Resources for patients

The Marshall Protocol, sometimes referred to as the MP, was developed by a team led by Trevor Marshall, PhD, as an antibacterial treatment for chronic inflammatory diseases. Most diseases of unknown cause are chronic inflammatory diseases, and almost 100% of patients with these diseases have responded to the treatment. On this site and others, chronic inflammatory diseases are sometimes referred to as the Th1 diseases.

At its essence, the MP involves four key elements, each of which is supported by the latest insights in molecular science:

• take 4 doses of olmesartan (Benicar)Medication taken regularly by patients on the Marshall Protocol for its ability to activate the Vitamin D Receptor. per day
• take varying combinations of pulsed, low doses of specific bacteriostatic antibiotics
• wean off any immunosuppressive or potentially immunosuppressive therapies
• avoid the consumption of vitamin D, as well as certain other immunosuppressive foods; note that photosensitiveAbnormal sensitivity to sunlight and bright lights. Also referred to as "sun flare" or "light flare." patients must also restrict exposure to light

The objective of the MP is to safely eradicate the bacteria that cause chronic disease. As bacterial cells and human bacterial cells die, they generate inflammation and release endotoxins into the body, resulting in an increase in patients' original symptoms. This is known as immunopathologyA temporary increase in disease symptoms experienced by Marshall Protocol patients that results from the release of cytokines and endotoxins as disease-causing bacteria are killed..

Treatment on the MP requires a number of years to complete, but the exact duration is determined by the rate of a patient's progress.

The MP is to be administered only by a licensed physician competent in use of the Marshall Protocol.

Patients on the Marshall Protocol (MP) must work with a licensed physician or other healthcare practitioner, such as a nurse practitioner or physician's assistant. Patients who have the most successful outcomes are proactive and prepared. They internalize the requirements for the MP and, when necessary, work to address any of their physicians' concerns about the treatment. At this point, no doctors are certified in the use of the MP.

The exact length of time the Marshall Protocol (MP) takes depends on any number of factors, including degree of illness, amount of fibrosis, subclinical inflammation, the functionality of the kidney, and personal preference to remain on the MP.

While someone who is very ill can expect the MP to take in the range of 3-5 years, there is no way to know for sure how long the treatment will take. Due to the nature of immunopathology, feelings of well-being and blood markers of disease tend to be variable in the short-term and improve over the long-term. Also owing to the nature of infection, different symptoms will improve at different rates.

So long as one is responding to antibiotics with symptoms that wax and wane, there are still bacteria to be killed.

Note that there is no requirement that patients reach the maximum dosages for all antibiotics or do all antibiotic combinations in order to complete the Protocol. In many cases, patients can make considerable progress on olmesatan (Benicar) alone due to production of the body's own antimicrobial peptidesBody’s naturally produced broad-spectrum antibacterials which target pathogens.. However, it is considered ideal to stay on the Protocol until one has tried all the combinations and no longer experiences immunopathological reactions from the antibiotics.

One of the prerequisites for starting on the Marshall Protocol (MP), a treatment that often lasts for multiple years, is the money and/or insurance necessary to pay for certain basic expenses. These expenses include clinic visits, laboratory tests, medications, and special protective sunglasses. Some of these costs are fully or partially covered by insurance. Patients can check their coverage before agreeing to a visit, test or medication so that they are aware of the potential cost. In the United States, insurance coverage varies widely. Patients usually obtain full insurance coverage for the Protocol. The support given on the MP study site is free.

The primary function of the Marshall Protocol (MP) study site is to learn how the MP affects and improves the health of patients with a variety of inflammatory conditions. As of February 2009, there are about 1,000 patients who regularly post in their progress reports on the MP study site. Autoimmunity Research FoundationNon-profit foundation dedicated to exploring a pathogenesis and therapy for chronic disease. is currently in the process of partnering with a hospital which has the resources necessary to manage a large-scale cohort study of the MP.

Though well-grounded in molecular and clinical data, the conclusions offered by Marshall Protocol researchers are sometimes met with skepticism by clinicians and fellow researchers. Some wonder how the MP science could be valid, given the existence of any of the seemingly contradicting evidence.

Researchers who work with Autoimmunity Research Foundation (ARF) take no special pride in arguing that the nature of chronic disease is different than most clinicians and researchers have imagined. In fact, it makes matters more difficult: the less familiar a conclusion is, the harder it is to persuade someone of its validity.

Using statistical inferences, John P. A. Ioannidis concluded in the prestigious journal PLoS Medicine that half of published research must be wrong.¹⁾ In grappling with a confusing study or even a field of study, it's seriously worth considering how Ioannidis could be right.

The Marshall PathogenesisA description for how chronic inflammatory diseases originate and develop. is an explanation for how all chronic inflammatory diseases share a single pathology. The Marshall Protocol (MP) is a therapy designed to address that pathology. One of the barriers in the way of widespread acceptance of the theory is that it contradicts so many commonly held assumptions about medicine:

• vitamin D “deficiency” causes or exacerbates disease
• vitamin D is therapeutic in patients with chronic disease
• bacteria are mostly beneficial
• diseases caused by bacteria are caused by a single species
• if patients take a therapy which makes them feel better in the short-term, that means they are getting healthier in the long-term

The MP study site does not have the resources to support amateur scientists who offer up theories that build upon the work of the Autoimmunity Research Foundation (ARF), nor it does have the resources to explain how a study reconciles with the latest ARF research.