Johannes Fibiger, Danish physician and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1867)

Johannes Andreas Grib Fibiger (1867–1928), a distinguished Danish physician and a professor of anatomical pathology at the University of Copenhagen, remains a figure of significant historical debate within the annals of medical science. He was the controversial recipient of the 1926 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, an award bestowed "for his discovery of the Spiroptera carcinoma," a finding that would later be reevaluated and ultimately disproven.

The Spiroptera Carcinoma Discovery and Its Initial Acclaim

Fibiger's Nobel-winning work centered on the hypothesis that a specific roundworm could induce cancer. In 1907, while conducting research at the Institute of Pathological Anatomy at the University of Copenhagen, he discovered previously unknown roundworms within wild rats. He meticulously observed these rodents, suspecting a direct causal link between the parasitic infection and the stomach cancer (specifically, squamous cell carcinoma) he found in some of them. This suspicion led him to conduct experimental studies. By 1913, Fibiger reported what he believed to be conclusive evidence: he had successfully induced cancerous tumors in healthy rats and mice through infection with these roundworms. He named the causative agent Spiroptera carcinoma, although it was later correctly identified as Gongylonema neoplasticum.

At the time of its publication, Fibiger's work was hailed as a monumental breakthrough, widely considered "the greatest contribution to experimental medicine." His findings seemed to offer a clear, experimentally verifiable mechanism for cancer development, suggesting an infectious etiology for certain malignancies – a concept that held significant promise for cancer research.

The Nobel Prize Controversy and Retrospective Award

The profound impact of Fibiger's purported discovery led to his nomination for the prestigious Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. In 1926, he was nominated alongside Katsusaburo Yamagiwa, a Japanese pathologist who, in 1915, had made a groundbreaking discovery by experimentally inducing carcinoma in rabbits' ears through the application of crude coal tar. Yamagiwa's work represented a pivotal moment, providing the first clear experimental proof that chemical agents could cause cancer. Despite their individual significant contributions, the Nobel committee initially deemed both Fibiger and Yamagiwa undeserving of the 1926 prize, and consequently, no award was given in that category for the year. However, in a highly unusual move, Fibiger alone was retrospectively chosen the following year to receive the 1926 Nobel Prize, a decision that has since become one of the most contentious in the prize's history.

Reassessment: The Unraveling of the "Discovery"

The scientific consensus regarding Fibiger's primary discovery dramatically shifted after his death. Independent researchers meticulously re-examined his experimental results and methodology. Their findings conclusively proved that Gongylonema neoplasticum, the roundworm Fibiger implicated, does not, in fact, cause cancer. The tumors and cancerous growths observed by Fibiger in his experimental animals were ultimately attributed to a severe and prolonged deficiency of vitamin A in their diet. A historical reassessment of Fibiger's original data revealed that he had mistakenly identified non-cancerous lesions, or benign tumors, as malignant cancerous growths. This fundamental misinterpretation of his own observations led to what Erling Norrby, a former Permanent Secretary of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and Professor and Chairman of Virology at the Karolinska Institute, famously declared as "one of the biggest blunders made by the Karolinska Institute" in its Nobel selections.

A Lasting Contribution: The Controlled Clinical Trial

Despite the erroneous nature of his Nobel-winning research, Fibiger's legacy is not solely defined by this scientific misstep. His meticulous research methods, particularly those employed in his earlier work on diphtheria, are widely acknowledged as seminal. Fibiger's approach to studying diphtheria is regarded as the origin of an important and fundamental research methodology in medicine: the controlled clinical trial. This methodical design, which involves comparing an intervention group to a control group, forms the bedrock of evidence-based medicine and is indispensable for evaluating the efficacy and safety of new treatments and interventions today. Thus, even with the controversy surrounding his Nobel Prize, Fibiger inadvertently paved the way for more rigorous and reliable medical research practices.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Johannes Fibiger

Who was Johannes Fibiger?
Johannes Andreas Grib Fibiger (1867–1928) was a Danish physician and professor of anatomical pathology at the University of Copenhagen. He is primarily known for receiving the 1926 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, a controversial award for his discredited discovery of the so-called "Spiroptera carcinoma."
What was Fibiger's "discovery" that earned him the Nobel Prize?
Fibiger claimed to have discovered that a specific roundworm, which he named Spiroptera carcinoma (later correctly identified as Gongylonema neoplasticum), could cause stomach cancer in rats and mice. He presented experimental results where he believed he had induced these cancers by infecting healthy rodents with the parasite.
Why was Fibiger's Nobel Prize considered a "blunder"?
Fibiger's Nobel Prize is widely considered a major error because subsequent independent research conclusively demonstrated that the roundworm Gongylonema neoplasticum does not cause cancer. The tumors Fibiger observed were later found to be the result of severe vitamin A deficiency in his experimental animals, and he had mistakenly identified non-cancerous growths as malignant ones.
Did Fibiger have any significant contributions to medicine despite this error?
Yes, despite the controversy surrounding his Nobel-winning work, Johannes Fibiger is recognized for his significant methodological contributions. His research on diphtheria is credited with laying the foundational principles for the controlled clinical trial, a research methodology that is now a cornerstone of modern medical science and essential for rigorous evaluation of treatments.
When did Fibiger receive the Nobel Prize?
Johannes Fibiger was retrospectively awarded the 1926 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1927. He was initially nominated for the 1926 prize alongside Katsusaburo Yamagiwa, but the award was not given that year. He was then chosen alone for the previously unawarded 1926 prize the following year.