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on edge for years. And it's starting to show some results, as ignore the pathogen and its treatment. This is especially perplexing published research from NASA, Mayo and various universities ecause scientists involved in the discoveries work at some of the indicates. Moreover, despite its relative financial insignificance, ighest level institutions in America, including NASA, Mayo this venture may end up wagging the dog due to a long-overdue Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, Washington Hospital Center and many paradigm shift in, of all things, the space program. others, and are not only respected in their field but are also award After decades of resistance, NASA—provoked by successful winners. Other centres of excellence internationally, such as upstart private projects such as the X Prize, which led to the first University Hospital in Vienna, have also isolated the pathogen and private foray into space—is now collaborating with fledgling observed it in diseases such as ovarian cancer. companies, instead of just corporate behemoths, on intractable For decades, scientists have shown that disease can be caused by problems: in this case, why perfectly healthy astronauts come down contaminants that are not "alive" and cannot replicate on their own. with kidney and other calcifying disorders. The result: in March Environmental toxins, many viruses and, most recently, particles 2005, NASA's Johnson Space Center put the finishing touches on a nown as prions have all been shown as players in disease tightly secured lab aimed at decoding nanobacteria found at the processes, although they cannot self-replicate. core of kidney stones. After some serious growing pains, the lab is So it seems unusual that nanobacteria would be discounted just finally beginning to look into what Ciftcioglu and Kajander began _ because no one has yet shown how they multiply. Which takes us examining so many years ago: the genetic content of nanobacteria. to the question of where nanobacteria might come from. Meanwhile, Ciftcioglu and others have published results showing that nanobacteria NANOBACTERIA-CONTAMINATED multiply five times faster in weightlessness VACCINES than in Earth gravity,’ which may explain why When Dr Olavi Kajander discovered calcification shows up so suddenly in space. nanobacteria in 1988, he was not looking for But while researchers argue over what this disease at all. He was looking for what was nanobacterium is and how it multiplies, doctors killing the cells that are used to develop vac- are finding that, when they treat it with a med- When Dr Olavi cines. Labs everywhere have a vexing and ical cocktail, their patients improve. . . expensive problem with these widely used cell Nor is it unusual that doctors are succeeding Kajander discovered cultures: they stop reproducing or die after a before science figures out why. Antibiotics nanobacteria in 1 988, few generations and have to be thrown out. were used successfully against bacteria long . Kajander surmised that something invisible before scientists deciphered DNA. Doctors he was not looking for was killing them; and when he incubated stopped infecting patients by washing their disease at all. He was supposedly sterile samples for more than a ands long before they were able to iden- month under special conditions, he got a hands long before they ble to id h under special conditi he g tify all the viruses and bacteria that they looking for what was milky biofilm. That biofilm contained inadvertently transported from patient to killing the cells that particles that he later named patient. nanobacteria, unaware at the time that Most recently, a vaccine that prevents are used to develop some of their characteristics made them cervical cancer has been put on the vaccines. quite distinct from bacteria. market. It apparently works by targeting The serum that Kajander used to grow the human papilloma virus. Problem is, the nanobacteria came from the blood of researchers can't show exactly how the cow foetuses. Serum from the UK espe- virus causes cancer; they can only show cially was full of nanobacteria, but a that when it is stopped, the cancer doesn't much later study also concluded they occur. But that hasn't prevented the drug were present in some cow herds in the from being patented and put on the eastern US. In other words, nanobacteria market. The history of medicine is full of are in cows, and cow blood is used to such examples where patients improve develop many vaccines. Kajander with treatments whose mechanisms aren't fully understood at the emphasises that this should not stop people from using vaccines, start. because the immediate risk from diseases that the vaccines are The idea that infection could be at the heart of chronic illness is intended to prevent is relatively higher than the calcification risk in intriguing because it has been around for more than a century but the short term. Nonetheless, the potentially explosive implications only now is regaining favour due to discoveries of, for example, a of contaminated vaccines and cow by-products would be clear to vaccine that prevents cervical cancer (as mentioned above). The everyone at government agencies who has examined the issue. resulting debates over infection in chronic disease have a novel In that context, a series of hotly disputed discussions went back twist because they are driven by new diagnostic technologies that and forth between Kajander and Ciftcioglu and disease prevention give researchers the molecular accuracy required to confirm older agencies. And it certainly wasn't a secret because the Medical theories about infection. On one hand, clinical results suggest Letter on the CDC & FDA (10 June 2001) published an article enti- antibiotics alone do not prevent the rate of heart attacks among tled "Nanobacteria Are Present In Vaccines; But Any Health Risks coronary patients. On the other, discoveries that infection is Remain Unknown", explaining that nanobacteria had been discov- responsible for most stomach ulcers and some cancers support the ered in some polio vaccines. long-held idea that the same might be true in heart disease, if only The minutes of a subsequent meeting of the FDA Center for science could find the right infection and get rid of it. Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) advisory committee in Some say that nanobacteria may be one such infection. Yet sci- November 2002 reveal an extraordinary decision by the committee entists' inability to fully explain the genetics of nanobacteria is members: they elected nof to investigate the potential being used by high-ranking medical authorities as an excuse to contamination. According to the minutes they based their decision ignore the pathogen and its treatment. This is especially perplexing because scientists involved in the discoveries work at some of the highest level institutions in America, including NASA, Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, Washington Hospital Center and many others, and are not only respected in their field but are also award winners. Other centres of excellence internationally, such as University Hospital in Vienna, have also isolated the pathogen and observed it in diseases such as ovarian cancer. For decades, scientists have shown that disease can be caused by contaminants that are not "alive" and cannot replicate on their own. Environmental toxins, many viruses and, most recently, particles known as prions have all been shown as players in disease although they cannot self-replicate. it seems unusual that nanobacteria would be discounted just because no one has yet shown how they multiply. Which takes us to the question of where nanobacteria might come from. Kajander discovered nanobacteria in 1988, he was not looking for disease at all. He was looking for what was Killing the cells that --- bal ot vaccines. start. The idea that infection could be at the heart of chronic illness is intriguing because it has been around for more than a century but only now is regaining favour due to discoveries of, for example, a vaccine that prevents cervical cancer (as mentioned above). The resulting debates over infection in chronic disease have a novel twist because they are driven by new diagnostic technologies that give researchers the molecular accuracy required to confirm older theories about infection. On one hand, clinical results suggest antibiotics alone do not prevent the rate of heart attacks among coronary patients. On the other, discoveries that infection is responsible for most stomach ulcers and some cancers support the long-held idea that the same might be true in heart disease, if only science could find the right infection and get rid of it. Some say that nanobacteria may be one such infection. Yet sci- entists' inability to fully explain the genetics of nanobacteria is being used by high-ranking medical authorities as an excuse to NEXUS = 31 When Dr Olavi are used to develop AUGUST —- SEPTEMBER 2005 www.nexusmagazine.com