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The Cold War and Phage Therapy: How Geopolitics Stalled Development of Viruses as Antibacterials
1Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA;
Abstract:
The bacteriolytic character of bacteriophages was employed as antibacterial therapy almost from the time of their discovery in 1917. In the United States, phage therapy was sporadic during the 1920s and 1930s but had dwindled into obscurity by the post-WWII period. This demise of phage therapy has traditionally been attributed to the superiority of antibiotics, discovered and first used during the war years, but this explanation is complicated by the fact that phage therapy outside the United States has had a longer and more successful life, especially in the countries of Eastern Europe. This review considers another, probably synergetic factor that was specific to the medical uses of phage in the United States: the geopolitical climate fostered by the Cold War reaction against Soviet science and its associated specter, socialized medicine. This analysis suggests that even such a purely scientific matter involving bacterial viruses cannot escape social forces and political ideologies.
Insights
Phage therapy, using bacterial viruses, declined in the US post-WWII, not just due to antibiotics, but also Cold War politics against Soviet science. This highlights how ideology can impact scientific adoption.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- History of Science
- Medical History
Background:
- Bacteriophage therapy, utilizing bacterial viruses for antibacterial treatment, has a history dating back to 1917.
- Phage therapy saw limited use in the United States during the 1920s and 1930s, fading into obscurity after World War II.
- While antibiotics are often cited as the reason for phage therapy's decline in the US, its continued success in Eastern Europe suggests other factors were at play.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the reasons behind the decline of phage therapy in the United States.
- To investigate the potential influence of geopolitical factors, specifically the Cold War, on the adoption and rejection of phage therapy in the US.
- To analyze how social forces and political ideologies may have impacted the scientific and medical use of bacteriophages.
Main Methods:
- Historical review of phage therapy's development and application.
- Analysis of the geopolitical climate during the Cold War era.
- Examination of the relationship between scientific research, medical practices, and political ideologies.
Main Results:
- The traditional explanation for phage therapy's decline in the US (antibiotic superiority) is insufficient.
- Phage therapy maintained a more robust presence in Eastern Europe, indicating differing national contexts.
- The Cold War's anti-Soviet sentiment and its association with socialized medicine likely contributed to the marginalization of phage therapy in the United States.
Conclusions:
- The decline of phage therapy in the United States was likely influenced by a combination of factors, including but not limited to the rise of antibiotics.
- Geopolitical tensions and anti-communist ideologies during the Cold War played a significant role in shaping the perception and acceptance of Soviet-associated scientific advancements, such as phage therapy.
- Scientific endeavors, even in fields like virology, are susceptible to broader social and political influences, demonstrating the complex interplay between science and society.
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