In 1965, an American chemist saw bacteria stop dividing near platinum and discovered cisplatin

In 1965, Barnett Rosenberg, a biophysicist at Michigan State University, who conducted experiments in his laboratory at Michigan State University, was engaged in a basic scientific experiment to study how electric fields affected division in E. coli - a common bacterium. In fact, the researcher was not looking for a cancer treatment. However, the strange occurrence that occurred in his laboratory would lead to the discovery of cisplatin’s anti-cancer potential.Indeed, during the experiment, Rosenberg observed that the bacteria failed to divide into cells as it usually happens and started growing long and narrow structures instead. The event, which was quite unexpected, was a starting point for the development of cisplatin, a highly successful drug used for several cancers, including testicular, ovarian and bladder cancers.Accidental discovery in the laboratory dishThe accidental discovery happened because of the specific electrodes Rosenberg decided to use in his experiment. In fact, he thought that using supposedly inert platinum electrodes was an appropriate decision. Thus, a small quantity of platinum dissolved and reacted with the contents of the solution.This unusual occurrence led to the development of a whole new chemical substance, which effectively prevented further bacterial divisions. Although the bacteria remained alive and continued growing, they were unable to divide into two.As per the history stated officially by the National Cancer Institute, Rosenberg got an instinctive hunch about the discovery of his unusual observation. He thought that if this platinum substance could prevent bacterial divisions, it would be possible to stop cancer tumours' growth, considering their abnormally rapid cellular division. From the experiment to the medical useMaking this revolutionary idea come true was a long and difficult process. It was not a sudden miracle – it was a lengthy discovery procedure.According to a PubMed medical review, the scientists managed to conduct the experiment on lab rats suffering from lethal tumours. It showed extremely good results and proved that the chemical can successfully inhibit cancerous cell growth and decrease the total size of the tumour.This discovery was thus crucial to prove that what had been found before was not an accidental occurrence in the lab but a medically feasible reaction that could actually be used to regulate the growth of cells in different living organisms.A long journey towards patient treatmentAlthough this discovery was made in 1965, people had to wait another ten years for its use in the treatment of patients. The process of converting any new drug from being merely a laboratory compound to a clinically useful medication demands strict precautions as to how harmful the treatment can be for the patients.As stated in the above-mentioned review, cisplatin entered clinical trials before FDA approval in 1978, when cisplatin therapy was approved for medical use.Today, cisplatin continues to be a potent weapon in the fight against cancers of all types, including testicular cancer, ovarian cancer, and bladder cancer. Cisplatin made the discovery of other platinum-based drugs possible and is used by physicians today to save lives across the world.In the end, the story of cisplatin teaches us the importance of great medical discoveries. Thanks to Rosenberg’s careful observation of something that others could easily overlook, he was able to make a discovery that would become a gift to humanity for life.