Dr. Zamboni responds to the article in Nature Magazine regarding the controversy of CCSVI in Canada.

The rise of people power Roger Chafe, Karen B. Born, Arthur S. Slutsky & Andreas Laupaci

Nature 472, 410–411 (28 April 2011) doi:10.1038/472410a

Published online, 27 April 2011

Calls in Canada for trials of a contentious treatment for multiple sclerosis illustrate how social media can affect research priorities, say Roger Chafe and his colleagues

Here is Dr. Zamboni's published response:

I would like to make it clear that I played no part in instigating a Facebook uprising over my research (Nature 472, 410–411; 2011).

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I am not an activist but a scientist who has published 27 peer-reviewed studies of chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency (CCSVI) and its relationship to multiple sclerosis in 18 interdisciplinary journals.

This research was funded by the Italian government and banking foundations, and grants were peer-reviewed by scientific committees under the usual rules.

I do not believe that Facebook can influence the diversion of funds to change research priorities or the judgement of the scientific community.

CCSVI is a pathological condition first described in the literature two years ago. A Google Scholar search reveals that CCSVI has been cited more than 2,000 times in published scientific papers. Evidently, CCSVIis a hottopic—it is interesting precisely because it is controversial.

Paolo Zamboni University of Ferrara, Italy. 

http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v473/n7348/full/473452e.html