World Health Organization

A candidate antibody drug for prevention of malaria

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Abstract

Over 75% of malaria-attributable deaths occur in children under the age of 5 years. However, the first malaria vaccine recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) for pediatric use, RTS,S/AS01 (Mosquirix), has modest efficacy. Complementary strategies, including monoclonal antibodies, will be important in efforts to eradicate malaria. Here we characterize the circulating B cell repertoires of 45 RTS,S/AS01 vaccinees and discover monoclonal antibodies for development as potential therapeutics. We generated >28,000 antibody sequences and tested 481 antibodies for binding activity and 125 antibodies for antimalaria activity in vivo. Through these analyses we identified correlations suggesting that sequences in Plasmodium falciparum circumsporozoite protein, the target antigen in RTS,S/AS01, may induce immunodominant antibody responses that limit more protective, but subdominant, responses. Using binding studies, mouse malaria models, biomanufacturing assessments and protein stability assays, we selected AB-000224 and AB-007088 for advancement as a clinical lead and backup. We engineered the variable domains (Fv) of both antibodies to enable low-cost manufacturing at scale for distribution to pediatric populations, in alignment with WHO’s preferred product guidelines. The engineered clone with the optimal manufacturing and drug property profile, MAM01, was advanced into clinical development.

Discussion

Using single-cell sequencing of B cells from RTS,S vaccinees, we generated a library of CSP-specific mAbs that could be assessed and downselected to those most amenable for engineering and development as antimalaria medicines. In doing so we also uncovered important characteristics of the humoral response to RTS,S that may underlie the efficacy and durability of this vaccine.

First, we unexpectedly discovered an inverse relationship between the percentage of CSP-specific, IgG-expressing PBs and vaccinee protection status P3D (Fig. 1e–f). These data suggest that, despite the well-reported association between anti-CSP antibodies and protection following RTS,S56,57,58,59,60, more cells expressing anti-CSP or anti-NANP antibodies may not drive stronger protection. Because antibodies targeting repeat regions demonstrate a range of sporozoite-inhibitory activity in vivo, the difference between protective and unprotective antibody repertoires in humans could be driven by the relative proportion of highly versus weakly effective repeat-binding antibodies. This point is exemplified by the highly efficacious mAb, AB-000317, which was expressed in the most dominant P3D lineage of a protected vaccinee and in a much less frequent lineage of an unprotected vaccinee (Fig. 1f). Competition between antibodies at the sporozoite surface (‘epitope masking’)45,47,48 and/or within lymphoid organs32, where dominant but weakly functional antibodies outcompete subdominant, highly effective antibodies for binding to the repeat regions, could be one explanation for this inverse relationship between protection and prevalence of repeat-binding lineages (Fig. 1e). Indeed, our data indicating that P3D PB repeat-binding mAbs have lower levels of SHM than other mAbs (Fig. 1d) support the hypothesis that immature clones are preferentially activated and expanded over more protective memory clones32,48,49. Furthermore, this hypothesis could underlie other observations about RTS,S responses: specifically, functional antibodies in sera were higher post second dose (P2D) versus P3D56 and anti-CSP P2D, but not P3D, PB and memory B cells associate with P3D protection status61 and some vaccinees lost previous protective immune signatures P3D61. Overall, we propose that expression of potent, inhibitory antibodies by P3D PBs alone is insufficient for protection. Rather, relative levels of effective versus ineffective repeat-binding antibodies may be important in provision of consistent protection. Together, these data highlight the need for studies to correlate protection with the ratio of effective to ineffective repeat-binding antibodies circulating in sera at the time of infection.

Second, we found that sporozoite-inhibitory activity in mice does not correlate with binding kinetics to the long NANP6 peptide (Extended Data Table 1) but does significantly correlate with koff to CSP and with binding kinetics to both the short NANP-containing peptide (NPNA3) and peptides from the minor-repeat region and JR (Fig. 3d–g and Extended Data Table 1). These data suggest that protective antibodies induced following RTS,S vaccination probably affinity mature to short NANP repeats. Because the short PNANPN sequence is contained within both major repeats (included in RTS,S) and the minor repeat and JRs (not included in RTS,S), affinity maturation against this sequence may allow these antibodies to gain and/or improve promiscuous binding activity to epitopes containing PNANPN or a portion thereof, that may be important for potency28,39,44 but which are not fully represented in RTS,S. Consistent with this interpretation, aggregate levels of SHM in both heavy and light chains of inhibitory mAbs are correlated with binding kinetics to NANP-, NVDP- and NPDP-containing short peptides (Fig. 2c–e and Extended Data Table 1), as well as with inhibitory activity in the sporozoite-challenge model (Fig. 3h–i and Extended Data Table 1). Overall, the data are consistent with suggestions that next-generation anti-CSP vaccines contain fewer NANP repeats37,62 and/or should include sequences from minor repeats and JRs16,28,34,46,63,64,65,66.

Last, multiple observations including (1) the inverse relationship between the percentage of CSP- and NANP6-binding antibodies from expanded linages and protection against CHMI (Fig. 1e); (2) the correlation between binding kinetics with NVDP- and NPDP-containing peptides absent in RTS,S (Fig. 3f–g and Extended Data Table 1) and sporozoite inhibition in vivo; and (3) the correlation between binding kinetics to the short NPNA3, but not the longer NANP6 peptide, and sporozoite inhibition in vivo (Fig. 3e and Extended Data Table 1), are consistent with a hypothesis where multiple NANP repeats act as an immune ‘decoy’37,67 or ‘smokescreen’ 66,68 that dilutes protective immunity69,70,71,72,73. Under this hypothesis, antibody lineages that bind only to homologous epitopes are preferentially expanded over promiscuous mAbs that bind well to both homologous and heterologous epitopes. Because many of the antibodies that bind only to NANP repeats offer limited protection in vivo (Extended Data Table 1), enrichment for these antibodies dilutes the protective capacity of the broader anti-CSP repertoire32,37,48. In contrast, promiscuously binding antibodies that can simultaneously bind to multiple39,42,50 NANP repeats and heterologous epitopes may drive superior protection in vivo because they can saturate binding sites and further stabilize39,42,50,74,75 mAb interactions with both homologous and heterologous epitopes. Consistent with this idea, three of the most active in vivo mAbs, CIS43, L9 and AB-000317, can bind CSP with high stoichimetries16,20,39 via two binding events16. Further studies that examine the mechanisms of mAb binding to junctional, minor- and major-repeat regions and the interaction with sporozoite inhibition are needed to test this hypothesis.

Our study has a number of limitations. First, we did not assess whether the antibodies we characterized from expanded PB lineages collected 1 week before infection accurately reflected the composition of sera antibodies at the time of infection. Second, the current, WHO-recommended RTS,S vaccine includes the adjuvant AS01E76. Our study, however, examined antibodies derived from vaccinees who received RTS,S AS01B24. While the two adjuvants contain the same components, they are included at different levels77. More work will be needed to assess whether RTS,S/AS01E as used in the field produces antibody repertoires like those characterized here. Third, the correlations we observed between binding off-rates and function (Fig. 3d–i and Extended Data Table 1) were limited to mAbs from protected vaccinees. Further studies will be needed to assess whether similar correlations exist for inhibitory, repeat-binding antibodies derived from unprotected vaccinees. Finally, we tested only a small fraction of the sequences we generated. While we focused our discovery campaign on the larger PB lineages from each vaccinee, 3,334 smaller but expanded lineages remain uncharacterized.

