Wikipedia

Jeff Bradstreet

James Jeffrey "Jeff" Bradstreet (July 6, 1954 – June 19, 2015), was an American doctor, alternative medicine practitioner and preacher,[2] who ran the International Child Development Resource Center in Melbourne, Florida,[3] as well as homeopathic medical practices in Buford, Georgia[4] and Arizona.[5][6] He also founded the Good News Doctor Foundation, which aimed to combine Christian beliefs with medicine.[7] Bradstreet was best known for promoting the false claim that vaccines cause autism, as well as various discredited or unproven alternative treatments for autism.

Jeff Bradstreet
Born(1954-07-06)July 6, 1954
DiedJune 19, 2015(2015-06-19) (aged 60)
Rutherford County, North Carolina
Alma materUniversity of South Florida, Wilford Hall Medical Center
Known forAutism-related pseudoscience Anti-vaccine activism
ChildrenMatthew Bradstreet (born 1994)[1]
Scientific career
FieldsAutism therapies
InstitutionsInternational Child Development Resource Center

Education and career

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Bradstreet obtained a Florida medical license in 1984. He received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of South Florida in 1976, where he also went to medical school beginning three years later. His postgraduate research focused on aerospace medicine, and he received his training in this field from Wilford Hall Medical Center. He was an adjunct professor of child development and neuroscience at the Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine in Tempe, Arizona.[8]

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In 2003 and 2004, Bradstreet co-authored papers that suggested a causal relationship between vaccines and autism. These papers were published in the fringe partisan[citation needed] Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons, which is not indexed by PubMed. Bradstreet and his co-authors claimed that autistic children had a higher body burden of mercury,[9] and that three autistic children had measles RNA in their cerebrospinal fluid.[10] It is scientific consensus that there is no link, causal or otherwise, between vaccines and autism.[11][12][13][14]

Beginning in 2000, Bradstreet treated autistic child Colten Benevento (one of the test cases in the Omnibus Autism Proceeding) with chelation therapy, hoping to remove excess mercury from his body, in spite of the fact that hair, blood, and urine tests had failed to show he exhibited abnormal levels of mercury.[15] Over an eight-year period, Benevento visited Bradstreet's office 160 times.[16] Quackwatch founder Stephen Barrett stated, "It appears to me that Bradstreet decides which of his nonstandard theories to apply and records diagnoses that embody them." Barrett also labeled the tests used by Bradstreet to search for excess mercury in the body "phony."[15] Pediatrician Peter Hotez characterized Bradstreet's proposal to treat autism with chelation therapy as "dangerous."[6] Chelation therapy has never been proven effective to treat autism and has sometimes resulted in death or other serious complications when improperly administered to autistic children.[17][18][19]

In a 2009 interview with the Chicago Tribune, Bradstreet promoted the use of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) to treat autistic children, saying, "Every kid with autism should have a trial of IVIG if money was not an option and IVIG was abundant." He stated that he had been administering the treatment to patients for 10 years and that only 10 percent had experienced minor side effects, such as short-term headaches and fevers. Bradstreet also claimed he had extensively discussed the controversial treatment with Dr. Diana Vargas, the co-author of a 2005 paper that found markers of neuroinflammation in the brains of autistic accident victims. However, Vargas denied ever having had such a discussion and concurred with two of her co-authors that the paper did not suggest IVIG would be an appropriate treatment for autistic patients. One of those co-authors, Dr. Andrew Zimmerman, stated that neuroinflammation might actually be a sign the brain was attempting to heal itself, and using IVIG to interfere with the body's natural immune response could be harmful. In 2006, the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology concluded that IVIG was unlikely to benefit autistic people, and, in 2007, a panel of Canadian experts recommended against its use as an autism treatment.[20]

In 2010 and 2012, Bradstreet co-authored two research papers regarding the use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) to treat autism, the first of which found no difference between HBOT and placebo and the second of which labeled HBOT a "safe and potentially effective treatment".[21][22] In 2016, researcher Tao Xiong and colleagues released a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials that included autistic participants (including Bradstreet's 2010 and 2012 studies). The paper concluded there was insufficient proof HBOT benefited autistic patients and suggested continued research was likely futile and potentially injurious to participants.[23] In 2019, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) included HBOT on a list of alternative autism treatments the agency considered "deceptive and misleading" and "potentially dangerous".[18] In 2022, the United Kingdom's National Health Service (NHS) included HBOT on a list of alternative autism treatments that had not been demonstrated effective and were not recommended by the agency.[24]

In 2006, Bradstreet co-authored a paper that argued autistic children had an increased vulnerability to oxidative stress.[25]

In 2012, Bradstreet promoted the use of the protein GcMAF to treat autistic children, claiming to have administered the controversial and unapproved[26] treatment to 600 of his own patients.[27] In a 2014 paper, Bradstreet and his co-authors suggested an alleged abnormal gene expression in autistic children involving the endocannabinoid system could be corrected with GcMAF and that more studies should be conducted to confirm their findings.[28] In 2022, the NHS included GcMAF on a list of alternative autism treatments it labeled "fake" or potentially harmful.[24]

