Researcher credited with the 1965 observation that platinum electrolysis products stop bacterial division and the 1969 report of platinum antitumour activity
Barnett Rosenberg
First author of the 1965 Nature report on inhibition of Escherichia coli cell division by electrolysis products from a platinum electrode, and an author of the 1969 report of platinum compounds as antitumour agents. Reviews describe him as hypothesising that an agent that stops bacteria dividing might also stop tumour growth.
Sources
ROSENBERG B, VANCAMP L, KRIGAS T. INHIBITION OF CELL DIVISION IN ESCHERICHIA COLI BY ELECTROLYSIS PRODUCTS FROM A PLATINUM ELECTRODE. Nature. 1965;205:698-9.
Rosenberg B, VanCamp L, Trosko JE, Mansour VH. Platinum compounds: a new class of potent antitumour agents. Nature. 1969;222(5191):385-6.
Monneret C. Platinum anticancer drugs. From serendipity to rational design. Ann Pharm Fr. 2011;69(6):286-95.