Author Archive

‘Mind-Control’ Parasite Toxoplasma Hides From the Immune System With 2 Key Genes

https://www.livescience.com/health/viruses-infections-disease/mind-control-parasite-toxoplasma-hides-from-the-immune-system-with-two-key-genes

‘Mind-control’ parasite Toxoplasma hides from the immune system with 2 key genes

By Kamal Nahas

April 25, 2023

A single-cell parasite relies on two genes that boost each other’s activity to switch into “defense mode” when attacked by the immune system.
A new study could help scientists find a cure to lifelong infections caused by the parasite Toxoplasma gondii.  

The parasite Toxoplasma gondii hides in up to half of humans, although it rarely causes symptoms. But when it infects mice, the single-cell organism can exert a kind of “mind control” to change the rodents’ behavior and help itself spread.

Now, researchers report being one step closer to curing T. gondii infections in humans, which can be lifelong due to the parasite’s ability to morph into a dormant, defensive state. Two transcription factors — proteins that switch genes “on” and “off” — lie at the root of this metamorphosis, and the discovery opens avenues to block the process.

Often dubbed the “mind-control parasite,” T. gondii takes over the minds of infected mice and steers them towards cats to become their next meal. This enables the parasites to jump into our feline friends, the only known hosts in which they can reproduce sexually.

Scientists remain unsure whether the parasite can similarly control the human brain; some studies suggest it could contribute to aggression, impulsive behavior and schizophrenia, while other studies dispute these effects. Most people carrying T. gondii don’t develop any symptoms, but more rarely, the infection can trigger mild, flu-like symptoms or even severe illness. Developing fetuses, newborns, and people with weak immune systems are most vulnerable to severe toxoplasmosis, which can damage the eyes and brain and sometimes be fatal.  (See link for article)

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SUMMARY:

  • Similarly to Lyme, T. gondii burrows into tissues and morphs into a different form when it’s threatened making it hard to find.  Also, similar to Lyme, current therapies do not cure the infection because the chronic stages are resistant.
  • Researchers have previously discovered a protein that is essential for morphing.
  • Now, a new study in Nature Microbiology, found another transcription factor that regulates morphing.
  • By deleting this gene, mice that had 100 copies of T. gondii injected into them did not appear to develop cysts in their brains 45 days later.

The team determined that T. gondii cells maintain a supply of this mRNA, but they can only make the BFD1 protein when BFD2 binds to the mRNA and thus triggers protein synthesis. This binding only happens when the cell is under stress.

By perpetuating each other’s activity, the two transcription factors can commit tachyzoites to morphing into bradyzoites by “locking the cell into this developmental trajectory,” said M. Haley Licon, parasitologist and lead author of the study. Future research could unravel what factors switch “off” this self-perpetuating loop, she added, enabling bradyzoites to revert to tachyzoites when stressful conditions elapse.

Hakimi argued that scientists are a long way from developing such drugs. “It’s very hard to target transcription factors,” and aside from select drugs used in cancer treatment, “very few drugs” do, he said.

For more:  

Category:

research, Toxoplasmosis

Growing Connection Between Infections & Cancer

http://

Growing Evidence Between Infections & Cancer Part 1

Dr. Armin Schwarzbach, July 2022

AONM

There is significant research to suggest that infections contribute to the forming of, or even cause, cancers. In this first, of a two-part webinar series, Dr. Schwarzbach will present evidence that will substantiate this claim. The potential behind such findings is huge for patients worldwide regarding not only unrealised and future therapeutic interventions, but also the prevention of cancers.

http://

Growing Evidence Between Infections & Cancer Part 2

Dr. Armin Schwarzbach

AONM

There is significant research to suggest that infections contribute to the forming of, or even cause, cancers. In this second of his two-part webinar Dr. Schwarzbach presents evidence that will substantiate this claim. The potential behind such findings is huge for patients worldwide regarding not only unrealised and future therapeutic interventions, but also the prevention of cancers.

For more:

Category:

Activism, Cancer, Lyme

The Information Cartel’s “Civic Listening”: Latest Twitter File Dump

https://twitter.com/NAffects/status/1650954036009398277

“Civic Listening,” More Newspeak For Censorship

“Civic listening.” That is what social media platforms call it when they help the government spy on its citizens. 

This comes from a new round of Twitter Files, published by Andrew Lowenthal, former executive director of a non-governmental organization called Engage Media.

Lowenthal shows copious amounts of communication between social media companies and government organizations and journalists to hand over access and control. The government presented frameworks for access and was granted that access by Facebook, Google, Reddit, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Microsoft, Verizon, and of course Twitter. The emails show executives happily coming up with “industry-wide” policies for an open door for government reach.

How bad is it?

According to Lowenthal, “tech companies not only collaborate on content, they gather regularly for “private sector engagement” with the FBI, DOD, DHS, House and Senate Intel Committees, and others.” The files show an “alliance of academics, journalists, intelligence operates, military personnel, government bureaucrats, NGO workers and more,” all working together cartel-style.  Source

The government provides these companies with suggestions on how to give certain accounts “state media” labels, which in turn discredits accounts that are guilty of wrong think. This happened to former Scottish politician George Galloway whose account was labeled “Russian state media” because he is critical of the war. The label has since been removed, but how did it get there in the first place??

This round of Twitter Files also shows government and NGOs alike trying to figure out how to reach into encrypted communication through programs such as WhatsApp and Signal in order to hunt down “problematic content.” That initiative is code named Junkipedia. 

