by W. John Martin, MD, PhD.*
Parents of autistic children are understandably seeking an explanation of their child’s illness. Many have been encouraged to blame the government sponsored vaccination programs. Initially, the major focus was on the impurity of the pertussis (whooping cough) vaccine and its alum additive.1 The next issue was live measles virus included in the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine combination.2 More recently, the emphasis has shifted to killed vaccines and especially to the widely used mercury containing thimerosal preservative.3 In addition to concerns regarding the actual constituents in vaccines, an overriding issue has been the increasing number of vaccines being given to infants, some of which may be less essential than commonly argued.4 It has not been difficult for various lay spokespersons to gather followings of supporters of the vaccine-induced-autism hypothesis and to preach about the dangers of vaccination.
Attributing autism to vaccines also carries a potential financial benefit in terms of possible liability settlements within the government’s Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP).5 The initial legal testing of this hypothesis was disappointing to many observers given the poor quality of the data presented on behalf of a carefully selected family.6 Recently, however, the government did not contest a claim that vaccination had precipitated autism in a child with genetically defective mitochondria.7 Although the actual reasoning behind this decision has yet to be publicly released, the presumption appears to have been that vaccination induced fever placed an intolerable added energy requirement on the child, leading to potential progression of the underlying disorder. Government spokespersons have emphasized that a similar outcome would have likely occurred had the child developed one of the illnesses for which the vaccine was intended to prevent. Moreover, the spokespersons have stressed the relative infrequency of the type of inherited mitochondria disorder that had affected the child (estimated 1:4000) and that childhood vaccinations are saving several thousand lives annually.
Anti-vaccine proponents have been quick to question how frequently autistic children may have defective mitochondria. As with many other chronic diseases, it is relatively easy to document metabolic imbalances in autistic patients that are attributable, at least in part, to mitochondria dysfunction.8-10 Some reports have placed this figure as high as 20%, especially if markers such as elevated blood lactate levels are equated with impaired mitochondria. Mitochondria defects are potentially genetically inherited from either parent or may be acquired. Again, the anti-vaccine proponents have argued for that vaccines are potentially damaging even to normal mitochondria because of chemical contaminants, including mercury.
In the public relations arena, the government is clearly being outmaneuvered by the anti-vaccine advocates. The rules of engagements appear to include the legitimacy of using passionate celebrities, articulate lay authors and founders of the rapidly emerging non-profit groups in the anti-vaccine camp. These spokespersons can avoid scientific accountability for their statements, yet expect full disclosure by the government. It is unlikely that full disclosure will ever be provided because of the proprietary restrictions imposed on the government by the pharmaceutical industry. Instead, somewhat hapless pediatricians or representatives of major clinical organizations are being asked to defend vaccination programs with which they are not fully knowledgeable.
The real tragedy of this divisive contest is that it directs efforts away from addressing the issue of what can be done now for autistic children. There is also an urgent need to prevent autism from occurring among the increasing number of susceptible infants. There is little excuse for the anti-vaccine proponents to dismiss critical data simply because they do not fit into a political or economic driven agenda. Similarly, the government owes their constituency a full accounting of largely suppressed information concerning vaccines. Toping this agenda is much more open discourse on African green monkey simian cytomegalovirus (SCMV) contamination of previously licensed polio vaccines (discussed below).
There is evidence that the seeds of autism are sown before birth. Dr. Leo Kanner reported in his sentinel publication of 1943 on the enlarged head size of some of his patients.11 This observation has been substantiated in studies showing that although relatively smaller than normal at birth, the circumference of the head of most children who subsequently become autistic increases at an accelerated rate over the first year of life.12-13 Neuropeptide levels have been measured in stored cord blood samples of children who were subsequently diagnosed as autistic. The levels differed significantly from levels in children who developed normally.14-15 Serum abnormalities, including the presence of brain reactive auto-antibodies, are present in mothers of autistic children, as well as the affected children and some of their siblings.16-19 Many of these mothers have prior and/or ongoing evidence of less than optimal health with fatigue being among the more prevalent symptoms.20 It is difficult, therefore, to avoid the inference of mother to newborn transmission of a pervasive disease inducing factor that can predispose the developing child to autism.
In the face of an epidemic, the first issue ought to be to search for a potential infectious agent. A number of studies have shown that congenital infection with cytomegalovirus (CMV) can result in autism.21-25 It is inexcusable that the Government dismissed early reports of the existence of atypical viruses that failed to provoke an inflammatory response.20, 26-32 This decision was undoubtedly prompted by politically damaging data that the first two of such virus isolates were unequivocally derived from SCMV.26-27 One isolate was cultured from a patient with chronic fatigue syndrome and the other from a patient with a bi-polar psychosis. Additional culture based evidence, along with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) supportive data, argued for a generic process whereby various cell damaging (cytopathic) viruses could avoid immune elimination by simply deleting or mutating the few critical viral genes normally involved in direct cellular immune recognition.32 In the case of human CMV, only 3 of over 150 virus components are in aggregate targeted by more than 90% of the anti-CMV cytotoxic T cells. The generic process of avoiding cellular immune recognition by the deletion or mutation of critical virus antigenic components was coined stealth adaptation. In can potentially occur with all types of viruses and has definitely occurred with SCMV.27,32 The African green monkeys whose kidneys were used to provide cells for producing polio virus vaccines were known to be infected with SCMV. Moreover, a 1972 joint Food and Drug Administration (FDA) / Industry study showed SCMV contamination in all eleven kidney cultures derived from infected monkeys. SCMV DNA was detected in three of eight polio vaccine lots subsequently released in the mid 1970’s.33 FDA researchers have reported on their failure to culture virus from these contaminated vaccines but were unwilling to disclose details of culturing or to provide samples for independent analysis.
