Title |
Microbes, molecular mimicry and molecules of mood and motivation
|
---|---|
Published in |
Medical Hypotheses, December 2015
|
DOI | 10.1016/j.mehy.2015.12.011 |
Pubmed ID | |
Authors |
J.A. Morris, S.J. Broughton, Q. Wessels |
Abstract |
The hypothesis proposed is that functional disorders, such as irritable bowel syndrome, chronic fatigue syndrome and anorexia nervosa are caused by auto-antibodies to neuronal proteins induced by molecular mimicry with microbial antigens. The age incidence of these conditions, the marked female excess, increase with economic and technological advance, precipitation by infection, and the paucity of histological changes are all consistent with the hypothesis. It can be tested directly using human sera to search for cross reaction with brain proteins in model systems such as Drosophila melanogaster. The conditions might be amenable to treatment using pooled immunoglobulin. Identification and elimination from the microbial flora of the bacteria that express the cross reacting antigens should be possible. |
X Demographics
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
United Kingdom | 6 | 18% |
United States | 4 | 12% |
Spain | 2 | 6% |
Japan | 1 | 3% |
Belgium | 1 | 3% |
Ireland | 1 | 3% |
Unknown | 18 | 55% |
Demographic breakdown
Type | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Members of the public | 28 | 85% |
Scientists | 2 | 6% |
Practitioners (doctors, other healthcare professionals) | 2 | 6% |
Science communicators (journalists, bloggers, editors) | 1 | 3% |
Mendeley readers
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
United States | 1 | 1% |
Canada | 1 | 1% |
Unknown | 93 | 98% |
Demographic breakdown
Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Researcher | 16 | 17% |
Student > Bachelor | 14 | 15% |
Student > Ph. D. Student | 10 | 11% |
Student > Master | 10 | 11% |
Other | 7 | 7% |
Other | 16 | 17% |
Unknown | 22 | 23% |
Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Medicine and Dentistry | 24 | 25% |
Psychology | 10 | 11% |
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology | 9 | 9% |
Agricultural and Biological Sciences | 8 | 8% |
Neuroscience | 7 | 7% |
Other | 14 | 15% |
Unknown | 23 | 24% |