Although the source is somewhat questionable, I’ve read of an apparent cure for AIDS developed by Dr. Gary R. Davis, M.D. of Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Dr. Davis developed a goat serum that has not yet been approved for clinical trial by the FDA.
Although unapproved, the mother of a young AIDS stole a vial of serum from the office of Dr. Davis and administered the serum to her daughter, resulting in a drop in her viral-load from 186,119 to ZERO.
True, maybe the young patient’s miraculous healing might have been due to reasons other than the serum, but since the serum was her only treatment this at least deserves a closer look and certainly an approved clinical trial.
Come on FDA! Pull yourselves out of the asses of the large drug companies and show that you are truly dedicated to finding a cure for this horrible affliction!
Krispy Original – voted SDMB’s 19th most popular poster (1999)
I think the woman should have her child checked out by a physician, wait a couple months to see if there are side effects/relapses, and if not, the doctor should start asking for volunteers, as well as publish in a medical journal. If it works, it works; if it doesn’t, it doesn’t.
“It’s my considered opinion you’re all a bunch of sissies!”–Paul’s Grandfather
Ya know, if the kid is being treated by NIH, doesn’t it seem quite likely she is on the AIDS cocktail? To my understanding, that can reduce the viral loads to undetectable levels and not constitute a cure, regardless of whatever goat-related serums may have been injected into the patient.
I’m with Phil, with an emphasis on the publication part.
I know you have you own opinions on scientific publication, KO. If someone’s got a good idea that doesn’t fit into the mainstream (cold fusion, mind control techniques, bogons, whatever), there is a chance he’ll be shot down for being a troublemaker, right? At least that’s the line of many “alternative science” apologists.
But I like to have a little more faith in the medical community. As Phil said, if it works, it works–there’s not much room for equivocation in medicine, especially in disease control. (Long term side effects notwithstanding. Yes, I remember thalidomide.)
Now, there may very well be a grand plot to keep a cure for AIDS from being released, but that’s another debate.
If this guy’s got a cure (which, IMO, he doesn’t), he needs to run clinical trials and publish.
But ya know what really gets me? Her name is Precious, fa chrissakes. I mean, that’s even worse than Dakotah and Kayleigh . . .
If you would be a real seeker after truth, you must at least once in your life doubt, as far as possible, all things.
– **René Descartes, ** (1596-1650)
I wondered about that second part too…but then I read that the amount of the stolen serum that the mother was giving the girl was a fraction of the dosage that the doctor would have given her…also…with drugs like penicillin (sp?), the full curative effect takes a dosage of a particular length, although a lessor dosage does tend to start to relieve symptoms…right?
Krispy Original – voted SDMB’s 19th most popular poster (1999)
One main problem here is that just because HIV may have undetectable levels in the blood does not mean it has been cured. HIV hides – in the lymph nodes, the brain, etc., and, as I understand it, not show up in blood tests.
The other problem is that we don’t know the whole history of this girl. Again, as I understand it, the viral load gets high after the initial infection and can them plummet as it goes into the second stage of the disease, only to come back again much later.