By sequencing PBs, which represent the breadth of Ig sequence diversity that originates from lymphoid reactions following RTS,S vaccination, we deconstructed a part of the humoral response from protected and unprotected vaccinees. We identified lineages with highly protective antibodies in mouse models, screened sequence-diverse clones within those lineages for development-related properties and further engineered a clone to optimize its developability characteristics. These properties will increase the likelihood that regimens can be successfully developed for pediatric populations, which require small-volume, concentrated doses at low viscosity9. Given that the in vivo efficacy displayed by MAM01 is comparable to AB-000317, which in turn has activity comparable to or better than that of CIS43 (refs. 16,34), we believe that MAM01 will be useful for individuals living in malaria-naïve and -endemic regions and may also meet the WHO’s preferred product profile9, including cost-effective dosing for delivery in LMICs. By focusing on properties critical for manufacture and distribution to global pediatric populations9,23, in addition to the requirement for functional potency, the work reported here may contribute to prophylactic strategies that aid efforts in the eradication of malaria.

Monkeypox Virus DNA Polymerase Structure Solved Using Cryo-EM

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In July 2022, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that monkeypox was a public health emergency of international concern. And, as of early December 2022, more than 82,000 human monkeypox cases have been confirmed in 110 countries worldwide. New preventative and therapeutic measures against the virus are needed.

Monkeypox is caused by monkeypox virus, an enveloped double-stranded DNA virus that belongs to the Orthopoxvirus genus of the Poxviridae family. The monkeypox virus has its own DNA polymerase F8 which, when together with the processive cofactors A22 and E4, constitutes the polymerase holoenzyme for genome replication.

Now, researchers present a high-resolution structure of the monkeypox virus DNA polymerase holoenzyme—a complex that plays a key role in the genome replication process of the virus. The findings reveal the mechanism that underlies monkeypox virus genome replication and could be used to guide the development of antiviral drugs.

This work is published in Science, in the article, “Structure of monkeypox virus DNA polymerase holoenzyme.”

Qi Peng, PhD, and colleagues at the CAS Key Laboratory of Pathogen Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing, used cryo-electron microscopy to determine a high-resolution structure of the monkeypox virus DNA polymerase holoenzyme.

They determined the holoenzyme structure in complex with DNA using cryo-electron microscopy at the global resolution of ~2.8 Å. According to the findings, the holoenzyme possesses an architecture that indicates a “forward sliding clamp” mechanism for DNA replication. Monkeypox virus polymerase has a similar DNA binding mode to other B-family DNA polymerases from different species. These findings reveal the mechanism of the monkeypox virus genome replication and may guide the development of anti-poxvirus drugs.

World Health Organization 2021 Classification of Central Nervous System Tumors and Implications for Therapy for Adult-Type Gliomas

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Abstract

Importance  Previous histologic classifications of brain tumors have been limited by discrepancies in diagnoses reported by neuropathologists and variability in outcomes and response to therapies. Such diagnostic discrepancies have impaired clinicians’ ability to select the most appropriate therapies for patients and have allowed heterogeneous populations of patients to be enrolled in clinical trials, hindering the development of more effective therapies. In adult-type diffuse gliomas, histologic classification has a particularly important effect on clinical care.

Observations  In 2021, the World Health Organization published the fifth edition of the Classification of Tumors of the Central Nervous System. This classification incorporates advances in understanding the molecular pathogenesis of brain tumors with histopathology in order to group tumors into more biologically and molecularly defined entities. As such, tumor classification is significantly improved through better characterized natural histories. These changes have particularly important implications for gliomas. For the first time, adult- and pediatric-type gliomas are classified separately on the basis of differences in molecular pathogenesis and prognosis. Furthermore, the previous broad category of adult-type diffuse gliomas has been consolidated into 3 types: astrocytoma, isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) mutant; oligodendroglioma, IDH mutant and 1p/19q codeleted; and glioblastoma, IDH wild type. These major changes are driven by IDH mutation status and include the restriction of the diagnosis of glioblastoma to tumors that are IDH wild type; the reclassification of tumors previously diagnosed as IDH-mutated glioblastomas as astrocytomas IDH mutated, grade 4; and the requirement for the presence of IDH mutations to classify tumors as astrocytomas or oligodendrogliomas.

Conclusions and Relevance  The 2021 World Health Organization central nervous system tumor classification is a major advance toward improving the diagnosis of brain tumors. It will provide clinicians with more accurate guidance on prognosis and optimal therapy for patients and ensure that more homogenous patient populations are enrolled in clinical trials, potentially facilitating the development of more effective therapies.

Source: JAMA

The World Health Organization (WHO) has advised Ukraine to destroy all high-threat pathogens housed in public health laboratories to prevent potential spills that could spread disease.

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Ukraine’s laboratory capabilities have been at the forefront of a growing information war following the Russian invasion two weeks ago. (Reuters)

 Biosecurity experts have warned that Russia’s troop movement in Ukraine and the bombardment of its cities raised the risk of disease-causing pathogens escaping should any facilities be damaged, Reuters reported.

Ukraine has public health laboratories, like several other countries, researching ways to mitigate the threats posed by dangerous diseases that affect both humans and animals, including Covid-19. Its labs receive support from the US, the WHO, and the European Union.

In response to questions about its work with Ukraine prior to and during the invasion, the WHO said that it had collaborated with the country’s public health labs for years to promote security practices that prevent the deliberate or accidental release of pathogens.

As part of this work, the United Nations health agency has recommended to Ukraine’s Ministry of Health and other responsible bodies to get rid of high-threat pathogens.

While the WHO did not reveal when it made the recommendation or provide specifics about the kinds of pathogens housed in the laboratories, it also did not reveal if the recommendations were being followed.

Ukraine’s laboratory capabilities have been at the forefront of a growing information war following the Russian invasion two weeks ago. Russia Foreign Ministry Spokesperson on Wednesday Maria Zakharova reiterated a longstanding claim that the US operated a biowarfare lab in the former Soviet state. Both the US and Ukraine have previously denied the accusations.

Zakharova said documents found by Russian forces in Ukraine showed an emergency attempt to erase evidence of military-grade biological programmes by destroying laboratory samples.

A spokesperson for the Ukraine president, however, denied the allegations. Spokespeople from the US government also denied the accusations and said Russia might use these claims to deploy chemical or biological weapons.

While the WHO made no reference to biowarfare, it said it encouraged all parties to cooperate in the secure disposal of pathogens they find and reach out for technical assistance when needed.

On Friday, the United Nations Security Council will convene a meeting at Russia’s request to discuss the Kremlin’s claims about US biological activities in the war-torn country.

