Keynote Addresses & Featured Speakers

THURSDAY, MAY 24

  • FEATURED SPEAKER: Sandor Katz 

FRIDAY, MAY 25

  • KEYNOTE: Dr. Luc Montagnier
  • FEATURED SPEAKER: Dr. Benjamin Gesundheit
  • FEATURED SPEAKER: David Lender

SATURDAY, MAY 26

  • KEYNOTE: Dr. David Lewis
  • KEYNOTE: Jenny McCarthy
  • FEATURED SPEAKER: Dr. Thomas Borody
    FEATURED SPEAKER: Dr. Andrew Wakefield 

SUNDAY, MAY 27

  • FEATURED SPEAKER: Dr. Yi Jin

 

 

 

 

FRIDAY KEYNOTE
Friday, May 25, 11:30 AM

AUTISM: The Microbial Track     
Presented by Nobel Laureate Luc Montagnier, M.D., and the group CHRONIMED

Health authorities in many countries are concerned - and rightly so - of the significant growth in the number of children with a specific neuropsychiatric syndrome, autism. The most recent CDC US statistics give an estimate of 1 child in 88 affected by an autism-related syndrome. The sociopsychological aspects of this complex syndrome should be treated as such, but we researchers and doctors believe it necessary to go further by looking for organic causes and from this, derive a policy of both treatment and prevention. The observed increase may come from genetic factors -- real factors to be sure -- but factors that have not changed in the various populations affected in less than a generation. On the other hand, we must consider environmental factors as they have changed considerably our biosphere: infant nutrition, air pollution and pesticides, increased exposure to electromagnetic radiation of all frequencies associated with the globalization of human communication, and changes in our microbial flora.

Our group of researchers and physicians from European countries, Chronimed, is studying chronic diseases. Our recent observations may lead to new approaches of treatment and prevention. These observations are of two types: biological and clinical. There is in the blood of most autistic children -- but not in healthy children -- DNA sequences that emit, in certain conditions, electromagnetic waves. The analysis by molecular biology techniques allows us to identify these electromagnetic waves as coming from already known bacterial species. This correlation, which is based on more than one hundred children of European origin, naturally does not prove a causal relationship. However, a therapy first started by a group of independent clinicians and now performed in conjunction with laboratory observations reinforces the idea that systemic bacterial infections play a role in the genesis of symptoms of autism.



Our GPs have observed that a long-term therapy consisting of successive antibiotic treatments with accompanying medications induced in 60% of cases a significant improvement -- sometimes even a complete resolution of symptoms. These children can now lead a normal school and family life. In conjunction with these treatments resulting in amelioration of symptoms is the disappearance of electromagnetic signals associated with the plasma bacterial DNA.



Our working hypothesis is that immune dysfunction associated with inflammation of the intestinal mucosa leads to the introduction of bacterial components, including neurotoxins,
into the bloodstream, creating oxidative stress as well as microvascularities, especially affecting meningeal vessels and finally specific neuronal damage.



Of course, much research is still needed to strengthen this hypothesis, but our goal here is to have the medical community and the parents be aware of these opportunities for immediate treatment that can improve or cure more than half of autistic children. It is expected that, in the future, similar approaches will be applied to other serious chronic conditions of children and adults, including rheumatological disorders.