UNITING SCIENCE WITH SENSITIVITY
By Lennard Goetze | AngioInstitute & DetoxScan Consortium Report
On October 9, 2025, a landmark meeting convened between Linda Nelson, CEO of MELISA Diagnostics, and the DetoxScan Consortium led by Dr. Robert Bard (Diagnostic Director), with Dr. Scott Schroeder and Daniel Root of the Detoxination program. The group’s focus: to formalize a Heavy Metal Diagnostic & Treatment Consortium, combining immunologic testing, advanced imaging, and detox science into one unified education and research platform. “We’re a bunch of like-minded people trying to find answers, educate, and advocate,” said Dr. Schroeder. “This collaboration is not just about testing—it’s about awareness, validation, and patient outcomes.”
Linda Nelson leads MELISA Diagnostics, a company set up to promote the work of Professor Vera Stejskal, PhD (1944–2017), an immunologist who developed the Memory Lymphocyte Immunostimulation Assay (MELISA®) after heading Immunotoxicology at Astra Pharmaceuticals (now AstraZeneca) in Sweden. Prof Stejskal’s earlier work contributed to the development of the blockbuster anti-ulcer drug Losec before her pioneering studies in immunotoxicology exposed how metals released from dental restorations and orthopedic implants — such as nickel, mercury, titanium—could provoke immune reactions in sensitive individuals, leading to chronic diseases.
“Prof Stejskal was a visionary,” said Nelson. “She realized that skin testing for metals did not accurately reflect the situation in the body, something a blood test was better suited for. In partnership with MELISA laboratories worldwide, we carry forward her mission: helping clinicians measure how the body’s cells respond to everyday metal exposure as well as raising awareness that for some, those reactions can be life-changing.”
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UNDERSTANDING THE MELISA® TEST
MELISA® is a blood-based assay that isolates and cultures a patient’s white blood cells (lymphocytes) for five days. These cells are then exposed to suspected metal allergens. If the lymphocytes recognize and react to a metal, they multiply—producing a measurable response expressed as a Stimulation Index (SI).
This distinguishes MELISA® from a skin-patch test: it measures systemic hypersensitivity rather than localized irritation. It has been particularly insightful in identifying titanium and nickel sensitivity in patients with implants, dental work, or chronic inflammatory symptoms.
Nelson explained during the meeting, “We’re not looking at toxin levels or galvanic reactions—we’re purely measuring immune reactivity. And that reactivity can reveal why patients with unexplained fatigue, joint pain, or swelling around implants often don’t improve until the reactive metal is removed or replaced.”
Studies from Europe show that 70–80% of symptomatic patients who test positive and then remove reactive metals experience a reduction of symptoms—often without further intervention.
BARD’S DIAGNOSTIC LENS: SEEING THE INVISIBLE
Dr. Robert Bard, an internationally recognized leader in ultrasound diagnostics, was quick to connect MELISA’s cellular data to his imaging work. “We’re finally connecting the dots between biochemical markers and what we can visualize through imaging,” said Bard. “When MELISA shows lymphocyte reactivity, and ultrasound shows microvascular inflammation in that same region—it’s a validation of both science and technology.”
In the meeting, Bard described his recent patient studies where ultrasound revealed titanium deposits in soft tissue. “We can literally see subdermal echoes—the ‘Starry Night’ pattern—that correlate with calcific or toxic deposits long before they appear on X-ray,” he said. “Our imaging shows how the body walls off toxins. MELISA adds the immunologic confirmation—together they tell a complete story.”
Imaging Titanium’s Hidden Toll
For Dr. Robert Bard, the issue of metal toxicity isn’t theoretical—it’s visual. Through his advanced diagnostic imaging practice, he has documented patients showing titanium particle migration and corrosion residues around surgical hardware, dental fixtures, and spinal implants—materials that are assumed to be inert. “These are not isolated cases,” he warned during the meeting. “We’re seeing a pattern of subdermal inflammation, fibrosis, and vascular changes surrounding titanium sites. What was considered biocompatible may, over time, become immunologically active.” Using 3D Doppler ultrasound and elastography, Bard has identified metallic debris embedded in soft tissue and lymphatic channels, correlating with chronic pain, rashes, and autoimmune-like symptoms. “When you see a clouding of echoes—what I call the Starry Night pattern—you know there’s a foreign interface response,” he explained. “That’s the body signaling distress at a microscopic level.”
Monitoring Implants Through Imaging Intelligence
Bard advocates for a new protocol of post-surgical surveillance using non-invasive imaging to monitor patients with orthopedic or dental hardware. His approach aligns seamlessly with MELISA’s cellular immunology platform, offering both a visual and immunologic roadmap of how the body tolerates—or rejects—its implants. “Every titanium screw, rod, or plate should have an imaging baseline,” Bard said. “Ultrasound lets us track vascular inflammation and fibrosis in real time, without radiation or contrast agents. When MELISA shows hypersensitivity and imaging confirms local inflammation, that’s actionable evidence.” He believes this combined framework could redefine medical accountability, shifting implant medicine from reactive treatment to preventive diagnostics—where corrosion, immune activation, and tissue damage are caught long before they compromise a patient’s health.
Dr. Bard also referenced his long-standing research on autoimmune thyroid disease detection, where he’s found imaging evidence of Hashimoto’s even when blood tests are normal. “Inflammation doesn’t lie,” he said. “We see the texture, the density, and now—through MELISA— identify the immunologic trigger.”
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FROM DETECTION TO COLLABORATION
Dr. Schroeder, who has long treated patients with multiple implants and chronic immune issues, highlighted the overlap between thyroid dysfunction and metal hypersensitivity: “Whenever I see a thyroid condition, that’s a red flag for metal issues,” he said. “Once you dig deeper—almost every time, you find a correlation.”
