"Dr. Mary's Monkey"

[Adele Edisen]

....At a 1955 International Cancer Conference held in Chile, Russian researches presented their work on viral causes of cancer and were booed by American scientists and medical specialists in attendance.

One of the sad "benefits" of the Cold War was ignorance.....
Adele

Yes, a very sad state of affairs. If there had been more collaboration science and medicine would be that much more advanced. I was aware of the Soviet research into viruses and cancer. There were also very advanced in the area of anti-biotics based in an institute in Georgia SSR. I heard that some US doctors have stolen the technique and patented it. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phage_therapy

Magda,

The phage therapy for bacterial infections would have many advantages over antibiotics and their side effects, such as development of bacterial resistance to the antibiotics, and deleterious antibiotic effects on cellular metabolism, and so on.

One phage that is specific for a strain of E. coli bacteria looks just like a moon-landing transporter with little leg-like structures under its main body. Nature seems to make interesting designs.

And, yes, the more cooperation and open communication amongst scientists and medical specialists of all countries would produce benefits to everyone on earth. No nation has the only access to knowledge.

Thank you for the reference on bacterial phages.

Adele