Hey Firestormm,
I don't have time to keep up with all the threads/discussions on the various forums never mind keeping up with the science. What I do have is clinical laboratory education and experience as well as business experience. I've also been following the science from October 2009. That said, I do have a clue of what goes on in labs and what
can happen.
The findings by Dr. Judy Mikovits were mind blowing at the time
and they are still. The ramifications from the findings of Dr. Judy and Dr. Silverman from the Cleveland Clinic has thrown the biotech world (including vaccines/monoclonal antibody drug production/gene technology using retroviral vectors, etc) into a much needed review of what was known, what is now known (the existence of "adventitious viruses", recombinant viruses, etc), and how to keep the public safe as well as the biotechnology/vaccine/money machine safe.
As someone who performs diagnostic testing routinely, I know what it is like to be questioned about tests. I also know what it is like to stand alone and stand for the truth. Medicine is incredibly more complicated that anyone wants to admit (including researchers and physicians) and the more you know, the more you are aware of what you know, don't want to know, and what others don't know.
From what I've seen from Dr. Mikovits, she has done nothing but take a stand for her research and her beliefs. I commend her for it. It would be far easier for someone to run and hide but I value someone who is willing to take a stand and take naysayers on. She has paid dearly for standing by her findings. We ALL learn from our mistakes and hopefully from others. When people have a vested interest that is contrary to new findings, it seems they will fight to discredit new findings until they can no longer stand.
The general public is unaware of the magnitude of what was discovered in XMRV and they will remain ignorant since educating the public would be difficult given the science. Also, any realization of what has transpired would cause serious alarm. Anyone working in labs that may encounter XMRV or any other recombinant or adventitious agent
hopefully has been educated to the risk associated with their employment. In the age of "universal" precautions in healthcare, I suspect many working in research are unaware of the true risks.
At my workplace, I have been known to say "Make My Day". I think Dr. Mikovits has the same mentality. The only problem is when the "moderators" of interactions have bias as was the case in the first XMRV State of Science conference in back in ?? 2010. Many of us viewed the event live via webcam and were in chat at the same time. The interference from the likes of Dr. Jonathan Stoye were obvious. Subsequent events also had parties with vested interests to negate XMRV/MLV findings (e.g Dr. Coffin).
IMHO, Dr. Mikovits is an exceptional scientist. ANY study that claims to be "definitive" PRIOR to the study flies in the face of the scientific process. No scientist is exempt from review or error.
What amazes me is how scientists whose studies have included "conclusions" that could not be drawn from the science presented in the paper have not been forced to retract conclusions and state them as opinions. Also, "conclusive evidence" from scientists whose cell lines were never validated cannot be held valid. Where are the retractions for those papers?
I think the research world is reeling from the knowledge that previously undetected viruses (in cell lines, possibly in vaccines, in reagents, in various tests, and potentially in humans) exist and pose a threat and may have already caused disease. A quick google search provided this link:
http://www.thebulletin.org/web-edition/features/the-unacceptable-risks-of-man-made-pandemic
Sorry for the rambling....