Pall, PhD -a Conversation & more

[Guest guest]

From: " Twisk "

http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0ISW/is_265-266/ai_n15622556/print

A conversation with MCS researcher, Pall, PhD

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Powers

Dr. Pall is Professor of Biochemistry and Basic Medical

Sciences at Washington State University. He is currently

writing a book called Explaining " Unexplained Illnesses. "

* How did you become interested in researching this group of

illnesses--MCS, Chronic Fatigue, Fibromyalgia, Post Traumatic

Stress Disorder?

I came down with a case of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) in

the summer of 1997. Unlike most CFS sufferers, I had a

complete recovery, over a period of about a year and a half. I

decided to dedicate the rest of my scientific career to

understanding the mechanisms causing this group of illnesses.

* Who is at-risk for developing MCS? Is a genetic pre-disposition

necessary? Is early exposure to toxic chemicals in pesticides

and solvents critical?

There is evidence for an important genetic role in determining

one's tendency to get each of these related illnesses. For MCS,

the evidence so far implicates genes involved in chemical

metabolism, as well as a gene that helps determine the activity

of the NMDA receptors in the brain, receptors that I believe are

central to the mechanism of MCS. I would expect that a number

of vitamins, magnesium, selenium and a variety of antioxidants

may well have a role in preventing MCS. I think that in some

individuals, early life stressors may well make them more

susceptible to MCS, but in others this will not be a factor.

There are multiple short term stressors that are implicated in this

whole group of illnesses, including pesticides and volatile

organic solvents, particularly in MCS, infection, particularly in

CFS, both infection and physical trauma (particularly head and

neck trauma) in fibromyalgia and severe psychological stress in

posttraumatic stress disorder. All of these stressors can

produce increases in nitric oxide and I have proposed that they

may trigger a common biochemical/physiological response that

is responsible for these illnesses.

* Why is there so much variation of symptoms from one individual

to another within this group of illnesses?

One can explain many of the symptoms as being produced by

impact on different regions of the brain, as well as different parts

of the rest of the body. For example, some people with MCS

have lower lung, asthma-like sensitivities, sometimes

abbreviated RADS and some do not--and those who have this

have tissue impact in the lower lungs. So a specific tissue when

impacted by this biochemistry produces a specific response.

* Describe the focus of your work with these illnesses and the

grants/funding sought

Most of my work, over the past seven years or so has been

trying to master large areas of the scientific literature to develop

the best possible theory of the etiologic (causal) mechanism of

these illnesses. This does not require any outside funding and

fortunately, my university has been satisfied to have me do this

and has not " bugged " me to seek more grant funding.

This is the type of work that nobody does. The reason for that is

two-fold. Firstly, you cannot get research funding to do this type

of work. Secondly it is damn hard work and most people do not

have either the breadth of background or the interest in pursuing

it. This is despite the fact that some very prominent scientists

have commented that this is just the type of work that we most

need in the biomedical area. We are inundated by experimental

results in many areas of biomedical science (not on MCS,

however) but have little time to integrate these results into

understandable conceptual frameworks.

I did have a small grant on CFS, which allowed me to publish

two experimental papers providing support for my theory. I also

tried to get funding for two similar trials, one for CFS treatment

and second for fibromyalgia treatment. The two foundations that I

went to for funding both had the same response. They felt that if

the trial worked, we would not know why it worked because there

were so many components involved in the trial, and so the

foundations were not interested in it. I guess I'd like them to try to

convince the sufferers that an effective treatment would not be

worth supporting even if one cannot determine exactly how it

works.

* You've developed a treatment protocol that has a nutritional

focus. Describe it.

First, let me remind you that I am a PhD, not an MD, so nothing I

write should be interpreted as a recommendation or as medical

advice. I have been interested in therapy issues ever since I got

involved with this group of illnesses. I think that any etiologic

(causal) theory has got to show its value through its ability to

suggest effective therapeutic approaches.

Dr. Grace Ziem asked me to come up with a treatment protocol.

She had my protocol compounded by a compounding pharmacy

and is trying it on her MCS patients. She reports it seems to be

substantially more effective than her previous treatment

approaches.

The approach that I have taken is based on the use of nutritional

supplements rather than conventional pharmaceuticals, and this

approach was taken for two reasons. One is that there are not a

lot of conventional pharmaceuticals that are attractive

candidates for therapy. Secondly, Dr. Ziem wanted us to use as

natural an approach as possible, one that might give the injured

body (including brain, of course) an opportunity to heal itself.

Most of the nutritional supplements we are using are already

being sold to people with these illnesses, so individually they are

of limited effectiveness. If any one of them was a magic bullet,

we would know about it. The goal is to come up with a series of

over a dozen such compounds expected to act synergistically

with each other to lower the biochemistry and physiology that

maintains these illnesses.

We have used a large number of antioxidants (over a dozen of

these alone), several minerals and some odd compounds, such

as the amino acid betaine.

Among the specific goals is to try to improve energy metabolism

and lower the activity of the NMDA receptors in the brain and

other parts of the body, as well as to lower the synthesis of and

effects of nitric oxide and peroxynitrite.

* Describe the human clinical research you'd like to do, and

explain why placebo-controlled trials are important.

What is known as a double-blind, placebo controlled trial is

considered to be the " gold standard " of trials and such an

approach is needed to convince people of possible

effectiveness. The idea is that if an individual in the trial does not

know whether he/she is receiving the active material or a

placebo, that comparing a substantial number of individuals in

each of the two groups will allow one to determine whether the

treatment is effective and to quantify how effective it may be. We

may end up with two types of tablets, a gel cap and an inhalant

and if this is the final approach, we will need four different

placebos, one for each.

* How much funding is needed for this research?

Dr. Ziem estimates that it will take about $50,000 for the trial. I

will be donating my time to it. This is for a trial containing a group

of 30 for treatment and 30 for the placebo.

* If the funding did come through, how would participants in the

trials be chosen?

Dr. Ziem has a large backlog of patients. If that is insufficient, we

can contact support groups near her (she is located in rural

land). She will have to examine potential participants to

determine if they fit the appropriate case definition.

Each participant will have a small blood sample taken before

starting the trial and two times after the initiation of the trial so

that I can measure some biochemical parameters that may be a

measure of treatment response. Response to the trial will also

be measured through the use of a previously validated

questionnaire. After the placebo-controlled part of the trial is

completed, the placebo group will be offered the opportunity to

try the active supplements, so everyone will have the opportunity

to see how well the therapy works in their case.

* Can interested individuals donate to your research?

They can make a tax deductible contribution through the WSU

foundation by including a note with a check indicating it is to

support the Pall research fund, sent to:

Carol Sayles-Rydbom

Assistant Director of Development

College of Sciences

Morrill Hall 144B

P.O. Box 643520

Pullman, Washington 99164-3520 USA