The sodium hidden in medication: a tough pill to swallow

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Graphical Abstract

Sodium hidden in medication warrants warning labels by drug companies.

Sodium hidden in medication warrants warning labels by drug companies.

For many years, epidemiological and clinical trial evidence inferring serious harmful effects of excess dietary sodium consumption on human health has accumulated.1–4 In the 2017 report of the Global Burden of Disease study, excess intake of sodium was among the leading dietary risks and was estimated to cause 3 million deaths [95% confidence interval (CI) 1–5 million] and 82 million disability-adjusted life years (95% CI 34–118 million) around the world every year.5

Sodium balance in humans involves a complex interplay between kidney sodium transport, sodium storage in the skin, systemic adaptation of the vascular system, and neurohormonal signalling. Despite decades of research, the finer physiological details of sodium management still require further unravelling and understanding.6 Nevertheless, the adverse consequences of excess sodium intake are now clear. Excessive sodium consumption is causally related to elevated blood pressure and an increased prevalence of hypertension.7 A recent Cochrane review showed that a large dietary sodium reduction of 3160 mg per day (from 11.5 to 3.8 g of salt per day) reduced systolic blood pressure by 1.1 mmHg in non-hypertensive individuals and produced a more pronounced 5.7 mmHg reduction in people with hypertension.1

Although the effect of dietary sodium on cardiovascular risk has been debated, high quality prospective studies using gold standard multiple 24-h urine samples to assess exposure to dietary sodium have reported consistent positive dose–response relationships of sodium with cardiovascular risk.4 In addition, a large, cluster randomized trial showed that persons who received a potassium-containing salt substitute with 25% less sodium chloride not only had lower blood pressure but also had lower rates of stroke, major cardiovascular events, and all-cause deaths.3

Based on this evidence, multiple national and international blood pressure guidelines, as well as the World Health Organization, recommend that daily sodium intake should not exceed 2000 mg (∼1 teaspoon of salt). In turn, many governnment and non-governmental organizations, and cardiac and hypertension societies advocate strongly for actions to reduce population sodium intake. Numerous governments have implemented interventions targeting public education, front-of-pack labelling on foods, promotion of salt substitutes, improved food procurement policies, and industry reformulation of packaged and restaurant foods.8

The study by Zeng and colleagues9 in this issue of the European Heart Journal adds further to the case for dietary sodium reduction. Using an electronic medical record database with records of ∼17 million patients cared for by general practitioners in the UK, the authors carried out a highly innovative investigation of the effects of supplementing dietary sodium. The analyses compared the risks of incident cardiovascular disease and all-cause deaths among persons who initiated sodium-containing paracetamol (also called acetaminophen) with the corresponding risks among initiators of the same paracetamol formulations without sodium. The study included individuals with (n = 151 398) and without hypertension (n = 147 299), which is important because there are known greater effects of sodium on blood pressure in persons with hypertension compared with those without. The findings were highly consistent across the two cohorts, with use of sodium-containing paracetamol associated with increased proportional risks of cardiovascular disease and all-cause deaths irrespective of hypertension status. The hazard ratio (HR) was 1.59 (95% CI 1.32–1.92) in those with hypertension and 1.45 (95% CI 1.18–1.79) in those without hypertension. There were also consistently increased risks across different cardiovascular outcomes including myocardial infarction, stroke, and heart failure, that were also obsered in both those with and those without hypertension.

The results are compelling. The effects were consistent across several different methodological approaches and in a series of sensitivity analyses. Effervescent and soluble forms of paracetamol is not the only example of a medication that can be delivered with very different levels of sodium content and, while there were smaller numbers of persons starting sodium-containing ibuprofen or sodium-containing ranitidine, the high-sodium versions were also associated with higher risks of both cardiovascular disease and mortality.

The quantity of sodium in the formulations studied by Zeng et al.9 is an important strength of the anlayses, with effervescent and soluble formulations of paracetamol containing 390–440 mg of sodium per tablet. This equates to >3000 mg of additional sodium per day for a full dose paracetamol regimen, which is far above the daily recommended maximum sodium intake for an adult.13 Large increments would also be anticipated for other types of effervescent medications, with a single 5 g sachet of effervescent antacids containing ∼850 mg of sodium, fizzy vitamins ∼280 mg of sodium per tablet, and urinary alkalinizers some 644 mg of sodium per dose.12 The large doses of sodium studied in these analyses provided for a robust test of the effects on blood pressure and cardiovascular outcomes. There was also a dose–response relationship, with a greater number of sodium-containing paracetamol prescriptions associated with progressively greater risks of cardiovascular disease (P = 0.034) and mortality (P < 0.001) for both individuals with hypertension and those without. The clear association of sodium-containing paracetamol with incident hypertension (HR 1.37, 95% CI 1.22–1.54), which lies on the causal pathway between sodium consumption and disease risk, is another piece of evidence that supports the likely validity of the main findings.

At the same time, these findings should be interpreted in light of their potential limitations. This was not a randomized trial, but an observational study, and confounding cannot be excluded. Baseline imbalances between the intervention and control groups were relatively small, probably because both arms of the study included the same active compound. However, there were probably specific reasons why individuals received effervescent compared with standard formulation paracetamol, and these reasons may have been assoociated with the risk of the clinical outcomes studied. The authors report extensive efforts to control for potential confounding, and there were significant, and broadly constant, adverse effects associated with the sodium-containing forms of paracetamol across all analyses reported. The multiple approaches used for imputation of missing values—for missing data about paracetamol use, or to account for potential confounders—have different strengths and weaknesses, but none raised substantive concerns about the likely validity of the main conclusions.

The study had a short follow-up period of only 1 year. The effects of sodium on blood pressure, and of blood pressure on cardiovascular risk are, however, known to be rapid and to accrue fully within weeks or a few months. As such, it seems unlikely that the abbreviated follow-up period will have resulted in systematic over- or underestimation of the association between sodium-containing medications and risk.

The direct message from this study is clear—there are likely to be millions of people worldwide taking paracetamol on a daily basis in a ‘fast-acting’ effervescent or soluble formulation who are increasing their risks of cardiovascular disease and premature death. In the UK alone, in 2014 there were some 42 million paracetamol-containing medicines prescribed, with a further 200 million packs sold over the counter.10 This equates to ∼6300 tons of paracetamol sold each year in the UK with the figure for France close to 10 000 tons. Fortunately, only a small proportion of paracetamol formulations contain sodium but, with ‘fast-acting’ and ‘fizzy’ medications increasing in popularity, the adverse effects of medication-related sodium intake look set to rise rather than fall. There are also many more effervescent, dispersible, and soluble medications and vitamin pills that contain large quantities of hidden sodium. A study done in 2018 in France found that 27% of a general population sample who underwent medical check-ups had consumed ‘fizzy’ tablets in the past 30 days.11 Nine in 10 of these were instances of self-medication, with paracetamol, aspirin, vitamins, and betaine accounting for 95% of tablets used.11

