Dr Angelique Corthals’ brilliant new understanding of MS, “Multiple Sclerosis is Not a Disease of the Immune System” is finally out! Full citation:
Angelique P. Corthals
The Quarterly Review of Biology
Vol. 86, No. 4 (December 2011), pp. 287-321
(article consists of 35 pages)
Right now, it looks as though free web access is restricted to those with JSTOR accounts. I’m a little taken aback by that (it was my understanding that it would be free for all). Hopefully, this is just a(nother) glitch. If you can’t afford $14, I can send you the paper by email, and then you can send it on to others. For now, direct your healthcare professional to the link above; they’ll no doubt have free access.
Meanwhile, my précis of the paper, and explanation of why this is not just another bit of hype, but a truly ground-breaking new paradigm, is here. And here’s the abstract:
Multiple sclerosis is a complex neurodegenerative disease, thought to arise through autoimmunity against antigens of the central nervous system. The autoimmunity hypothesis fails to explain why genetic and environmental risk factors linked to the disease in one population tend to be unimportant in other populations. Despite great advances in documenting the cell and molecular mechanisms underlying MS pathophysiology, the autoimmunity framework has also been unable to develop a comprehensive explanation of the etiology of the disease. I propose a new framework for understanding MS as a dysfunction of the metabolism of lipids. Specifically, the homeostasis of lipid metabolism collapses during acute-phase inflammatory response triggered by a pathogen, trauma, or stress, starting a feedback loop of increased oxidative stress, inflammatory response, and proliferation of cytoxic foam cells that cross the blood brain barrier and both catabolize myelin and prevent remyelination. Understanding MS as a chronic metabolic disorder illuminates four aspects of disease onset and progression: 1) its pathophysiology; 2) genetic susceptibility; 3) environmental and pathogen triggers; and 4) the skewed sex ratio of patients. It also suggests new avenues for treatment.
Please spread the news as widely as you can. The sooner people are banging on the doors of the medical establishment, the sooner MS will be eradicated.
This is a tremendous way to prepare for the New Year. I, for one, will be folding the insights of this paper into my goals and resolutions for 2012.
ETA: As Heather points out in the comments, many library systems have JSTOR access. So try your friendly local library.
Nicola Griffith 
Thank you.
Judy
Now people will kick it around! It's all to the good.
Judy, my pleasure.
barbara, I think this paper will kick back :)
many university libraries and some public libraries have access to JSTOR, FYI. Mostly true of the US and Canada, but there are some JSTOR subscribers in other countries too.
heather, that's a good point. How many, do you suppose, allow printing or downloading to device on site? (I honestly can't remember the last time I used a library terminal…)
In my family (going back to the late 18th century) there is a history in the female line of what seems to be MS (anecdotal symptoms support the supposition) OR schizophrenia, but never both in the same person. I'm convinced that a predisposition to MS is hereditary, as is one for schizophrenia. I'm wondering if there's a cross connection.
Sarah, predisposition to MS is heritable. I don't know about schizophrenia. Interesting.
Thanks for this, Nicola. I will circulate the news to my colleagues. Beautifully put together paper by Angelique C.
My pleasure. Yes, please do spread the word.
many libraries would have options for printing (possibly for a fee) and for saving to your own usb flash drive. some would allow you to connect through their wifi network usung your own laptop or to login remotely with a library card number or ID. unfortunately JSTOR does NOT offer the option to email the pdf to yourself like many other databases do.
heather, the more I learn about academic publishing, the more I wish I'd been an early investor :) Their practises wouldn't stand scrutiny if they were not 'not-for-profit' organisations. Ha!
Spreading the news!
I found the paper here.
http://www.overcomingmultiplesclerosis.org/html/blob.php?attach=true&documentCode=7055&elementId=20084
Anon, the paper is down (which will save the website being sued for breach of copyright). The link now leads to QRB.
Hi Nicola,
in regard of that paper: why can't Angelique post a “working paper”, a “draft version” or similar in simple .pdf somewhere on her webpage. Or you could post it here. There are many, many published paper accessible online because the authors keep them as working papers or draft versions. Usually, these “draft versions” are only slightly different from the original. I've never heard of any copy-right violations/problems with this practice.
I wish you happy (belated) holidays, may 2012 be the best year ever for you – in terms of health and as an author!
Kate
Kate, academic publishing is not my forte. I imagine Angelique will do what's permissible and ethical depending on her contractual constraints.
Hi, hope you don't mind a comment on an old post. I was wondering how you are doing, if you're continuing with your diet and whether that's helping. I'm trying to establish a healing diet, and it's really hard! I feel it needs to be zero carbs, zero sugar, zero alcohol, zero meat. Which is tough to maintain. Would be interested to hear if you're continuing to have good results with this approach. Thanks. Georgina.
I was able to stick to the zeros I was aiming for–zero alcohol, zero grain, zero dairy, zero refined sugar, zero nightshades, zero bad fats (by which I mean the meat of grain-fed animals)–and to eat the good stuff–extra fish oil, extra flax oil, extra olive oil–for about two months. I lost a pile of weight, felt terrific, and nearly went mad with deprivation.
So I gradually started added things back in, particularly alcohol :) I still don't eat nightshades, at all, and grains very, very occasionally (a cracker with some pate say once a month) except, of course, for beer. I also allow myself really good chocolate (usually 80% or more). And then I have treats every now and again: a latte, some flourless chocolate cake made with butter and cream. Key word, occasional.
My downfall really is beer. I love it. Without it I feel enormously deprived.
I gained some weight and then stabilised (friends and family no longer look anxious; the doctor no longer scolds). I still feel good.
If you can, cut out everything that could possibly be bad–for a while. Then experiment until you find just the right combination. Quality of life is important. Choose what's important for you.
Hello,
Do you have the full article: “Angelique P. Corthals – The Quarterly Review of Biology”.
I would be very happy, if you could send it to me. I recently found out that I have MS. I live in Denmark, and I dont think either my doctor og my library, have acces to JSTORE.
I would really appreciate your help :)
Kind regards,
Michella Dreyer
Single mom who needs to heal :)
I have it. Please email me via the contact form and I’ll send it.