Numerous examples, some of which were published and otherwise reported provided culture evidence for the presence of stealth adapted viruses in blood and, when tested, cerebrospinal fluids, of autistic children.34 Logical explanations have been provided as to how immune stimulation caused by vaccination could potentially trigger an immune response to some residual minor antigens in the embedded stealth adapted viruses, or how a live vaccine virus could directly stimulate the replication or cytopathic effect (CPE) of a stealth adapted virus. Similarly, environmental toxins, such as pesticides or even mercury could cause additive damage to that being caused by the stealth adapted viruses, allowing the underlying illness to become clinically manifest. Normal brain functioning may simply become overwhelmed by the natural demands of speech and interpersonal socializing during the child’s second year. An underlying virus infection is consistent with the co-morbidity issues commonly present in children with autism, including prematurity,35 epilepsy,36 psychosis,37-38 gastrointestinal dysfunction2 and other illnesses.
A beneficial outcome of research on stealth adapted viruses has been the identification of a virus defense mechanism that is distinct from that provided by the cellular immune system. It is powered by what has been termed the alternative cellular energy (ACE) pathway.39-42 This pathway became apparent during the culturing of stealth adapted viruses. Clearly positive cultures showing a marked CPE, would regularly undergo a repair process if the cells were simply maintained in their culture medium. Replacement of the culture medium with fresh medium led to the rapid reappearance of the CPE. The reactivation process was inhibited if particulate matter that accumulates in cultures undergoing repair was added to the fresh replacement medium. These particulate materials were electrostatic, auto-fluorescent, commonly pigmented and occasionally magnetic. They could act as electron donors and could also self assemble into long ribbon and thread-like structures.39
Similar complex structures were seen within cells in brain biopsies of stealth adapted virus infected patients.40 These cells commonly displayed marked disruption of their mitochondria. The proposal was posited that these structures represented a non-mitochondria source of cellular energy and were accordingly called alternative cellular energy (ACE) pigments. Analysis of ACE pigments indicate a lattice-like structure in which the predominant organic components are simple, yet diverse, aromatic compounds and which contain rather restricted groupings of a wide range of mineral elements. Organically bound minerals are a mainstay of products such as chlorophyll and it is reasonable to suppose that ACE pigments are representative of a natural biological energy source. Indeed, using the repair of stealth adapted virus cultures as the testing method, several natural compounds were shown capable of providing cellular energy. Some of these, such as humic and fulvic acids and terpenes (essential oils) have known plant growth promoting activities. Others had found use in some clinical studies in humans. The term “enerceutical” was introduced to define cellular energy delivering products that could i) enhance the vitality of plants, animals and humans; ii) ameliorate a wide of illnesses through a non-disease specific process and even promote better overall performance in some individuals without an overt illness; and iii) work by creating an energy field rather than necessarily having to be actually present within the affected cells. Enerceuticals are, therefore, clearly distinguishable from pharmaceuticals.
Materials with ACE pigment (enerceutical) activity can be retrieved from the skin, urine and saliva of patients suspected of having stealth adapted virus infections, including patients with autism. They can also be identified within active lesions and in the surrounding skin areas of patients infected with herpes simplex virus (HSV) and herpes zoster virus (HZV) infections. In other studies, herpes virus skin lesions were shown to fluoresce under ultraviolet-A light in the presence of the dye neutral red.43 Various enerceutical products were formulated and examined for inducible fluorescence. One such product was found to be particularly effective in the therapy of HSV skin lesions.
Following Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval, this product was dye activated and placed on the outer surface of impermeable surgical towels, which were laid onto skin areas of autistic patients and illuminated with ultraviolet-A lighting. Discernable skin fluorescence which progressively faded was seen during the 30-60 minutes exposure. In some patients, the procedure was repeated the next day. In all 14 patients so far treated, there have been rather remarkable clinical improvements that have persisted and have actually progressed since the therapy. Three of the subjects were inappropriately urinating during the day requiring change of clothing. These events have not occurred over the 1-3 months since therapy. Two adolescents have begun employment for the first time in their lives. Reading skills have improved as well as obvious demonstrations of emotional joy at being able to demonstrate this capacity to the evaluating clinical investigator. Childcare is easier for mothers with one mentioning how nice it now is to have her previously autistic daughter help with household chores. Another mother commented upon how her child no longer hesitated before responding to a question or comment. Mothers also spoke of their children being less restless, able to ride calmly in car seats or to watch and follow attentively long television programs. Plans are underway to more fully document these findings and to further optimize the procedure. Once confirmed, widespread application of this simple therapy should become the unifying and highest priority of autism support groups worldwide.
For more information on the current investigational trial please contact the Institute of Progressive Medicine at s3support@mail.com.
Additional articles on this topic:
References
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*W. John Martin, MD, PhD., Institute of Progressive Medicine, Burbank CA 91502