STORY OF INTERFERON, THE

The Finnish doctor Kari Cantell is one of the scientists to whom the development of the drugs called interferons can be attributed. Interferons have achieved an important place in the treatment of cancer, viral infections and multiple sclerosis. In the 1960s Cantell and his coworkers developed a method for the preparation of interferon in white blood cells. During those years, most of the global production of interferon took place in Finland and the vast majority of the clinical studies in the world employed Finnish interferon.The memoirs of Cantell record interferon's long road from the laboratory to the pharmacy shelf. The journey took more than three decades and involved moments of triumph as well as desperation in the lives of many scientists.The book will give the reader a glimpse of the world of science; how research is carried out in the laboratory and the clinic; how the mind of the scientist operates and how he experiences success and failure; how warm friendships and bitter conflicts develop between investigators; how the involvement of money and politics harms as well as helps research.The Interferon Story is a richly rewarding book written for ordinary people without a basic knowledge of biology or medicine. It can be read as a thriller describing the struggle of scientists against the most feared diseases of mankind.