Magic Bullets

What is a magic bullet?

A magic bullet is a chemical compound that will kill a specific germ without harming other cells.

Who discovered the magic bullet?

Paul Ehrlich worked with Robert Koch, Emil von Behring and Sahachiro Hata. He is known for discovering the first 'magic bullet'.

How did Paul Ehrlich discover the first magic bullet?

There were 2 main stages in Ehrlich's discovery of magic bullets.

• ❖ In 1900, he suggested some chemicals might be able to kill specific germs.
• ❖ In 1909, Paul Ehrlich and Sahachiro Hata discovered the compound Salvarsan 606, which could kill the syphilis germ.

What was the first magic bullet?

The first magic bullet was Salvarsan 606, which was the 606th chemical compound tested by Ehrlich's team to treat syphilis.

What was the impact of the discovery of magic bullets?

Magic bullets had 3 key impacts on medicine.

• ❖ The discovery of magic bullets marked the birth of the modern pharmaceutical industry.
• ❖ In 1932, Gerhard Domagk discovered that blood poisoning could be cured using Prontosil.
• ❖ In 1935, French and Italian scientists at the Pasteur Institute in Paris discovered bacteriostatic antibiotics based on how Prontosil affected the body. They had realised that bacteria in the body could not multiply because of Prontosil.

When were magic bullets developed?

The development of magic bullets took a number of years.

• ❖ The idea of magic bullets was first suggested by Paul Ehrlich in 1900.
• ❖ Salvarsan 606, the first magic bullet, was discovered in 1909.