There is also an important indirect conclusion from this study regarding the evidence for sodium-related harms. Large-scale supplementation of dietary sodium in a randomized trial studying cardiovascualr outcomes has never been done and would almost certainly be viewed as unethical. This type of analysis is as close as researchers are ever likely to come to doing that trial, and, while the current report is observational in nature, it provides strong evidence of harmful effects of adding large quantities of sodium to the diet. The present findings are highly aligned with previous similar papers, most notably a report done in 2013 by George and colleagues.14 In an anlaysis of 1.3 million patients over a period of 7.2 years that included 61 000 patients with an incident cardiovascular event and matched controls, they reported odds ratios for cardiovascular events consistent with those reported here. There was also in the report an odds ratio of 7.18 (95% CI 6.74–7.65) for hypertension in individuals exposed to sodium-containing drugs.14

Zeng and colleagues conclude that it would be best if ‘individuals avoid unnecessary excessive sodium intake through sodium-containing acetaminophen use’.9 George and colleagues concluded almost a decade earlier that ‘sodium-containing formulations should be prescribed with caution only if the perceived benefits outweigh these risks’.14 The weight of the evidence makes ongoing inaction on sodium-containing medications untenable. The widespread use of effervescent medication in the general population,11 and the enormous doses of sodium that can be consumed inadvertently by unsuspecting consumers requires urgent action. Particularly concerning is the observation in some surveys that up to 94% of uses of fizzy medications are self-medication using over-the-counter preparations.10 There is an immediate need for protection of consumers against these risks. The most plausible and effective strategy is likely to be the mandatory labelling of all medications containing significant quantities of sodium with a front-of-pack warning label (Graphical Abstract). Information programmes that raise public and practitioner awareness of the hidden sodium in medications, and educate about the need to avoid effervescent, dispersible, and soluble medicines in all but essential circumstance should also be considered.

5G looks like it’s the next best thing in tech, but it’s really a Trojan horse for harming humanity

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Image: 5G looks like it’s the next best thing in tech, but it’s really a Trojan horse for harming humanity

Many so-called “experts” are claiming that it’ll be a huge step forward for innovation in everything from manufacturing and transportation, to medicine and beyond. But in reality, 5G technology represents an existential threat to humanity – a “phony war” on the people who inhabit this planet we call Earth, and all in the name of “progress.”

Writing for GreenMedInfo, Claire Edwards, a former editor and trainer in intercultural writing for the United Nations (U.N.), warns that 5G might end up being the straw that breaks the camel’s back in terms of the state of public health. Electro-hypersensitivity (EHS), she says, could soon become a global pandemic as a result of 5G implementation, with people developing severe health symptoms that inhibit their ability to live normal lives.

This “advanced” technology, Edwards warns, involves the use of special “laser-like beams of electromagnetic radiation,” or EMR, that are basically blasted “from banks of thousands of tiny antennas” installed all over the place, typically on towers and poles located within just a couple hundred feet of one another.

While she still worked for the U.N., Edwards tried to warn her superiors about the dangers of 5G EMR, only to have these petitions fall on deaf ears. This prompted her to contact the U.N. Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, who then pushed the World Health Organization (WHO) to take a closer look into the matter – though this ended up being a dead end as well.

For more news about 5G and its threat to humanity, be sure to check out Conspiracy.news.

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Elon Musk is planning to launch 4,425 5G satellites in to Earth’s orbit THIS JUNE

Edwards worries particularly about 5G implementation in space, as existing space law is so woefully inadequate that countries all around the world, including the U.S., will likely blanket the atmosphere in 5G equipment, turning our entire planet into an EMR hell.

Elon Musk of Tesla fame is one such purveyor of 5G technology who’s planning to launch an astounding 4,425 5G satellites in to Earth’s orbit by June 2019. This means that, in a matter of just a few months, 5G will be everywhere and completely inescapable.

“There are no legal limits on exposure to EMR,” Edwards writes.

“Conveniently for the telecommunications industry, there are only non-legally enforceable guidelines such as those produced by the grandly named International Commission on Non-Ionising Radiation Protection, which turns out to be like the Wizard of Oz, just a tiny little NGO in Germany that appoints its own members, none of whom is a medical doctor or environmental expert.”

Edwards sees 5G implementation as eventually leading to a “catastrophe for all life in Earth” in the form of “the last great extinction.” She likens it to a “biological experiment” representing the “most heinous manifestation of hubris and greed in human history.”

There’s already evidence to suggest that 5G implementation in a few select cities across the United States, including in Sacramento, California, is causing health problems for people who live near 5G equipment. At firehouses where 5G equipment was installed, for instance, firefighters are reporting things like memory problems and confusion.

Some people are also reporting reproductive issues like miscarriages and stillbirths, as well as nosebleeds and insomnia, all stemming from the presence of 5G transmitters.

Edwards encourages folks to sign The Stop 5G Appeal if they care about protecting people, animals, insects, and the planet from this impending 5G assault.

“Our newspapers are now casually popularizing the meme that human extinction would be a good thing, but when the question becomes not rhetorical but real, when it’s your life, your child, your community, your environment that is under immediate threat, can you really subscribe to such a suggestion?” Edwards asks.

Canada Says Talc May be ‘Harmful to Human Health’

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The government of Canada is considering measures that would prohibit or restrict the use of talc in some products. After reviewing the latest science and producing a draft screening assessment, the government “proposes that inhaling loose talc powders and using certain products containing talc in the female genital area may be harmful to human health.”

The announcement was made Wednesday on the Health Canada website.

The draft screening assessment will be published in the Canada Gazette, Part I, and will be open for public comment for 60 days, until February 6, 2019. The Risk Management Scope , which outlines the possible measures to manage the risks identified in the draft screening assessment, will also be open for public comment for the same 60-day period.

The final screening assessment and risk management approach will take into consideration any comments and new evidence received during the consultation period, the announcement notes.

No action, such as warning labels or a ban, will be taken until this final assessment is published, according to news reports.

The document notes that the draft assessment did not identify human health risks of concern from oral exposures, including talc in food and drugs; dermal exposures such as the application of talc-containing products to skin; or inhalational exposures from dry hair shampoo or pressed powder products, such as cosmetics like eye shadow and blush.

However, the assessment did identify two exposure scenarios of potential concern to human health.

One was inhalation of fine particles of talc during the use of loose powder, self-care products (eg, body powder, baby powder, face powder, foot powder), potentially resulting in damage to the lungs.

The other scenario of concern was exposure of the female perineal area, which includes the genitals, to self-care products containing talc (eg, body powder, baby powder, diaper and rash creams, genital antiperspirants and deodorants, body wipes, bath bombs), as this type of exposure has been associated with ovarian cancer in studies of the human population, the document notes.

Move Comes Amid Great Controversy, US Lawsuits

The move from Canada comes amid a growing controversy, as well as fiercely fought court battles in the United States, over whether use of talc in the female genital area contributes to ovarian cancer.

The controversy is over whether talc itself is a carcinogen, and the issue is complicated because talc is sometimes contaminated with asbestos (the two sometimes occur naturally together).

The scientific community has not reached a consensus.

