Ask the Doctor: “Dawn of disease”
The following, authored by our in house Doctor of Pharmacy, paints a very clean and concise picture of just how important it is to never stop questioning the authority. And to always keep searching for the cure.
Washington, DC April 23, 1984. A man, unknown at the time, stands before a packed press conference, and announces the he has discovered the probable cause of AIDS. The man is Robert Gallo, a virologist from the newly formed National Cancer Institute. Side note, at the time cancer was believed to be caused by viruses, which has since gone unproven, and quite frankly anything that causes cell destruction (virus, toxins, etc.) may very well lead to cancer as it is simply a collection of cell death. I digress. Hoards of virologist newly out of school were to be groomed to cure cancer, only to find themselves jobless with the falsehoods to be discovered about cancer. Lucky for them, Gallo had a whole new virus to tackle, and a new industry to do so.
Though Gallo would have the spoils this day, it would later be discovered that he had stolen his discovery, initially labeled HTLV-3 and later coined HIV, from a Frenchman named Luc Montagnier after he sent his findings to Gallo for comment. This would not go unsung, and, in 1994, Montagnier was named co-discoverer. By that time, Gallo’s fans have dwindled. In 1984, however, the nation was starving for an answer to this new pandemic called AIDS and any car-salesman in a fresh pressed lab-coat would suffice.
The first official case of AIDS was diagnosed in Brazil in 1982 however, the CDC had been following a pneumonia only found in cats popping up among a small population of gay men in the states in 1981. As AIDS causes a slow immunity system death, typically patients present with rare diseases (usually only found in house pets and infants) as the first signs and symptoms. Side note, Africa is NOT the birth place of AIDS, there are no savage Africans raping green monkeys, just another white man scapegoat. I digress. AIDS quickly had taken the world by storm and those dying and theirs were desperate for answers and cures, one must keep this atmosphere in mind in order to understand why we decided to follow Gallo’s lead.
Peter Duesberg, like Gallo, had a stake in cancer research before HIV/AIDS hit mainstream. However, unlike Gallo, Duesberg did not agree with the theory that HIV is the viral cause of and leads to AIDS. To get a complete understanding of this theory, it would be like hearing in the news tomorrow that high blood pressure (a disease-state), was actually caused by a contractible virus. Duesberg, a classical biologist, was the first in the scientific community to publish his findings that detested the link between HIV and AIDS. These findings were published in the late ‘80s, and by that time no one seemed to have an ear for it. The science and health community were pressured for a cure, and they wished to have no time to question Gallo’s theory. This impatience and deaf ear to Duesberg would be a mistake. Gallo’s theory would lead to rushed medical approval, what would have taken years to develop new medications was permitted in months, and deadly adverse effects for newly diagnosed patients. Duesberg became labeled at the time as a scientific psychopath, and was ostracized from the community for over 20 years for questioning the theory that would build a medical industry.
Flash-forward almost 30 years, AIDS is still going strong. In fact, if the disease continues its progression at the current pace it will surpass both the Black Plague and the 1918 Spanish Flu as the worst pandemic this planet has ever seen by 2035. The science and medical community have been able to hobble the progression of disease, but have been unable to cure it once contracted. Statistically, newly diagnosed cases continue to drop (most likely due to education and safe sex practices), those living with AIDS is on the rise, and deaths due to AIDS continue to drop (due to medicinal advances). Many advances have been made over these 30 years, but one thing remains unchanged…the theory of origin.
To this day, we still do not know where HIV or AIDS came from, or why it is here. However, and here’s the kicker, there are numerous of cases of HIV that never develop into AIDS, AIDS cases that were never diagnosed with HIV, and new variations and mutations of the original HIV virus. Shockingly, Gallo is out, and Duesberg, well, is still rogue. Rogue in the way that only a man cemented in his principles and standards can be. Rogue in the way that only he chooses to be. Rogue in a Johnny Depp 21 Jump Street kind of way. Berkley seems to think he’s cool though.
As a pharmacist, I’m privy to the ins and outs of any treatable disease. However, there is always that one that seems to demand attention, and like an itch that just won’t scratch you can’t help but play with it. I stumbled upon this true story about the birth of the AIDS industry while researching the disease and my view has been changed sense. Gallo decides to give the easy quick answer, while Duesberg never ceased to question, and yet we as a society chose to follow Gallo. Makes me question the entire “health” community in this country. Makes me think about CrossFit, and the importance of going against the crowd in search of the truth, even if that makes me an outcast. Makes me never want to stop questioning.
Strength:
Floor Press
1,1,1,1,1
For Score:
“Sectionals WOD 11.3″
-Squat Clean 110/165
-Jerk 110/165
AMRAP 5 Minutes
*Each movement counts as a point.
Post weight moved and total reps to comments.
125(PR)
28
135/52
Holy crap this is awesome
95PR/18M ( 95#)
163(pr)/14(m), (95#)
I really liked this WOD. It was a real battle of the mind.
