Previous slide Next slide Back to first slide View graphic version

    HIV PROTEINS

    Montagnier 1983 & Gallo 1984
    Claimed to have isolated/purified a retrovirus HIV by separating it from everything else including proteins in cell cultures

    Barre-Sinoussi, F et al. (1983). "Isolation of a T-lymphotropic retrovirus from a patient at risk for acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS)." Science 220: 868-71.
    Gallo, RC et al. (1984). "Frequent detection and isolation of cytopathic retroviruses (HTLV-III) from patients with AIDS and at risk for AIDS." Science 224: 500-503.

    *

Slide 4 of 24

The identity of proteins used in HIV antibody tests is based on research published in 1983 by Montagnier and in 1984 by Gallo. Both scientists claimed to have isolated and purified HIV from cell cultures of tissues of AIDS patients. It’s important to note that this research is the whole basis of the existence of HIV, HIV proteins, the antibody tests and the HIV theory of AIDS.
To cut a very long story short, this research was done without ever publishing even a single electron micrograph picture of what material was produced and claimed to be the "purified virus". In fact there were no pictures of the material said to be "purified virus" until 1997. So for 14 years no one had any idea whether purified HIV contained any particles of any description, pure or impure. Let alone nothing but particles all looking the same and bearing the morphological features required of retroviruses.
Yet, without having any proof that the proteins in the "purified virus" material belonged to any particles, scientists such as Gallo selected a few of those present to develop an antibody test. And the data was used to claim AIDS patients are infected with a new and unique retrovirus and the virus is the cause of AIDS.
This kind of experiment cannot lead to such a proof. All these experiments proved is that some AIDS patients have some antibodies that react with some of the proteins found in cultures of their own cells. This might all be caused by a virus or it might not. The proteins could actually be the patient’s own proteins, and the antibodies could result from any of the immune system activating stimuli to which all AIDS patients are exposed. Such as many different types of infections and cancers and drugs which can all activate the body’s antibody producing mechanisms.