In a magazine column published[when?] by anti-vaccine[29][30][31] organization AutismOne, Bradstreet labeled stem-cell therapy an "unproven but enticing therapeutic option" for autism.[32] In a 2014 research paper, Bradstreet and his co-authors described a study they had conducted involving the injection of fetal stem cells into the abdomens of 45 autistic children, claiming it had preliminarily demonstrated "the safety and efficacy" of the treatment.[33] As of 2025, stem-cell therapy has not been proven effective to treat autism.[34]

Personal life and death

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Bradstreet was found dead from a gunshot wound to the chest in the Broad River in Rutherford County, North Carolina in June 2015, after his Buford, Georgia medical office was raided by the FDA in connection with an investigation into GcMAF treatments.[4][35][36] At the time of his death, he lived in Braselton and ran his medical practice in Buford.[4] While the police declared Bradstreet's death a suicide, a conspiracy theory spread holding that Bradstreet was murdered for his use of a "holistic" therapy.[37]

Bradstreet's son has been diagnosed with autism, which Bradstreet attributed to a vaccination his son received at 15 months of age.[38]

Selected publications

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References

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  1. ↑ Allison, Wes (May 14, 2000). "Secretin: miracle drug or a quack remedy?". St. Petersburg Times. Retrieved September 19, 2013.
  2. ↑ Allen, Arthur (April 1, 2009). "Treating Autism as if vaccines caused it". Slate. Retrieved August 25, 2013.
  3. ↑ "In Memory of Jeff Bradstreet". CECIL M. BURTON FUNERAL HOME & CREMATORY. Retrieved June 20, 2015.
  4. 1 2 3 Alastair Jamieson (June 27, 2015). "Anti-Vaccine Doctor Jeff Bradstreet Dead in Apparent Suicide". NBC News. Retrieved June 27, 2015.
  5. ↑ ""Autism Specialist"Blasted by Omnibus Special Master". Quackwatch. June 27, 2015. Retrieved June 27, 2015.
  6. 1 2 Michael E. Miller (June 29, 2015). "Anti-vaccine doctor behind 'dangerous' autism therapy found dead. Family cries foul". The Washington Post. Retrieved June 30, 2015.
  7. ↑ Fitzpatrick, Michael (October 27, 2008). Defeating Autism: A Damaging Delusion. Routledge. p. 61. ISBN 9781134058983.
  8. ↑ "Jeff Bradstreet Curriculum Vitae" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on August 24, 2015. Retrieved April 14, 2015.
  9. ↑ Bradstreet, Jeff (Summer 2003). "A Case-Control Study of Mercury Burden in Children with Autistic Spectrum Disorders" (PDF). Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons. 8 (3): 76–79. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 16, 2015. Retrieved August 25, 2013.
  10. ↑ Bradstreet, JJ; Dahr, JE (2004). "Detection of Measles Virus Genomic RNA in Cerebrospinal Fluid of Three Children with Regressive Autism: a Report of Three Cases" (PDF). Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons. 9 (2). Association of American Physicians and Surgeons: 38–45. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 20, 2013. Retrieved August 26, 2013.
  11. ↑ "The Evidence on Vaccines and Autism | Johns Hopkins | Bloomberg School of Public Health". Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. March 19, 2025. Retrieved September 10, 2025.
  12. ↑ "Vaccines and Autism | Children's Hospital of Philadelphia". Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Retrieved September 10, 2025.
  13. ↑ "Autism and Vaccines". Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. December 30, 2024. Archived from the original on September 17, 2025. Retrieved September 10, 2025.
  14. ↑ "No. Vaccines do not cause autism. Deconstructing the myth." Immunize Canada. March 5, 2026. Retrieved April 25, 2026.
  15. 1 2 Barrett, Stephen (March 15, 2009). ""Autism Specialist" Blasted by Omnibus Special Master". Quackwatch. Retrieved August 24, 2013.
  16. ↑ Offit, Paul (2011). Deadly Choices. Basic Books. pp. 102. ISBN 9780465021499. Retrieved August 28, 2013. jeff bradstreet.
  17. ↑ "What Is Chelation Therapy & What Does It Treat?". Cleveland Clinic. Archived from the original on August 15, 2025. Retrieved September 10, 2025.
  18. 1 2 "Be Aware of Potentially Dangerous Products and Therapies that Claim to Treat Autism". Food and Drug Administration. November 6, 2023. Archived from the original on September 1, 2025. Retrieved September 10, 2025.
  19. ↑ Lagan, Niamh C.; Balfe, Joanne (July 14, 2018). "Question 2: Does heavy metal chelation therapy improve the symptoms of autism spectrum disorder". Archives of Disease in Childhood. 103 (9): 910–911. doi:10.1136/archdischild-2018-315338. ISSN 1468-2044. PMID 30007948.
