Arsenic: the revival of a medicine dating back to antiquity

As part of the ‘Le Collège à la Bibliothèque’ lecture series, Professor Hugues de Thé, holder of the Chair in Cellular and Molecular Oncology , will give a lecture entitled ‘Arsenic: the revival of a medicine from antiquity’ on 19 November 2026, from 6.30 pm to 8.00 pm.

Introduction

Arsenic was known to the Egyptians, not as a cosmetic powder, but as a medicine. Arsenic was also the main ingredient in Fowler’s solution, the standard treatment for syphilis in the 19^th century, although there was no tangible evidence of its clinical efficacy. Today, arsenic is used to treat a specific form of leukaemia and cures the majority of patients. What are the historical origins and molecular basis of this miracle?

The lecture series is organised in partnership with *Pour la Science* magazine .