A recent review appearing in the European Journal of Cancer Prevention ( Eur J Cancer Prev. 2008;17:139–146.) concludes that “data collectively do not indicate that cosmetic talc causes ovarian cancer.” The heterogeneity in the perineal dusting studies has raised important concerns over the validity of the exposure measurements, and the lack of a consistent dose–response effect limits making causal inferences. Perhaps more importantly, it is unknown whether external talc dust enters the female reproductive tract, and measures of internal talc exposure such as talc-dusted diaphragms and latex condoms show no relationship with ovarian cancer risk. Talc is not genotoxic, and mechanistic, pathology and animal model studies have not found evidence for a carcinogenic effect, the journal adds.

However, a recent review in Epidemiology ( Epidemiology. 2018;29:41–49 ), concluded that “in general, there is a consistent association between perineal talc use and ovarian cancer.” This was based on a meta-analysis of observational studies that included at least 50 cases of ovarian cancer, and looked at 24 case–control studies (13,421 cases) and three cohort studies (890 cases, 181,860 person-years).

In the US, thousands of lawsuits have been filed by individuals, or the families of deceased individuals, alleging that ovarian cancer was caused by the use of talc products such as Baby Powder and Shower-to Shower manufactured by Johnson & Johnson. The company is reported to be facing more than 10,000 plaintiffs.

Many of the lawsuits that have already taken place have found for the plaintiffs, but not all.

For example, a jury in Missouri ordered Johnson & Johnson to pay $72 million in damages to the family of Jacqueline Fox, who died from ovarian cancer. However, in two cases juries on appeal overturned multimillion dollar awards: Gloria Ristesund of South Dakota was originally awarded $55 million in 2016, but in June the verdict was overturned. In August 2017, a jury in Los Angeles awarded $417 million to Eva Echeverria, but that verdict was overturned 2 months later.

A lawsuit in October 2018 involving a New Jersey woman cleared Johnson & Johnson of liability in a case of mesothelioma and the company’s baby powder product.

In one of the most recent cases, Johnson & Johnson was ordered in July to pay $4.7 billion to 22 women and their families, who claimed that asbestos in the company’s talc products led them to develop ovarian cancer.  The company said the verdict was ‘fundamentally unfair’ and says that its talc products do not contain asbestos.

Talc–Asbestos Connection Explained 

Talc is a naturally occurring mineral, mined from the earth, composed of magnesium, silicon, oxygen, and hydrogen, explains the Food and Drug Administration. It also notes that asbestos, another naturally occurring silicate mineral, may be found in close proximity in the earth, and so mining sites should be selected carefully. “Unlike talc, however, asbestos is a known carcinogen,” the agency notes.

The FDA says that “it continues to investigate and monitor reports of asbestos contamination in certain cosmetic products,” and notes that talc is used in many cosmetic products, including baby powder and makeup such as powder blush and eye shadow.

The American Cancer Society explains that asbestos does sometimes occur naturally in talc, but guidelines issued in the US in 1976 called for the removal of asbestos from commercial talc products.

However, many consumer groups note that this is an area that is not officially regulated, and report that makeup products sold in the United States that have been found to contain asbestos/talc. Consumer groups also point out that talc in cosmetics has been removed by the European Union, but is still allowed in the United States.

The American Cancer Society also emphasizes that it is important to distinguish between the two. Talc that contains asbestos is generally accepted as being able to cause cancer if it is inhaled. However, the evidence about asbestos-free talc is less clear, it notes.

It also cites the conclusions made by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), which is part of the World Health Organization (WHO).

The IARC classifies talc that contains asbestos as “carcinogenic to humans.”

Based on the lack of data from human studies and on limited data in lab animal studies, IARC classifies inhaled talc not containing asbestos as “not classifiable as to carcinogenicity in humans.”

As there is limited evidence from human studies showing a link to ovarian cancer, IARC classifies the perineal (genital) use of talc-based body powder as “possibly carcinogenic to humans.”

The US National Cancer Institute says that the “the weight of evidence does not support an association between perineal talc exposure and an increased risk of ovarian cancer. ”

Half of all mental illness begins by the age of 14

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An invigilator monitors pupils during a GCSE mathematics exam at the Harris Academy South Norwood in south east London, March 2, 2012 REUTERS/Luke MacGregor

Mental illness can strike anyone at any time in their life. In fact, more than 350 million people across the world – of all ages and from all communities – suffer from depression. But half of all mental illness begins by the age of 14, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). And it is that shocking statistic which is the focus of this year’s World Mental Health Day.

 

The good news is we are learning to better understand and deal with mental health issues. Here are some key developments.

 

Early intervention

While half of all mental illness begins by the age of 14, most cases go undetected and untreated.

Teenagers and young adults have many changes to deal with, including changing schools, leaving home and starting university or a new job. This can lead to stress and apprehension. In some cases, if not recognized and managed, these feelings can lead to mental illness.

In some countries, the formative years of a child’s life have been dominated by conflict and upheaval, leaving these young people particularly vulnerable to mental distress and illness.

 

In terms of the burden of disease among adolescents, depression is the third leading cause, while suicide is the second leading cause of death among 15-29 year olds. Harmful use of alcohol, drugs and eating disorders are also cause for concern.

Despite this troubling picture, the WHO says there is a growing recognition of the importance of helping young people build mental resilience at an early age. Parents and teachers can help young people build life skills that help them cope with everyday challenges at home and school. More schools are launching initiatives such as mindfulness and meditation, and some provide psycho-social support.

This does however require investment from governments. And that investment needs to work in tandem with programmes to raise awareness, helping peers, parents and teachers know how to support their friends, children and students.

Mental Health Facts in the US

Image: National Alliance on Mental Illness

The role of genetics

Research has shown that 30-40% of the risk for both depression and anxiety is genetic and 60-70% is due to environmental factors, according to the National Institute for Health Research.

 

Now, the NIHR and King’s College London are calling for 40,000 people diagnosed with depression or anxiety to join what they say will be the largest ever database of volunteers.

The researchers plan to explore the genetic factors behind the two most common mental health conditions – anxiety and depression.

 

“It’s a really exciting time to become involved in mental health research, particularly genetic research which has made incredible strides in recent years – we have so far identified 46 genetic links for depression and anxiety,” explains Dr Gerome Breen of King’s College London.

“By recruiting 40,000 volunteers willing to be re-contacted for research, the study will take us further than ever before. It will allow researchers to solve the big unanswered questions, address how genes and environment act together and help develop new treatment options.”

 

Technology and the brain

 

Conventional wisdom suggests that spending too much time online is in some ways detrimental to the human brain and mental health.

And there is a growing body of scientific work pointing to the dangers of a digital lifestyle. For example, neuroscientist Adam Gazzaley has written a book The Distracted Mind: Ancient Brains in a High-Tech World which explores how internet-connected devices degrade our attention, and have implications for mental health and stress levels in the workplace.

 

However, many scientists also believe that technology can be harnessed to address mental health issues, and there has been a proliferation of apps aimed at wellbeing.

