12 May 2003 15:00 GMT

by Henry Nicholls

How useful are laboratory marmosets as a model of Gulf War syndrome? Not very, according to some BioMedNet members.

Dear Editor

The vaccination trial of the "Gulf War syndrome" marmoset monkeys [reported on BioMedNet News, 22 April 2003] is missing three more treatments.

First, subjecting the marmosets to extreme mental, physical and psychological stress and trauma, which is experienced by soldiers in combat.

Second, vaccinating the monkeys with PB [pyridostigmine bromide; sometimes incorporated into vaccines to protect against nerve agents] and all the other vaccines before subjecting the marmosets to conditions of extreme mental, physical and psychological stress and trauma, which are experienced by soldiers in combat.

Third, vaccinating the marmosets with PB and all the other vaccines AFTER subjecting them to conditions of extreme mental, physical and psychological stress and trauma, which are experienced by solders in combat.

Then it would be a complete experimental design.

Yours Sincerely,

Josephine Trott, PhD
Post-Doctoral Associate
Dept. of Animal Science
University of Vermont
Terrill #121, 570 Main St
Burlington VT 05405 USA

Dear Editor

Leah Scott [who works with the marmoset model] says she is confident that her careful experimental design will give a sound test of the hypothesized link between vaccines, PB and Gulf War syndrome.

I beg to differ - unless by "careful experimental design," she means the marmosets will be generally nutritionally deficient, fed processed foods containing high-glycemic sugars and trans fats, suck on cigarettes, down aspartame-laden soft drinks, have teeth filled with mercury amalgams and plastics that leach heavy metals, lanthanides, dyes, acrylic acids and bisphenol, be given antibiotics frequently, have the full course of immunizations that human children receive and be raised on formula instead of their mother's milk.

Yours Sincerely,

Aliss Terpstra, student of Human Nutrition