  20. ↑ Tsouderos, Trine; Callahan, Patricia (November 23, 2009). "Autism treatment: Science hijacked to support alternative therapies". Chicago Tribune. p. 2. Retrieved August 25, 2013.
  21. ↑ Rossignol, D. A.; Bradstreet, J. J.; Van Dyke, K.; Schneider, C.; Freedenfeld, S. H.; O'Hara, N.; Cave, S.; Buckley, J. A.; Mumper, E. A.; Frye, R. E. (2012). "Hyperbaric oxygen treatment in autism spectrum disorders". Medical Gas Research. 2 (1): 16. doi:10.1186/2045-9912-2-16. PMC 3472266. PMID 22703610.
  22. ↑ Granpeesheh, D.; Tarbox, J.; Dixon, D. R.; Wilke, A. E.; Allen, M. S.; Bradstreet, J. J. (2010). "Randomized trial of hyperbaric oxygen therapy for children with autism". Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders. 4 (2): 268. doi:10.1016/j.rasd.2009.09.014.
  23. ↑ Xiong, Tao; Chen, Hongju; Luo, Rong; Mu, Dezhi (October 13, 2016). Cochrane Developmental, Psychosocial and Learning Problems Group (ed.). "Hyperbaric oxygen therapy for people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD)". Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2016 (11). doi:10.1002/14651858.CD010922.pub2.
  24. 1 2 "Treatments that are not recommended for autism". National Health Service. December 16, 2022. Retrieved May 6, 2026.
  25. ↑ James, S. J.; Melnyk, S.; Jernigan, S.; Cleves, M. A.; Halsted, C. H.; Wong, D. H.; Cutler, P.; Bock, K.; Boris, M.; Bradstreet, J. J.; Baker, S. M.; Gaylor, D. W. (2006). "Metabolic endophenotype and related genotypes are associated with oxidative stress in children with autism". American Journal of Medical Genetics Part B. 141B (8): 947–956. doi:10.1002/ajmg.b.30366. PMC 2610366. PMID 16917939.
  26. ↑ Evans, Ruth (September 27, 2015). "Unlicensed blood drug GcMAF still for sale". BBC News. Retrieved May 6, 2026.
  27. ↑ "GcMAF – the beginning of the end for autism". PRWeb. September 8, 2012. Archived from the original on September 14, 2012. Retrieved August 26, 2013.
  28. ↑ Siniscalco, Dario; Bradstreet, James Jeffrey; Cirillo, Alessandra; Antonucci, Nicola (April 17, 2014). "The in vitro GcMAF effects on endocannabinoid system transcriptionomics, receptor formation, and cell activity of autism-derived macrophages". Journal of Neuroinflammation. 11: 78. doi:10.1186/1742-2094-11-78. ISSN 1742-2094. PMC 3996516. PMID 24739187.
  29. ↑ Jarry, Jonathan (June 11, 2020). "Masks Fall When Antivaxxers Congregate". McGill University Office for Science and Society. Retrieved April 25, 2026.
  30. ↑ Sun, Lena H.; Nirappil, Fenit (March 25, 2025). "Vaccine skeptic hired to head federal study of immunizations and autism". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved April 25, 2026.
  31. ↑ Zadrozny, Brandy (April 14, 2025). "Inside an anti-vaccine autism summit in the age of RFK Jr". NBC News. Retrieved April 25, 2026.
  32. ↑ "Stem cells and autism: one year later" (PDF). Autism Science Digest. Autism One. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 20, 2013. Retrieved August 25, 2013.
  33. ↑ Bradstreet, James Jeffrey; Sych, Nataliia; Antonucci, Nicola; Klunnik, Mariya; Ivankova, Olena; Matyashchuk, Irina; Demchuk, Mariya; Siniscalco, Dario (January 1, 2014). "Efficacy of Fetal Stem Cell Transplantation in Autism Spectrum Disorders: An Open-Labeled Pilot Study". Cell Transplantation. 23 (1): 105–112. doi:10.3727/096368914X684916. PMID 25302490 – via Sage Journals.
  34. ↑ Knoepfler, Paul (August 22, 2025). "Why hype for autism stem cell therapies continues despite dead ends". The Transmitter. doi:10.53053/HWAT3506.
  35. ↑ Joshua Sharpe (June 26, 2015). "Controversial autism researcher, Jeff Bradstreet, is found dead after FDA raid in Buford, authorities say". Gwinnett Daily Post. Archived from the original on June 27, 2015. Retrieved June 27, 2015. BUFORD — Dr. Jeff Bradstreet, an autism researcher hailed as a hero by some, dismissed as a fringe conspiracy theorist by others, is believed to have committed suicide following a visit to his Buford office by federal agents, authorities confirmed Thursday, however, there is no proof at this time. Multiple law enforcement officials said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration searched Bradstreet Wellness Center last week.
  36. ↑ Heather Carpenter (June 23, 2015). "Body located in Rocky Broad River in Chimney Rock identified". FOX Carolina. Archived from the original on June 27, 2015. Retrieved June 27, 2015.
  37. ↑ Gorski DH (2019). "Cancer Quackery and Fake News: Targeting the Most Vulnerable". In Bernicker EH (ed.). Cancer and Society. Springer. pp. 95–112. doi:10.1007/978-3-030-05855-5_7. ISBN 978-3-030-05855-5. S2CID 133344385.
  38. ↑ Olmsted, Dan (June 28, 2005). "The Age of Autism: Homeschooled". UPI. Retrieved November 25, 2014.
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