say that I do have great faith in Melcangi as both a scientist and a human being. He’s a very intelligent and nice man, and it’s great to have him on the case. I’m pleased to see a speculative link between these disorders, which many of us believe have a fundamental connection and we hope to launch projects to pursue soon.
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Sorry my English is not so well and i’m also not very scientific. But am i right if i say in simple words that some of our genes or DNA are turned into the ‘off-modus’?
Is Melcangi trying by rat models how to turn over into the ‘on-modus’. Is Melcangi trying protocols that probably will cure?
I also think there must be a better way to raise money. Maybe a big banner that tells why it’s important to donate. Or a wall off fame for donating members.
Cheers
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We need design changes of this forum that encourage monthly donations and explain why they are important. I totally agree smphead and hope that this will be done soon. Its incredible that donating to the foundation as an alternative to dumping money down a fraudsters rabbit hole is not advertised and explained here. Any delay in this or refusal to implement it is pure stupidity. So I hope that the necessary design changes will happen very soon.
I have discussed this with axo but we also need a merge with the accutane forum and the deletion of solvepfs.com to increase the size of this community.
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Well said pvdl, we all need to crack this and get our lives back, i know this is random but with the advancements in modern medicine, we most likely will able to extend our lifes a couple of year’s to make up for the ones we lost with PFS.
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The Accutane people are here, now! I’m one of them.
Accutane people are very, very welcome here.
Do you want to promote our shared cause? Post the link to this site around. That’d be great!
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Does anyone think this study will be a game changer in terms of the medical community recognizing PFS ?