For example, the Happify app promises to reduce stress and anxiety by providing happiness games and activities. The basic principle is that you can change and modify the brain by training it as if it were a muscle – a theory called neuroplasticity. By adopting new thinking habits, its users can overcome negative thought patterns and learn to cope with everyday stresses.

 

The app already has 3.5 million users, and claims to help people with schizophrenia, clinical depression and chronic illnesses.

There is also growing scientific evidence that points to the success of online therapy.

In the UK, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence which provides national guidance on improving healthcare, has approved the use of online cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).

 

CBT is one of the well-established talking therapies, but now scientists recognize that it is sometimes easier for people to open up to a machine rather than a human being. CBT is also notoriously expensive and time-consuming, so technology may also allow for treatment to become more widely available.

 

A policy priority

 

World leaders have recognized the importance of mental health and well-being by including it in the Sustainable Development Agenda, which was adopted at the UN’s General Assembly in September 2015.

As part of Goal 3, world leaders have committed to the “prevention and treatment of noncommunicable diseases, including behavioural, developmental and neurological disorders, which constitute a major challenge for sustainable development”.

The then Director-General of the WHO, Dr Margaret Chan, explained the significance of the decision, saying it will help the world achieve greater fairness.

 

“The inclusion of noncommunicable diseases under the health goal is an historic turning point. Finally these diseases are getting the attention they deserve,” she says.

Specific goals include reducing premature mortality from noncommunicable diseases by one third by 2030 and strengthening the prevention and treatment of substance abuse including narcotic drug and alcohol use.

 

It is through this type of ongoing commitment, as well as the growing awareness of mental health issues, that progress can be made.

Chinese Botanical Medicine: Wikipedia Claims it is Fake, We are Certain it is Real

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According to the World Health Organization, 80% of the world’s population uses herbal medicine. Are these hundreds of millions of people simply deluded by superstitious nostrums, as Wikipedia and so-called ‘skeptics’ imply? 

Modern conventional medicine has increasingly become a culture of scientific and historical denialism. Although claiming to be an objective discipline of consistent progress, the medical establishment more often than not denies the insights, discoveries, medical systems and methodologies of the distant past and non-Western cultures. Rather, Western medicine is racing more rapidly towards a retro-future with a blind faith in the promises of new engineered, synthetic drugs. Sadly, this pursuit is misconstrued as synonymous with important medical breakthroughs and the evolution of scientific medicine in general. Yet as the statistics show, modern medicine is on a collision course with itself. This is most evident in the increasing failures conventional medicine faces in fighting life-threatening diseases and the annual increases in iatrogenic injuries and deaths.

Upon graduation, every new physician repeats “I will not give a lethal drug to anyone if I am asked, nor will I advise such a plan.” The Oath composed by the wise Greek medical sage, Hippocrates, goes on to say “I will use those dietary regimens which will benefit my patients according to my greatest ability and judgement, and I will do no harm or injustice to them.” Hippocrates was a naturalist. Unlike physicians today, he was expert in the healing powers found in the natural world and was a keen observer about the health benefits of different foods, plants and herbs. However, modern allopathic doctors are not only largely ignorant about the natural world but also the epigenetic, environmental and behavior causes of diseases and the means to prevent them. They have also removed themselves from honoring the Hippocratic Oath.

How well has modern medicine lived up to its Oath? Adverse drug events (ADEs) are rising. They have become a plague upon public health and our healthcare system. As of 2014, prescription drug injuries totaled 1.6 million events annually. Every day, over 4,000 Americans experience a serious drug reaction requiring hospitalization. And over 770,000 people have ADEs during hospital stays.[1] The most common ADEs are hypertension, congestive heart failure, atrial fibrillation, volume depletion disorders and atherosclerotic heart disease.[2] According to the Centers for Disease Control, in 2016 there were 64,070 deaths directly associated with prescription overdoses; this is greater than the number of American soldiers killed during the entire Vietnam War.[3] For 2017, the CDC reported over 42,000 deaths from prescription opioid drugs alone.[4] Yet this figure is probably much higher due to the CDC’s practice of reporting statistics very conservatively and many cases not getting properly reported. So when we consider that there were over 860,000 physicians in the US practicing in 2016, potentially most physicians in America have contributed to ADEs.

No legitimate and highly developed alternative or natural medical practice has such a dismal track record of illness and death. Nevertheless, when a rare ADE, poisoning or death occurs Skeptics in the radical fringe Science-Based Medicine (SBM) movement, who rabidly oppose Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), are quick to report the incident as a national crisis and condemn the use of traditional natural medicine altogether. Yet if we look at the potential number of iatrogenic injuries and deaths over the last four decades since the start of the pharmaceutical and biotechnology boom in the late 1980s, we are looking at over 60 million ADE incidences caused by conventional Western medicine alone. This is nothing celebrate and no concerted national effort within the medical establishment nor among the followers of SBM is being made to challenge the dominant medical paradigm responsible for this crisis.

According to the World Health Organization, 80% of the world’s population uses herbal medicine. And this trend is increasing exponentially.[5] Skeptics have few viable and rational explanations to account for this trend. Since they regard traditional herbal medical systems as quackery, everyone experiencing relief or having a successful treatment from botanicals is simply having a placebo effect conversion experience. Fortunately in the US and other Western nations, the public is rapidly losing its trust and satisfaction with conventional Western medical practice and is seeking safer alternatives. With healthcare costs escalating annually and prescription ADE’s on the increase as more and more drugs are fast-tracked through federal regulatory hurdles, relying solely upon allopathic medicine is a dangerous bargain. Dr. Dominic Lu at the University of Pennsylvania and president of the American Society for the Advancement of Anesthesia and Sedation recommends that Chinese herbal and Western medicine might complement each other if we make the effort to investigate their synergistic therapeutic effects. Lu believes oriental concepts of human anatomy should be further included in higher educational health science curriculums.[6] In addition, we would also note that with conventional medicine in a crisis people are accessing the numerous resources on the internet to educate themselves about the medicinal properties of plants, herbs, supplements and foods as part of their personal therapeutic protocols.

In our previous article in this series exposing the scientific denialism and ideological agenda of Skepticism’s and Wikipedia’s role in promoting SBM’s regressive agenda to turn people away from non-conventional drug-based medicine, we tackled SBM’s and Wikipedia’s attack on acupuncture. In this segment we will focus upon Chinese botanical medicine. In mainland China, acupuncture and herbology are treated as separate disciplines; therefore we will only look at Chinese botanical medical.

Wikipedia has a noteworthy amount to say about traditional Chinese herbal medicine. However, its major criticisms rely heavily upon five-plus year old reviews of the peer-reviewed research. Some references in fact have nothing to do with Chinese herbology. The majority of clinical research into Chinese botanicals and medical preparations are only found in Chinese databases. Therefore, Western analytical reviews, including the Cochrane reports, are extremely limited, inconclusive and biased. Critics of TCM frequently criticize published Chinese research as “incomplete, some containing errors or were misleading.”[7] These are the same Skeptic criticisms Wikipedia levels against traditional herbal medical systems in general. With over 181,000 peer-reviewed research papers and reviews listed in the National Institutes of Health PubMed database referring to TCM, it is ridiculous and disingenuous to assume Wikipedia’s editors have scoured this massive body of science to make any sound judgement about TCM’s efficacy.

