Madison Area Lyme Support Group

Many of the international speakers covered cutting edge topics of Lyme, parasites, mold, inflammation and chronic infections, and different treatment modalities. Bacteriophage therapy and hemoadsorption therapy were new concepts for me take home to investigate further.

The first speaker, Louis Charles Teulieres, MD from France and England, spoke on bacteriophages in Lyme disease and diagnostics. Bacteriophages are a hot topic in the Lyme community as a means to detect and treat Lyme disease instead of heavily relying on antibiotics. Bacteriophages, a dominant viral life form existing as naked DNA with a protein coat, infect bacteria and “devour” them. They are everywhere: 50 million bacteriophage viruses are found in one milliliter of seawater.

Dr. Teulieres’ main focus: Is there a place for bacteriophages in diagnosis and treatment of Lyme disease? Can this provide an alternative treatment to antibiotics for Lyme disease, and thereby avoid post-antibiotic resistance? His lecture was highly technical, and it is still theoretical to use bacteriophages as a diagnostic tool, or to kill Borrelia Lyme bacteria with a Borrelia-specific virus. Phage Therapy is a novel idea to be tested soon. I have some skepticism about this approach which overlooks hidden dental spirochete and parasite infections, but stay tuned for more research.

Other topics included molds and fungus in chronic inflammation by Dr. Damien Downing of London, a lecture on biofilm by a doctor from Scandinavia, Lyme and co-infections by Prof. Dr. Kenny de Meirleir of Belgium, immune monitoring of hemoadsorption approaches as a new treatment option in antibiotic resistant chronic Lyme infection by Prof. Dr. Marion Schneider of Germany, and patient cases treated with hemoadsorption and extracorporeal hyperthermia by Dr. med. Rainer Mutschler of Germany.

Bacteriophage testing for Lyme disease claims it could detect direct evidence of Borrelia presence, is highly sensitive and specific, could distinguish Lyme from relapsing fever Borrelia strains, could distinguish active and non-active Borrelia presence, and could be developed to have the ability to distinguish different Borrelia sub-types.

On my last day at the Medicine Week, I met Australian researcher Jennie Burke, MSc from Sydney who gave a lecture on, Cancer and Infection. I did not attend her lecture but at the night meeting at the restaurant, she gave me her lecture slides to review.

To my delight, she presented on viral, bacterial and parasite infections as possible causative agents for the development of tumors or opportunistic inhabitants. Her slides covered controversial topics from Virginia Livingston Wheeler, Royal Rife and Dr. Milbank Johnson on BX virus and Rife frequency therapy, Dr. Laszlo K. Csatary on Newcastle virus, and included a list of bacteria and viruses associated with inducing cancer. Her list of cancer types and infections include Gallbladder carcinoma, mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma, and Ovarian, Colorectal, Lung, Pancreatic, Breast, Prostate, Anal and Oral cancer. She listed the names of the bacterial and viral infections and development of specific cancer types.

Her last slide was: Parasites in Cancer? The antiparasitic mebendazole shows survival benefit in preclinical models of glioblastoma multiforme (brain cancer). Supporting articles include: Mebendazole Monotherapy and Long Term Disease Control in Metastatic Adrenocortical Carcinoma, Mebendazole Inhibits Growth of Human Adrenocortical Carcinoma Cell Lines Implanted in Nude Mice, and Mebendazole Elicits a Potent Antitumor Effect on Human Cancer Cell Lines Both in Vitro and in Vivo.

The development of cancer, infections and environmental toxins are not a new concept, but have been largely sidelined (seduced) by the genetic mutation theory of cancer. It is time to renew infections and environmental toxins, including EMF, as the driving forces of inflammation and immune dysregulation. The end results are the imbalance of Th1, Th2, Th17 and regulatory T immune cells that can trigger autoimmune reactions or development of cancer.

I have written many articles on parasites, fungal infections and cancer connections, presenting cancer as an infectious disease as if cancer is a metabolic parasite. Dr. Tim Guilford and I published, Antiparasitic and Antifungal Medications for Targeting Cancer Cells Literature Review and Case Studies, in PubMed with extensive references. If you are suffering from cancer, get a copy and share with your oncologist. He or she may embrace and try parasite and fungal medications or scorn you and laugh at you. You have nothing to lose by trying.

Listening to French, Australian and other international speakers at Medicine Week was worthwhile, and I learn from going to Baden-Baden every year. Meeting good friends and enjoying good wine, beer, food and Roman Baths give even more incentives to attend, and expand my horizons.

Dr. Simon Yu, M.D. is a Board Certified Internist. He practices Internal Medicine with an emphasis on Integrative Medicine to use the best each has to offer. For more articles and information about integrative medicine, patient success stories, and Dr. Yu’s new book, AcciDental Blow Up in Medicine: Battle Plan for Your Life, visit his website at www.preventionandhealing.com or call Prevention and Healing, Inc., 314-432-7802. You can also attend a free monthly presentation and discussion by on Integrative Medicine at his office on the second Tuesday each month at 6:30 pm. Call to verify the date. Seating is limited, arrive early.