Nelson added: “Studies by researchers at Charles University in Prague found that patients with autoimmune thyroiditis showed significantly higher immune reactivity to metals such as mercury and nickel than healthy controls. When mercury-allergic patients had their amalgam fillings safely replaced, most experienced measurable health improvements and reduced autoimmune antibody levels, suggesting that metal hypersensitivity, as measured by the MELISA test, can contribute to autoimmune activity and that metal removal may support recovery.”
The group discussed the high prevalence of nickel allergy, especially among women with autoimmune disorders. Nelson noted how even “healthy diets” can worsen symptoms: “Many high-nickel foods—like oats, spinach, and dark chocolate—can trigger inflammation in nickel-sensitive individuals. Add implants or dental metals, and the immune load doubles.”
Bard underscored the importance of education: “Patients are often unaware they even have metal markers implanted after a biopsy or surgery. MELISA gives them visibility—and a choice.”
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CLINICAL USES AND FUTURE EXPANSION
The MELISA test is primarily used to identify metal hypersensitivity in individuals experiencing:
• Chronic inflammation or unexplained pain near implants
• Systemic fatigue, rashes, or immune activation
• Autoimmune disorders potentially linked to metal exposure
Beyond metals, Nelson explained how the assay is being researched for Lyme disease, drug hypersensitivity, and even food antigens—areas where standard antibody tests fail. In Sweden, MELISA’s pilot Lyme study showed more patients reacting to metals than to Borrelia antigens, suggesting immune activation may often stem from metals rather than infection. “People search for one culprit like Lyme or gadolinium,” said Nelson, “but sometimes it’s the metals in their internal or external environment feeding the inflammation. Once those are removed, the immune system calms down and symptoms disappear.”
LINKING DETOXIFICATION TO IMMUNE CLARITY
As co-founder of the Detoxination® Program, Daniel Root brought to the meeting the perspective of a clinician and educator whose family legacy in detoxification spans over four decades. Representing the Root Protocol—the sauna-and-niacin regimen pioneered by his father, Dr. David E. Root—Dan emphasized the synergy between cellular detoxification and immune testing. “MELISA gives us the missing proof,” he noted. “For years, we’ve watched people recover after eliminating stored toxins through sauna-based detox, but now we can measure the immune response that underlies that healing. When MELISA shows that the lymphocytes have stopped reacting after detox, it’s no longer anecdote—it’s evidence.” Root added that the collaboration between MELISA and DetoxScan “marks the evolution of detox medicine from philosophy to quantifiable science,” where imaging, laboratory validation, and guided detox protocols “finally close the loop between exposure, reaction, and recovery.”
TOWARD AI-ENHANCED DIAGNOSTICS
The meeting also explored how AI integration could merge MELISA lab data with imaging markers from DetoxScan’s database. “Imagine AI tracking how inflammation patterns evolve once reactive metals are removed,” Bard proposed. “That’s predictive medicine—where imaging, immunology, and detox science converge.”
DetoxScan’s mission, as a 501(c)(3) educational arm of the AngioInstitute, is to connect such innovations into public-facing education. The new Consortium aims to launch:
1. An AI integration project to correlate MELISA reactivity data with vascular and thermographic imaging.
2. A clinical registry tracking detox outcomes and symptom reversal post-metal removal.
“Science is global,” Bard remarked. “Canada, UK, the U.S.—it’s one research ecosystem when the mission is early detection and prevention.”
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GADOLINIUM AND BEYOND
When asked about testing for gadolinium, the contrast agent used in MRI scans, Nelson clarified: “Gadolinium doesn’t activate lymphocytes the way metals like nickel do—it appears to influence the naive immune system and leads to the development of large numbers of macrophages. We’d need a macrophage stimulation test, which could be developed through academic collaboration.”
This insight opened new discussion about research partnerships in Canada, where MELISA has recently established a testing site through a university lab. “If they have the capacity, they can pioneer this work,” she said, “because the patient need is already there.”
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A GLOBAL VISION FOR SAFER MEDICINE
The meeting ended with shared enthusiasm for building a multidisciplinary consortium that unites clinicians, researchers, and advocates worldwide. Dr. Bard summarized the spirit of the alliance: “We can’t wait for institutions to catch up. We have the science, the technology, and the clinical proof. What’s needed now is collaboration—and courage.”
Linda Nelson agreed. “Every patient deserves accurate answers,” she said. “MELISA isn’t just a test—it’s a movement toward increased awareness that gives people hope that they can recover from chronic disease.” With that, the DetoxScan–MELISA partnership takes its first formal steps toward integrating immune science, imaging intelligence, and detoxification medicine—a future where metal hypersensitivity and toxin-driven illness are no longer invisible.
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For more on this initiative, visit www.DetoxScan.org and www.MELISA.org.
VIEWPOINT
INCREDIBLE DIAGNOSITIC COLLABORATION
By: Dr. Angela Mazza - Integrative Endocrinologist & Medical Advisor to DETOXSCAN
I love how they’re connecting the dots—MELISA’s immune reactivity data with Bard’s imaging insights. Being able to see inflammation patterns that align with immune activation is such a powerful validation of what we’ve suspected clinically for years. And the observation that many “Lyme-like” cases might actually trace back to metal hypersensitivity is fascinating. The integration of AI and outcome tracking takes it to another level—finally bringing measurable, visual data to what’s often been dismissed as anecdotal. It’s exciting to see this kind of innovation bringing science, imaging, and clinical detoxification into one evidence-based framework.
I can absolutely see how this could extend into thyroid imaging, too—so many overlaps with immune dysregulation and toxin load. It’s inspiring to see this group moving the field forward with such collaboration and vision.
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