Under the heading “Chinese Herbology,” Wikipedia states, “A Nature editorial described TCM as “fraught with pseudoscience,” and said that the most obvious reason why it has not delivered many cures is that the majority of its treatments have no logical mechanism of action… Research into the effectiveness of traditional Chinese herbal therapy is of poor quality and often tainted by bias, with little or no rigorous evidence of efficacy.”[8] Nature’s editorial, which reflects the same ill-informed opinions frequent in Skeptical criticisms about natural health, does not cite any research to support its sweeping prejudiced opinion. The editorial is primarily a diatribe against the growing popularity of traditional medicine in the Chinese domestic market, estimated by the Boston Consulting Group to be worth $13 billion in 2006.[9] In addition, as noted above, Wikipedia’s sources include a review of herbal medicine published in the South African Medical Journal that only looked at six African botanicals, none which are part of the Chinese pharmacopoeia.[10]

We would be negligent to not state a serious concern that readers should be aware of regarding Chinese medicinal herbs and preparations. This has been rightly noted by the SBM writers and Wikipedia; that is the high levels of toxic contaminants, notably arsenic, lead and other toxic chemicals found in Chinese herbs and formulas being exported. However Wikipedia fails to note the real reasons for this warning. Rather it frames caution as a means to discredit Chinese botanical medicine altogether. The export of toxic herbs is largely due to the enormous and out-of-control environmental problem including toxic atmospheric particulate matter from over-pollution, toxic dumping and waste spills in water supplies and poor agricultural practices. However, in some countries such as Japan and Taiwan, federal regulations for the import and export of medical botanicals are stricter and clean, non-toxic botanical herbs and preparations are readily available. There remain very reliable sources for getting highly quality grown Chinese herbs.

One of SBM’s leading spokespersons David Gorski would like us to believe that Mao Tse-tung should be condemned for restoring traditional Chinese medicine in mainland China. [11] But this is a blatant half-truth. In fact, Gorski and his colleagues have far more in common with Chairman Mao based upon the historical facts. It was during Mao’s reign that classical Chinese medicine took an enormous leap backwards. The ancient system was originally banned during the Chinese Nationalist movement in the early 20th century because its leaders believed the old ways were preventing the nation from modernizing. Mao initially made a small effort to restore the practice when he came to power. However, it was after the Communist Revolution when Mao turned against traditional medicine. The Cultural Revolution again outlawed the practice. Traditional doctors who retained the most extensive knowledge and wisdom about classical Chinese anatomical theory and knowledge of medicinal herbs were systematically gathered for Communist conversion programs, imprisoned and/or killed. TCM nearly died out altogether from the mainland. Years later when the Communists attempted to resurrect the ancient medical wisdom, only a few hundred doctors could be found throughout the country with sufficient knowledge to start TCM anew. Yet Mao remained ambiguous. He wrote, “Even though I believe we should promote Chinese medicine… I personally do not believe in it. I don’t take Chinese medicine.”[12] Unfortunately what is commonly called Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) today is a partial reconstruction of the original ancient system that had developed over thousands of years. Much has been lost. The government’s effort failed. According to Dr. Brigetta Shea, “once the government decided to reinstate some form of China’s traditional medicine, they did it with an emphasis on combining it with Western medical theory. This shifted even acupuncture theory, as Western anatomical teaching was adopted and esoteric subtle anatomy was discarded.”[13] The result has been that TCM today is a mere shadow of what it was in the past, and is little more than a watered down system contaminated with Western reductionist medical theories. Fortunately, growing interest in TCM is inspiring young researchers and practitioners to travel to China, Taiwan, Japan and Korea to try to recover the more ancient classical medical teachings that were not included in the standardized TCM curriculums.

SBM founder Stephen Novella remarks, “TCM is a pre-scientific superstitious view of biology and illness, similar to the humoral theory of Galen, or the notions of any pre-scientific culture. It is strange and unscientific to treat TCM as anything else. Any individual diagnostic or treatment method within TCM should be evaluated according to standard principles of science and science-based medicine, and not given special treatment.”[14] The remainder of Novella’s argument is an example of taking TCM terms literally and not penetrating their deeper functions to discover their correlations with scientifically identified biomolecular substances and events. Novella also believes that the Chinese medical theories of qi and the acupuncture meridians share the same magical thinking as “ether, flogistum, Bigfoot, and unicorns.”[15]

The master physicians and pioneers of the advanced traditional medical systems of Greece, India, China and Tibet, were very skilled and astute in identifying metabolic disturbances in their patients. Although on the surface, the humors may appear to be outdated or primitive mythological terms, a deep study of the traditional medical texts reveals they have direct correspondences to biochemical and biological processes that are well known in modern medicine. For example, according to the recent translators of the enormous medical corpus composed by one of the world’s greatest medical doctors Avicenna in the 11th century, who revived the medical theories of Galen at the height of Islamic civilization’s golden age, Dr. Hakima Amri, professor of molecular biology at Georgetown University and Dr. Mones Abu-Asab, a senior scientist and expert in phylogenetic systematics at the National Institutes of Health, discovered the ancient descriptions of the humors have a direct correlation to properties of fats, proteins and organic acids  — the cornerstones of metabolic changes. Due to its linear and non-systematic way of analyzing health and disease, modern medicine focuses upon single metabolic pathways and fails to consider that these pathways work in concert and are co-dependent with others. For example, a patient with high LDL cholesterol will be prescribed a statin without fully understanding the biological imbalances that increased LDL. But traditional herbal systems, including Chinese botanical medicine, provide more parameters such as a tissue’s hydration and energy production in the case of abnormal cholesterol levels. Western medicine does not take into account hydration and energy production in making an accurate diagnostic assessment of the reasons for a patient’s cholesterol imbalance. This is where the ancient theory of humors, or the fundamental “fluids” in the body — traditionally defined as blood, phlegm and yellow and black bile —  provides clues.

Western medicine has no equivalent to what traditional systems refer to as “dystemperament” in a biological system or organ. Dystemperament was understood as an imbalance in a person’s unique personalized physical, genetic and psychological disposition. Today the rapidly growing discipline of Functional Medicine finds agreement with this principle for diagnosing and treating an illness. In fact, conventional medicine still endeavors to define the causes of many diseases at a singular cellular or molecular level. It also faces a serious predicament in being based upon a one-drug-one-target paradigm in drug research and development. Traditional systems, including Chinese herbology, being far more complete and efficient medical systems, don’t struggle with this dilemma. For half a century we have spent hundreds of billions of dollars on reductionist biomedical research to identify genes, proteins and metabolic biochemical changes that contribute to disease. But despite the enormous body of knowledge and data we have gathered from astronomic costly projects there have been few practical and meaningful results to find safe and effective treatments outside of prescribing potentially lethal drugs.