I really have to take issue with this post. I will be the first to say that I don’t have the biological/pharmacological knowledge to speak on a technical level about the particular issue of HIV/AIDS, what I can say is that the intention (don’t stop questioning authority and “conventional wisdom”) to paint Gallo as some kind of a quack who ultimately did more harm than good towards understanding and treating HIV/AIDS, especially in consideration of Duesberg is disingenuous at best, and irresponsible at worst- especially for those with little to no knowledge of why Duesberg is so controversial. It’s not because he’s thinking differently about the cause/effects and relationship between HIV/AIDS. It’s how he applies the knowledge of what he thinks.
Duesberg was an advisor to Thabo Mbeki- at the time he was the president of South Africa. Upon Duesberg’s recommendation, Mbeki discouraged the use of antiretrovirals which make AIDS a more manageable disease instead of the death sentence it used to be. To compare this man in essence to Galilleo is completely off the mark. In 2008, Discover Magazine had this to say about Duesberg:
“…history will judge Duesberg as either “a nut who is just a tease to the scientific community” or an “enabler to mass murder” for the deaths of many AIDS patients in Africa.”
I am all for questioning authority, subverting conventional wisdom, etc. But for Duesberg to be the subject of this is just crazy.
quick followup- i guess it’s not entirely accurate to say that Duesberg recommended discouraging ARVs, he merely served to solidify Mbeki’s position on the matter.
115
28 (I got 10 at Sectionals so I’m happy with that!)
Holy crap Hollywood! Way to work it!
Hollywood and Mo way to work it!!
75PR/20 (I got 14 at sectionals)
So excited…got my first pull-up!
Yayyyy Vicki!!! Nice work!
Congrats, Vicki!
WOOO HOOO Red Headed Beast, you’re first pullup, nice work!!! Games 2012 here you come!!!
yay vickerooooooooooooooooo!!
yay on first timers and pr peeps
This WOD brings back some memories;) Blood, sweat & tears just to prove to myself I could squat clean 110#
Vicki…you make me very proud!!! I can’t wait to get back & watch you kick some serious butt!
115 PR / 18
Yay Vicki!!!!!!! Way to go!!!!!!
175 Floor Press
20 @ 135
Hope we do more C&J’s in the near future.
I want to get better at this!
Vicki:
What an awsome accomplishment! Great Job!
Terrific response to the article Joel. Your passion for the subject literally leaps off the computer screen! I will admit that the work done by Gallo and his colleagues have lead to the development of the extensive antiretroviral therapy regimens that have now added decades of life to those surviving with HIV or AIDS. However, that does not free Gallo from the glaring point that there still is no proof of a link between HIV and AIDS, which was used to build the industry ground up. Though I will never call him a quack, I will use the term false prophet. The decision to follow his lead, which blame can not rest solely on his shoulders, lead to dangerously quick standards to approve the first antiretroviral (AZT) that lead to horrible side effects and failure, perhaps a mistake that could have been avoided if more time had been taken to thoroughly investigate Gallo’s claim. The urgency to save lives obviously was a motivating factor.
As for Duesberg, any recommendation given to avoid antiretrovirals I would assume was based on the failure of AZT, which is well documented. This incident was not apart of my study, so I am really not educated on it to make a response. I am not shocked to hear that Discover smeared African blood all over Duesberg’s face, only to kick him after with their quote. Duesberg has been called a fraud and lunatic since his controversial findings were published in 1987 that disclaimed the theory that HIV causes AIDS. Also, one must keep in mind that at the time (and even now) AIDS diagnoses in Africa brought along much more funding for treatment than other rampant diseases in this country, and it is suggested that false diagnosis may have been made in those statistics.
I would like to read the literature you have on the subject Joel. Among others, I found much of my information out of “Serious Adverse Events” by Celia Farber and “Science Sold Out” by Rebecca Culshaw.
Whether or not we can see eye to eye on the Gallo-Duesberg subject, we can both agree that your squat cleans were superb this morning!
Thanks for the encouragement on the squat cleans.
My reading is mostly the explanation I was given by a friend who served in the Peace Corps in South Africa- she worked with pregnant women who routinely refused antiretrovirals, which obviously affected her, and likewise me.
We’ll just have to agree to disagree here. I do admire your passion also.
Vicki, that’s freakin’ awesome!!! Congrats!
Constantly & continuously amazed by you Vicki! AWESOME!
95# FP/23(m) WOD–Seriously sore after yesterday!!
90/22m @ 63lb
Day 2 at PCF and my hubby gets a MUP!
125# Floor Press-PR!
WOD- 46 reps..I was really excited about this because during sectionals I got 34..this was UNTIL I was told (thanks Justing and Chas for noticing!) that I only had 105# on the bar and not 110#…GRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!! LOL! The 105# sure did feel great though so I would like to think that 5# more wouldnt have made a difference:)…I will be doing this one again though RX just to make sure;)
Way to go Mitch P on your MUP!!! Holla!
225# Floor Press.
Being a rookie I lost track of my rounds. Struggled with 135# with jerk. My shoulders are definently one my weaker areas.
Thanks Kara!
Floor press 125# PR
20