John Beard

John Beard (11 November 1858 – 24 November 1924) was a Scottish embryologist, known for his controversial theory of the trophoblastic origin of cancer and his experimental treatments of cancer by means of pancreatic enzymes.

Early life and education Beard was born on 11 November 1858 in Heaton Norris, a "southern suburb of industrial Manchester, UK." The next few years would be tumultuous for Beard. His mother died, he enrolled and later dropped out of medical school in 1880, and ultimately was mentored by famed professor Thomas Henry Huxley (Charles Darwin's student) from 1880 to 1881 at the Royal School of Mines (RSM), South Kensington, London. After a year studying chemistry back at Owen's College, Beard went to Germany and received his doctorate from the Ludwigs University of Freiberg in 1884, specializing in zoology. His thesis was titled "On the Life-History and Development of the Genus Myzostoma". This stop involved visiting studies at institutions in Germany and Italy; Beard also married Henriette Marie Sester during his time in Germany. By his departure from the lake, Beard had collected an extensive amount of material that would help develop his notable trophoblastic theory. Upon studying microscope slides of early-stage Lepidosteus, Beard discovered "sensory neurons located within the dorsal zone of the spinal cord, which were assembled and subsequently disassembled in the course of the fish's early development. This transient nervous system persisted until it was replaced by the development of the dorsal root ganglia". Drawing from his experience in Black Lake, Beard sought to closely explore the role of germ cells during the various stages of embryonic development. This study would ultimately lead to the development of the trophoblastic theory Beard is best known for.

Trophoblastic theory of cancer Before the work of Beard, the use of enzymes to treat cancer had almost never been proposed; an exception is an advocation for using papaya enzymes by indigenous populations, an argument not scientifically developed.

Beard believed that the following about the trophoblast: 1) The trophoblast represented the larval phase of human development 2) the embryo and trophoblast competed and were at odds of each other 3) at birth placenta dies and was ejected 4) Proteins in the trophoblast are "stereotactically different" from those in embryo.

Death and legacy On 24 November 1924 Beard died from a stroke. His legacy, while filled with many accomplishments, remains conflicted. While making strides in embryology and advancing knowledge surrounding cell behavior, Beard's hypothesis regarding the origin of cancer have largely proven to be false. They do, however, point to the many different origins of cancer hypothesized by academics as study of the disease became of increased interest.