Thread by @PutrinoLab

Some long weekend reflection as we work to build effective research infrastructure around #LongCovid and other infection-associated chronic illnesses like #MECFS and #Lyme. For those who don't know, I was born and raised in Perth, Western Australia, so here's a "local" story. 1/

Apologies if this is a familiar story to many, but I think there is much wisdom to be gained. For the longest time, gastric ulcers were thought to be related to excess acid in the stomach and worsened by stress/lifestyle. People were treated for peptic ulcers with antacids and 2/

the recommendation to reduce stress in their lives. This went on for decades until a Perth-based physician/scientist, Dr Barry Marshall, made an accidental discovery that led him to believe that gastric ulcers may not be stress-related at all: in fact they might be a result of 3/

bacterial infection from a bug called "h. pylori". This theory was roundly ignored, derided and dismissed: the conventional science was clear - Dr Marshall was dead wrong. Since he couldn't get any funding support for his research and no one was paying attention he did the 4/

only thing he could think of to take his theory to the next level - he scoped himself to show he had no ulcers, he infected himself with h. pylori, he scoped himself again to prove that ulcers had formed and then he cured himself of those ulcers with antibiotics. He took this 5/

pilot data and applied for a $15k NHMRC grant (the Australian NIH). Naturally, the folks on the review panel thought he was insane and he almost didn't get the money, but apparently a single reviewer (legend has it, one Ismail Kola though this has never been verified) made the 6/

argument that if they funded this one small grant (and a few other smaller grants) in favor of a larger one that was going to be funded instead, they could get more "bang for their buck". The logic succeeded, the grant was funded. At the conclusion of Dr Marshall's "crazy" 7/

project it was clear: the conventional therapy and thought around gastric ulcers was total bunk. It was bacteria, not stress, that caused ulcers. Let me reiterate: for decades, getting ulcers was a dreaded fate because all available treatments were pretty terrible - MAYBE you 8/

experienced some symptomatic relief from antacids and cutting out stress, but not really: usually you just suffered in silence and kept seeing the doctor who kept reminding you to "take it easy" (and collected their cash for the appointment). Dr Marshall went on to win the 9/

Nobel Prize for his discovery but the point of today's story is this: #medtwitter #ScienceTwitter - if the answer to #MECFS, #LongCOVID, #Lyme, #EDS, #dysautonomia was just "doing what has always been done" or building on the existing conventional wisdom of these conditions, 10/

we would have solved it by now. The solution to these problems will come from those with the curiosity, creativity and bravery to think outside of the box, to not be afraid to look "silly" in front of their colleagues and to ask the questions that others aren't asking. 11/

Cookie-cutter science may win you grants and get you accolades amongst your mainstream colleagues, but taking the path less-traveled, LISTENING to you patients and chasing the "crazy" ideas that make intuitive and scientific sense DESPITE conventional wisdom will save lives, 12/

shift paradigms and create disruptive innovation. #MedTwitter and #AcademicTwitter: make no mistake, this is a red pill/blue pill moment. WHO do you want to be? Think on it, but remember that symptoms of infection associated chronic illnesses don't take the weekend off /end/