Most evidence-based medical reviews of research conducted on the efficacy of specific Chinese herbs fail to take into account that Chinese herbology is a complete system. It is unrealistic to research a single traditional Chinese herb and draw a definitive conclusion. An herbal concoction can include up to 18 or more ingredients, and these may be fermented or simmered for hours to produce pharma-therapeutic properties useful for the treatment of disease. This was noted in a Cochrane review of Chinese medical herbs for treating acute pancreatitis.[16] It is estimated that there are over 13,000 different medicinal ingredients found in the annals of Chinese medical texts and well over 100,000 unique decoctions and recipes. While the vast majority of substances used in Chinese medicinal preparations are plant-based, parts of animals and specific minerals may also be included.[17,18]

Regardless of the Skeptics’ and Wikipedia’s invective to diminish Chinese medicine’s efficacy and successes, TCM is booming and extraordinary research continues to pump out positive discoveries. Even Bayer Pharmaceutical purchased the Chinese herbal company Dihon Pharmaceutical Group in 2014 because of the huge potential for discovering powerful phytochemicals to treat a wide variety of diseases. Helmut Kaiser Consultancy in Germany predicts that annual revenues in Chinese botanicals will triple by 2025 from 2015 revenues of $17 billion.[19] A Morgan Stanley 2012 review found that even among Chinese physicians trained in Western medical schools, TCM is being used as the first line of defense against disease in 30% of medical cases.[20]

Curiously Skeptics and Wikipedia fail to acknowledge that the 2015 Nobel Prize in Medicine was awarded to China’s scientist Tu You-you for her use of the Chinese medical remedy artemisia to develop an anti-malarial drug.[21] In 2015, researchers at the Texas Biomedical Research Institute and the Center for Integrative Protein Science in Munich published their findings in Science of an alkaloid in an ingredient of the Chinese formula Han Fang Ji that protected human white blood cells from the Ebola virus.[22] And in 2006, the FDA gave its first drug approval to an ointment based upon Chinese botanicals, including green tea leaves, for the treatment of genital warts caused by human papillomavirus.[23] In a bioinformatics database analysis comparing phytochemicals in Chinese plants with the modern Comprehensive Medical Chemistry database of pharmaceutical drug ingredients, over 100 Chinese herbal phytochemicals had direct correlates with ingredients used in approved pharmaceutical drugs on the market.[24]

Taking one excellent example of the synergistic effects of herbal combinations in TCM is the duo Coptidis rhizoma and Evodia rutaecarpa. In classical Chinese medical practice, this formula has been given for centuries to treat gastric conditions including rapid healing of ulcers. Modern research has shown that together these herbs inhibit the bacterium Helicobacter pylori, which frequently accompanies ulcers. In the US approximately 20% of people under 40 years and over 50% of those above 60 years are estimated to have an H. pylori infection which can be responsible for gastritis, stomach and duodenal ulcers, gastric lymphoma and stomach cancer. The herbs were also found to contain limonene used in drugs as an antineoplastic molecule and gamalenic acid used in as an ingredient in pharmaceutical anti-tumor drugs.[25]

Finally, we might take a look at the 2017-2018 flu season. In fact, the influenza vaccine for this past season was a dud and failed to protect most recipients from infection. According to the CDC, the vaccine was 36% effective.[26] Almost 100 pediatric flu deaths were reported. However, later research at Rice University determined the vaccine was at best only 20% efficacy.[27] With conventional medicine and our federal health agencies failing to protect the public, tens of thousands of people experiencing the onset of flu-like symptoms rushed to purchase the Chinese herbal cold formula Nin Jiom Pei Pa Koa. The formula costs as little as $6 in New York City’s Chinatown. Pei Pa Koa is one of the most popular cold, flu and cough remedies across East Asia and Singapore. It was first formulated during the Qing dynasty in the 17th century. The results are often immediate. When we desire relief from a health condition that is all that matters.

Therefore, we have absolutely no need for Skeptics preaching from their bully pulpits. There is no need to read the vitriol of Science-based medicine’s priesthood. And we certainly have no need to refer to Wikipedia’s encyclopedia of biased misinformation parroting Skepticism’s paranoia and deceptive efforts to censor natural health. We don’t need any of them to tell us that the relief we experience after taking a medicinal herb or natural formula is only a placebo effect or a figment of our imagination because the scientific research doesn’t meet their standards. The fact of the matter is that the science will never meet their standards because fundamentalists, either religious or science-based, cannot be persuaded by factual evidence that conflicts with their ingrained psychological ideologies and fears. And this is the fundamental fallacy and blatant hypocrisy that runs throughout SBM Skepticism and Wikipedia. It is not “science-based” because it is impoverished of the necessary inquisitive open-mindedness that defines those who are authentic scientists. SBM is faith-based, and holds fealty with a grossly reductionist, petulant and brattish mentality incapable of seeing the forest from the trees. In his criticism of TCM, Novella brings the absurdity of Skepticism to a climax. “I maintain that there are many good reasons to conclude that any system [i.e. TCM] which derives from everyday experience is likely to be seriously flawed and almost entirely cut off from reality.”[28] However, for thousands of years there have been countless people who experienced and claimed the benefits from Chinese botanical medicine. We have no need for Skepticism’s scientific reductionist validation to prove the reality of natural medicine.

Post-Ebola cataract surgery can safely restore vision

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In Africa, 2013 Ebola outbreak left thousands of its survivors blind or those who have an impaired vision. But the modern ophthalmology has found a way to correct this impairment, the op brings back the sightseeing safely, journal EBioMedicine reported in one of its recent articles. 

The surgery on eyes is truly exciting, as it improves our ability to impact vision care and quality-of-life for thousands of Ebola survivors at-risk for eye disease, say the researchers from the Ebola Virus Persistence in Ocular Tissues and Fluids (EVICT) study. An eye inflammation that can lead to pain, light sensitivity, and severe vision impairment, often due to cataracts after Ebola virus. World Health Organization supported this important project very actively.

The first surgeries were successfully performed at Lowell and Ruth Gess Eye Hospital in Freetown, Sierra Leone. The new study’s authors note that they performed ocular fluid sampling in full personal protective equipment, and their research paper in EBioMedicine provides a diagram showing the layout of the hospital, indicating where sensitive procedures were performed.

Post-Ebola cataract surgery can safely restore vision

Post-Ebola cataract surgery improves quality-of-life for survivors

Thanks to the well-organized programme, the patients were identified through a screening program from 2015-2016 with referrals from eye clinics throughout Sierra Leone. Testing was performed at an average of 19 months after patients’ diagnosis with Ebola virus disease in the first phase of the study and at an average of 34 months after diagnosis of Ebola in the second phase of the study.

Most of the EVICT study participants had cataracts with the different level of impairment or even a total blindness but did not have active eye inflammation at the time of surgery. In EBioMedicine, the layout of the hospital, indicating where sensitive procedures were performed, were shown in details. The surgeries were performed at Lowell and Ruth Gess Eye Hospital in Freetown, Sierra Leone. Ebola Virus Persistence in Ocular Tissues and Fluids’ authors note that they performed ocular fluid sampling in full personal protective equipment.