Mirko Beljanski
Encyclopedia
Mirko Beljanski was a French-Serbian molecular biologist, and the founder of the Beljanski Foundation, a nonprofit organization focused on researching beneficial plant extracts for the treatment of cancer. His later work on HIV and cancer was controversial.
. He came to France
to study, and lived there for the rest of his life. He was married to Monique. He received a PhD in 1948 from the University of Paris. In 1948, he entered the CNRS and worked at the Pasteur Institute
in Paris
as a researcher in molecular biology. He made several discoveries while studying RNA
and DNA
. Beljanski was made to leave the Pasteur Institute in 1978, after pursuing research against the advice of the institute, but still continued to publish scientific papers. He was at the Faculty of Pharmacy of Châtenay-Malabry
until his retirement in 1988. In his lifetime, Beljanski published a total of 133 scientific papers, mostly written in French. After his retirement he worked ten more years in a private laboratory. During that time, he developed natural products that are said to inhibit the growth of cancer cells. He also developed a preparation of RNA fragments that was claimed to promote the production of white blood cells and platelets.
Beljanski believed he had found antivirals effective against cancer and AIDS. A product made from extracts of the Brazilian paopereira tree and called PB100 was claimed to be superior to AZT, which Beljanksi called "real poison". He prescribed his therapies without authorisation (blaming "lobbyists" from Pasteur, Mérieux and Wellcome for this lack of approval), and required that patients stopped their traditional therapies. He marketed the products to patients directly via an organisation called Cobra (Centre oncologique et biologique et de recherche appliquée), that required "recommended donations" averaging 3,000 francs per month. Cobra was run by Peter Silvestri, a convicted fraudster, and when Cobra collapsed it was replaced by CCS and Ciris. Customers included Francois Mitterrand
(via a homeopath called Philippe de Kuyper). The ANRS (Agence nationale de recherche contre le sida) tested his products and said they had no effect on HIV. The French Department of Health accused him of illegally practising medicine in 1991, and he was sentenced in March 1994.
Career
Beljanski was born in 1923 in YugoslaviaYugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
. He came to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
to study, and lived there for the rest of his life. He was married to Monique. He received a PhD in 1948 from the University of Paris. In 1948, he entered the CNRS and worked at the Pasteur Institute
Pasteur Institute
The Pasteur Institute is a French non-profit private foundation dedicated to the study of biology, micro-organisms, diseases, and vaccines. It is named after Louis Pasteur, who made some of the greatest breakthroughs in modern medicine at the time, including pasteurization and vaccines for anthrax...
in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
as a researcher in molecular biology. He made several discoveries while studying RNA
RNA
Ribonucleic acid , or RNA, is one of the three major macromolecules that are essential for all known forms of life....
and DNA
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
. Beljanski was made to leave the Pasteur Institute in 1978, after pursuing research against the advice of the institute, but still continued to publish scientific papers. He was at the Faculty of Pharmacy of Châtenay-Malabry
Châtenay-Malabry
Châtenay-Malabry is a commune in the southwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located 10.8 km from the center of Paris.The commune includes the valley la vallée aux loups with green forests and pretty houses including the estate of French writer Chateaubriand. It also includes the Butte...
until his retirement in 1988. In his lifetime, Beljanski published a total of 133 scientific papers, mostly written in French. After his retirement he worked ten more years in a private laboratory. During that time, he developed natural products that are said to inhibit the growth of cancer cells. He also developed a preparation of RNA fragments that was claimed to promote the production of white blood cells and platelets.
Beljanski believed he had found antivirals effective against cancer and AIDS. A product made from extracts of the Brazilian paopereira tree and called PB100 was claimed to be superior to AZT, which Beljanksi called "real poison". He prescribed his therapies without authorisation (blaming "lobbyists" from Pasteur, Mérieux and Wellcome for this lack of approval), and required that patients stopped their traditional therapies. He marketed the products to patients directly via an organisation called Cobra (Centre oncologique et biologique et de recherche appliquée), that required "recommended donations" averaging 3,000 francs per month. Cobra was run by Peter Silvestri, a convicted fraudster, and when Cobra collapsed it was replaced by CCS and Ciris. Customers included Francois Mitterrand
François Mitterrand
François Maurice Adrien Marie Mitterrand was the 21st President of the French Republic and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra, serving from 1981 until 1995. He is the longest-serving President of France and, as leader of the Socialist Party, the only figure from the left so far elected President...
(via a homeopath called Philippe de Kuyper). The ANRS (Agence nationale de recherche contre le sida) tested his products and said they had no effect on HIV. The French Department of Health accused him of illegally practising medicine in 1991, and he was sentenced in March 1994.
Beljanski Foundation
The Beljanski foundation and CIRIS, French not-for-profit organizations work together to promote knowledge about Mirko Beljanski's research. They also provided financial support for ongoing research both preclinical and clinical.External links
- Beljanski Foundation
- An article about Beljanski's work and life
- Publications on PubMedPubMedPubMed is a free database accessing primarily the MEDLINE database of references and abstracts on life sciences and biomedical topics. The United States National Library of Medicine at the National Institutes of Health maintains the database as part of the Entrez information retrieval system...