Through these files we can see that the lines between the government, the media and social media are non-existent. Thus the censorship industrial complex and it’s a hungry beast. Source

DHS staff such as Matt Masterson became fellows at the Stanford Internet Observatory to work on the Virality Project’s censorship of “true stories of vaccine side effects.”  The communication states that while these stories are not clearly mis or disinformation, they may be malinformation, for being exaggerated or misleading or true posts that could fuel hesitancy, such as individual countries banning vaccines.

Automated Controversy Detection & Center for an Informed Public (CIP) boast of their online monitoring capabilities and use a “pioneering algorithm that identifies opposing sentiment on a topic as well as quantifies the amount of disagreement.”  Source

Anti-disinformation conferences teem with Beltway journalists – the same names from The Post, Atlantic, NBC, over and over – but these proto-censorship workshops are often off the record, like defense or intel confabs, making reporters participants.  So, the people accusing others of “disinformation” RUN the biggest disinformation campaigns themselves.  Source  Since Jan. 2020, the CIP has collected more than 11 BILLION tweets and more than 100 terabytes of social media data as part of its rapid-response mis-and disinformation research activities.

The scale of funding is beyond shocking.  Governments and foundations pour millions, with one company alone reportedly winning $979 million from the Pentagon – into “anti-disinformation” firms and NGOs.

Now we know why the Pentagon failed its 5th annual audit in a row.

For more:

Category:

Activism, vaccines

Whistleblower Nurse on Health Care Corruption

http://  Approx. 25 Min

Nurse on Health Care Corruption

April 18, 2023

Gail Macrae is a California nurse turned whistleblower who was fired for refusing to take the COVID-19 shot. She joined Liz Collin this week to discuss what she witnessed while working in health care during the pandemic.

  • She refutes the media’s claim that hospitals were overflowing during COVID
  • Her hospital in particular was under utilized
  • It’s completely normal to have empty hospitals in the Spring and Summer and then to have patients in the winter months
  • She witnessed first hand the horrific results of isolating patients by not allowing family members at their bedsides.
  • Remdesivir didn’t not help patients improve but actually caused multi-organ failure.  She was told it was “protocol.”  This protocol still exists today despite its danger and ineffectiveness.
  • She mentions finding out about the financial kickbacks hospitals received.
  • Her hospital had 3 TIMES the admission rate within 2 weeks after the COVID injections were rolled out than at any time in history.
  • Anaphylaxis was common.  A nurse was told if she reported these she would be fired.
  • Staff were afraid of losing their livelihood and mostly went along with the tyranny.  Many left the field.
  • Standfirmnow.org is Macrae’s latest endeavor.
“May our children never say we were cowards in the face of evil.” ~ Lieutenant Colonel Theresa Long, MD
  • She mentions the FLCCC website for helpful resources including COVID treatments and the importance of addressing the significant inflammation caused by COVID.

For more:

Category:

Treatment, vaccines

Study: SOT Potential Treatment For Viruses & Lyme Disease

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36412742/

Supportive Oligonucleotide Therapy (SOT) as a Potential Treatment for Viral Infections and Lyme Disease: Preliminary Results

Panagiotis Apostolou 1, Aggelos Iliopoulos 1, Georgios Beis 1, Ioannis Papasotiriou 2

Free PMC article

Abstract

Antisense therapy is widely used as an alternative therapeutic option for various diseases. RNA interference might be effective in infections, through the degradation of messenger RNA and, therefore, translation process. Hence, proteins essential for microorganisms and viruses’ proliferation and metabolism are inhibited, leading to their elimination. The present study aimed to evaluate the use of oligonucleotide in patients infected by Epstein-Barr (EBV) or Herpes Simplex Viruses 1/2 or with Lyme Disease caused by Borrelia burgdorferi. Blood samples were collected from 115 patients and the different species were characterized using molecular biology techniques. Then, SOT molecules (Supportive Oligonucleotide Therapy), which are specific small interfering RNA (siRNA), were designed, produced, and evaluated, for each specific strain. Oligonucleotides were administered intravenously to patients and then a quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction was used to evaluate the effectiveness of SOT. This study revealed that for Lyme Disease, one or two SOT administrations can lead to a statistically significant decrease in DNA copies, while for viruses, two or three administrations are required to achieve a statistically significant reduction in the genetic material. These preliminary results indicate that antisense SOT therapy can be considered a potential treatment for viral as well as Lyme diseases.

For more:

The challenge with Lyme is correctly identifying the patient’s infections as they are typically coinfected with many. Further, it’s all based on using PCR to detect the DNA of various bacteria which is known to find Lyme only 30% of the time.  Further, many of the organisms with Lyme/MSIDS aren’t found in the blood so trying to detect it there is futile (another reason this is so hard to test, diagnose, and treat.)

Using genetic code for a treatment for this is like trying to catch a greased pig.  Lyme in particular changes its outer surface protein which means what goes into you isn’t what comes out of you as the organism mutates to survive.  Yet another reason it’s difficult treating this and why there has never and will never be a Lyme vaccine worth its weight in salt.  You can’t pin something down that changes.

Personally, all this work on treatments using genetics scares the bajeebers out of me.  Hopefully the past three years have caused all of us to pause and consider the implications of using genes and their ability to alter genetic code.  Also, what works in a petri dish often doesn’t work in reality.

Of course, at the end of the day, we are all big boys and girls and have to make our own decisions.  What works for one often doesn’t work for another and if you do your reading, are convinced of its merits, and want to try this, then by all means do it.  If you have success, or if you don’t, please let me know.  Often the best way we move forward is by educating one another on various treatments and health changes.

Category:

Lyme, research, Testing, Treatment, Viruses