Here, Dr. Harry Oken presents the case of a middle-aged patient with a history of depression and hypothyroidism who had unusual symptoms, including one-sided allodynia, “pins and needles” sensation, headaches, joint pain, periodic night sweats and IBS symptoms. Treatments included a therapeutic trial of steroids, which caused a steroid psychosis and led to inpatient psychiatric hospitalization, culminating in 25+ Electroconvulsive treatments. A blood culture was positive for an atypical Mycobacteria and a three drug antibiotic regimen was begun with dramatic sustained improvement.

In this presentation, Dr. Gaber Abdellrazek, a postdoctoral fellow who is currently researching the pathogenic mechanism of MAP with Dr. William Davis, explains their lab’s latest findings. They have discovered that the deletion of a single gene cripples Map’s ability to establish a persistent infection. This led to the discovery of a peptide with potential for development as a vaccine. Studies with the peptide in tissue culture show vaccination leads to development of immune cells that can kill Map inside macrophages, an essential requirement for a vaccine against intracellular pathogens. While this is being investigated in cattle, it could have implications for human health as well.

This engaging, enlightening panel discussion explores functional medicine strategies in immune conditions from the point of view of three experts with differing backgrounds and perspectives. Topics include fasting, psoriasis, medical cannabis and antibiotics in conditions such as scleroderma and rheumatoid arthritis.