Poisoning the Spindle: Serendipity and Discovery of the Anti-Tumor Properties of the Vinca Alkaloids | Zendy

Jacalyn Duffin | Zendy

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Poisoning the Spindle: Serendipity and Discovery of the Anti-Tumor Properties of the Vinca Alkaloids

Author(s) -

Jacalyn Duffin

Publication year - 2000

Publication title -

canadian journal of health history

Language(s) - English

Resource type - Journals

SCImago Journal Rank - 0.117

H-Index - 13

eISSN - 2371-0179

pISSN - 0823-2105

DOI - 10.3138/cbmh.17.1.155

Subject(s) - vinca , serendipity , scientific discovery , key (lock) , drug discovery , lunatic , history , traditional medicine , medicine , law , political science , psychology , computer science , pharmacology , epistemology , philosophy , cognitive science , biology , bioinformatics , computer security

In 1995, Canadian scientists Robert Noble and Charles Beer were inducted into the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame for their 1950s "discovery" of Vinblastine. Their "chance" finding of an anticancer drug in the leaves of the periwinkle plant (Vinca rosea, Linn.), is used to explore the historical issue of discovery, accidental discovery, and priority. The elements of the discovery are reconstructed through the oral testimony of key players and their published and unpublished records. Several "unsung heroes" played key roles in this project and reasons for their relative invisibility will be presented. Special attention is paid to the relationship between the small Canadian academic group working at UWO and the large pharmaceutical company (Eli Lilly) engaged in similar research at the same time.

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