H. Vasken Aposhian

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Hurair Vasken Aposhian
Born(1926-01-28)January 28, 1926
DiedSeptember 6, 2019(2019-09-06) (aged 93)
Other namesVasken Apohian
Alma materBrown University, University of Rochester, Stanford University
Known forArsenic-related research
SpouseMary M. Aposhian
ChildrenChristine M. and David L. Aposhian[1]
Scientific career
FieldsToxicology
InstitutionsUniversity of Arizona

Hurair Vasken Aposhian (January 28, 1926 — September 6, 2019)

University of Maryland
. His views about mercury in vaccines and in dental amalgams go against the consensus of the medical community and are controversial.

Research

Aposhian's first academic appointment was to

biochemical geneticist from 1959 until he went to teach at Tufts University in 1967, during which time he was affiliated with Stanford University.[5]: 119  He would leave Tufts in 1970 to become department chair at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.[7] He has published more than 100 peer-reviewed studies on heavy metal poisoning.[8] In 1964, Aposhian, along with, notably Arthur Kornberg, both of whom were affiliated with Stanford University at the time, published "Enzymatic Synthesis of Deoxyribonucleic Acid" in the Journal of Biological Chemistry.[9] Kornberg would go on to win the Nobel Prize for discovering the biological mechanism by which DNA is synthesized. His more recent research has focused on the metabolism of arsenic compounds,[10] in particular, deciphering polymorphisms in the gene that codes for glutathione S-transferase, which is involved in arsenic detoxification.[11] Some of this research he has authored along with his wife, Mary M. Aposhian,[12] who died in 2009. Professor Aposhian has research experience and publications dealing with the toxicology of heavy metals, in particular arsenic and mercury. This has included the enzymology of arsenic biotransformation; the study of human populations in Chile, Inner Mongolia, Romania, Mexico and rural Southwest China as to their body burden of arsenic or mercury; the human metabolism of chelating agents; and biochemical genetics in particular gene transfer in mammalian cells.[3]

Views on mercury exposure

Aposhian has advocated for the view that

Institute of Medicine in 2004 before they issued a review concluding that the evidence favors rejecting a vaccine-autism link.[13]

Cedillo v. Secretary of Health and Human Services

In the 2007 court case

dose-response relationship, that "This is an ancient form of quotation that until recently we taught in medical schools, and in undergraduate school, and in graduate school. We now have to consider the hyper susceptibility of people."[5]: 129A  According to Arthur Allen, author of the book Vaccine, "On cross examination, Aposhian acknowledged there was no record of any child becoming autistic as a result of mercury exposures prior to the thimerosal theory."[15]
In the end, the special master decided that "The reports and advice given to the Cedillos by Dr. [Arthur] Krigsman and some other physicians, advising the Cedillos that there is a causal connection between Michelle’s MMR vaccination and her chronic conditions, have been very wrong. Unfortunately, the Cedillos have been misled by physicians who are guilty, in my view, of gross medical misjudgment". The decisions in the case implied that doctors who base their treatments on them are unscientific and unethical.

Dental amalgam controversy

In addition to being opposed to mercury in vaccines, Aposhian has also voiced concern about the safety of mercury in dental amalgam fillings. On July 11, 1994, Aposhian was interviewed for a

2,3-dimercapto-1-propanesulfonic acid.[19]
This method however has been proven[citation needed] to provide unreliable results which do not reflect the true "body burden" of heavy metals in the patient.

Selected publications

Mercury

Arsenic

References

  1. ^ "Mary M. Aposhian Obituary". Arizona Daily Star. 11 September 2009. Retrieved 10 August 2013.
  2. ^ "Remembering Dr. H. Vasken Aposhian". Superfund. 2019-12-06. Retrieved 2021-03-19.
  3. ^
    Environmental Protection Agency. Archived from the original
    on 7 July 2007. Retrieved 11 August 2013.
  4. doi:10.1021/ja01634a033
    .
  5. ^ a b c d e f "Transcript of 1st day of autism omnibus trial" (PDF). United States Court of Federal Claims. 11 June 2007. Retrieved 10 August 2013.
  6. ^ "Response to comments document" (PDF). European Chemicals Agency. 1 December 2011. p. 19. Retrieved 9 September 2013.
  7. ^ "Founding our Department". Tufts University School of Medicine Website. Retrieved 10 August 2013.
  8. Huffington Post
    . Retrieved 10 August 2013.
  9. PMID 14114848
    .
  10. PMID 11080860
    .
  11. ^ Yazbak, F. Edward. "Intimidation in the Court". Vaccination News. Retrieved 23 August 2013.
  12. PMID 16411650
    .
  13. New York Times
    . Retrieved 10 August 2013.
  14. ^ Mnookin, Seth (2012). The Panic Virus: The True Story Behind the Vaccine-Autism Controversy. Simon & Schuster. p. 286.
  15. ^ Allen, Arthur (June 2007). "Autism in Court: Day 1". Retrieved 10 August 2013.
  16. ^ Administrator. "BBC Panorama The Poison in Your Mouth". Mercury Exposure: A guide to dental mercury amalgam fillings.
  17. ^ "Poison in the Mouth (1994) PANORAMA, BBC". YouTube.
  18. ^ Diemond, Christy (17 June 2005). "FDA "Asleep At the Switch" Says 2003 Congressional Report "Finds Thimerosal, (Mercury) In Vaccines "Did Pose A Risk"". Uninformedconsent.org. Retrieved 11 August 2013.
  19. S2CID 10991422
    .
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