Sep 28, 2007
Slowburn treatment for chronic disease
For many years, the notion that bacteria could cause ulcers was brushed aside, until the work of Robin Warren, who “rediscovered” the gut microbe Helicobacter pylori, was finally accepted by mainstream medicine.
More recently, periodontal disease, a bacterial infection of the gums, has been implicated in heart disease, it’s the toxins released by the bacteria that are to blame apparently in some cases.
And in a recent discussion with one leading researcher about the genetics of obesity, he told me that he considered it more likely that a bacterial infection was more likely to be to blame for some cases of obesity than genetics and conversely there may be bacteria that make some people thin.
Amy Proal of the Bacteriality blog contacted me to tell me that she believes doctors and the medical community are slow to warm to these very new ideas that bacteria might be to blame for chronic disease and obesity.
“The evidence is overwhelming if you connect the dots,” Proal, a Biology graduate and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) sufferer told me, “Particularly interesting is the work of researcher Trevor Marshall who is using molecular modelling software to reveal many of the ways bacteria can interact with our innate immune system.
Marshall is known for his eponymous Protocol, which uses low doses of antibiotics to supposedly treat chronic health problems including CFS, fibromyalgia, and rheumatoid arthritis and a growing list of other problems.
Key to the Protocol is the concept of “L-form bacteria. Bacteria that develop from classical bacteria, lose their cell walls, and then secrete themselves within white blood cells and biofilms, undetected. It’s that word “undetected” that should set alarm bells ringing, how do we know they’re there if they are undetected. This whole new biological arena exists only in Marshall’s computer simulations, as far as I know.
The Marshall Protocol is said to target these so-called L-form bacteria and there are apparently thousands of patients with a variety of chronic illnesses undergoing this form of treatment and reportedly seeing serious improvement and even resolution of their symptoms. Of course, there aren’t any control patients being given a placebo (under double blind control, as far as I am aware), which makes it all seem a little too good to be true…
@Dallas The fact that MP doesn’t look commercial is one of the reasons I gave it so much space in the first place, that and the fact that many good people in research seemed to indicate that it is worth investigating. Web links are one thing, but if anyone has any independent peer-reviewed research showing L-form bacteria I’d love to see it the journal citations…
David Bradley,
I hope you (and your readers who see your your July 24th post) will not only read the Science-Based Medicine article, but will also carefully review the many responses that readers have sent in, including people who have tried the MP, and others who have not. To say that the MP is “untested” does not invalidate the existence of many people who have tried the MP for themselves. It does not invalidate the experience of doctors who have been surprised to find that (1,25-D) levels can be elevated even if (25-D) levels are depressed. It only means the MP hasn’t been tested in a narrow sense. There is more than in-silico evidence. You can find many reliable links on the web that refer to intracellular L-form bacteria. One significant element of a typical SCAM that is missing from the MP is profit-making. You can’t buy any medicines at the MP websites. No charges are made for services. There are no hollywood celebrity endorsements, no infomercials, no affiliations with drug companies. I encourage you to read the readers’ comments in full. Thank you.
Science-Based Medicine has an interesting post on the Marshall Protocol in which it is pointed out that it has all the tell-tale trademarks of a SCAM (Spurious Complementary and Alternative Medicine):
“The Marshall Protocol has all the characteristics of modern alternative therapy: a single discoverer, a hitherto undiscovered biology, an unproven therapeutic intervention and one of the most aggravating issues in SCAM’s: Taking a scientific truth the size of a molehill and transmogrifying it into a Cascade Range of exaggerated disease etiology and treatment. Unlike most SCAM’s, however, as best as I can tell Dr Marshall does not seem to be in the business of making a business from his discovery, although he does have patent applications for his protocol.”
Thanks for your comment Bonita, good luck with the Protocol.
I have been on MP for 2 yrs and 10 months (now Phase 3)………..I am healing and able to do things I have not been able to do for years. I no longer suffer from migraines, MCS, osteoprosis pain, asthma and mainly sarcoidosis….which has made me lose my right kidney, all female organs just to name a few things. Nothing is better or works as well as MP. I would never hesitate to do MP.