Dear editor:
I was pleased to read Mr. Richard Dowson’s letter in Moose Jaw Today, and even more so to see that he quotes a scientist (with whom I agree) who happily tells readers that EBV is involved in the etiology of MS. As I have (possibly) understood, Mr. Dowson in the past, (may have) denied this possibility.
This is how science should be done. Unfortunately, not everybody realizes this.
If CDV appears to be causative in animal models of MS, that will be a step forward, and the hypothesis in question could then be said to advance to an actual theory, which, of course, should be investigated further.
However, as always, the proof is in the pudding: animal models of disease are not always applicable to human pathology, and should the animal model in question look promising, research should move forward to investigating the situation in humans. I have seen far too much hype about the results of animal models in my own field to be impressed by such results.
Nevertheless, there will be no advances in medicine or science in general if such research is not undertaken, and so, like Mr. Dowson, let us wait and see.
Sincerely, Leon Retief
The views expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Moose Jaw Today, the Moose Jaw Express, its management, or its subsidiaries.
