The Cure: A Story of Cancer and Politics from the Annals of the Cold WarDid America try to steal Soviet "cancer secrets"? And how could a cancer cure turn into a "biological atomic bomb"? Nikolai Krementsov's compelling tale of cancer and politics is the story of a husband-and-wife team who developed a promising anticancer treatment in Stalin's Russia, only to see their discovery entangled in Cold War rivalries, ideological conflict, and scientific turf wars. In 1946, Nina Kliueva and Grigorii Roskin announced the discovery of a preparation able to "dissolve" tumors in mice. Preliminary clinical trials suggested that KR, named after its developers, might work in humans as well. Media hype surrounding KR prompted the U.S. ambassador to the Soviet Union to seek U.S.-Soviet cooperation in perfecting the possible cure. But the escalating Cold War gave this American interest a double edge. Though it helped Kliueva and Roskin solicit impressive research support from the Soviet leadership, including Stalin, it also thrust the couple into the center of an ideological confrontation between the superpowers. Accused of divulging "state secrets" to America, the couple were put on a show trial, and their "antipatriotic sins" were condemned in Soviet stage and film productions. Parlaying their notoriety into increased funding, Kliueva and Roskin continued their research, but envious colleagues discredited their work and took over their institute. For years, work on KR languished and ceased entirely with the deaths of Kliueva and Roskin. But recently, the Russian press reported that work on KR has begun again, reopening this illuminating story of the intersection among Cold War politics, personal ideals, and biomedical research. |
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The Cure: A Story of Cancer and Politics from the Annals of the Cold War Nikolai Krementsov No preview available - 2004 |
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Academy of Medical academy presidium activity affair Aleksandr Aleksandr Serebrov Alien Shadow American scientists Andrei Zhdanov antibiotics anticancer Archive bacteriology began Biotherapy Bolshevik Cancer Biotherapy cancer cure cancer research cells Central Committee CIEM clinical trials commission Council of Ministers Court of Honor cytology days later deputy head director discovery disease effects experiments foreign GARF Grigorii honor court IBEID ibid infected Kliu Kliueva and Roskin Kliueva's laboratory Kliueva's papers Kupriianov letter malignant tumors manuscript Medical Sciences mice microbes Microbiology Mikhail Ministry Minzdrav Miterev Molotov Moscow University NARAMN Narkomzdrav Nikolai officials oncologists oncology Orgburo Parin party patients personnel Petrov play Politburo Pravda preparation preparation's protozoa public health published RGALI RGASPI Romanova Rostov Russian scientific sent Shabanov Shimkin Simonov Smith Soviet science Soviet scientists Soviet Union Stalin Prize studies Theater Timakov tion toxin Trubnikov Trypanosoma cruzi trypanosome tumors USSR Academy vaccine Veber Voroshilov Zhdanov