Kirsty Smitten: Scientist, 28, who achieved something no one in 40 years has left with few months to live
LONDON, ENGLAND: A scientist who had dreams of winning a Nobel Prize for her scientific work has just months to live after being diagnosed with a rare disease. Kirsty Smitten's research could save millions of lives and avert a medical disaster: The 28-year-old has created a new class of antibiotics -- something that hasn't been done for nearly four decades.
Despite leading the global fight against anti-microbial resistance, the acclaimed biochemist is now facing the reality that she may not have enough time left to receive any accolades. Smitten has reportedly been given just months to live after being diagnosed with a form of heart cancer -- a terminal disease that is so rare that it affects only two people a year in the UK.
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'My only hope is that the work carries on without me'
"How? I mean, really, how has this happened?" Smitten said during a conversation with Helen Carroll for The Daily Mail while recuperating between rounds of chemotherapy with her pet labrador, Bailey. "I eat healthily. I don't drink much, I don't smoke. And, until my diagnosis, I played sports every day. There aren't words to express how sad I feel that I might not be around to see how our potentially Nobel Prize-winning work might unfold. My only hope is that the work carries on without me. I'm sure it will," she added.
It's worth noting that drug-resistant bacteria are already blamed for over a million deaths every year, and the toll could rise to 10 million by 2050. Smitten, with her team at Metallo Bio, has reportedly developed two antibiotic compounds to treat bacterial infections, including strains of pneumonia and meningitis that have become resistant to the drugs normally used to treat them, as well as infections that develop in wounds and post-surgery.
The research has shown promising results in laboratory and animal testing. The next stage will be human trials starting with hospital-acquired pneumonia. If the medicines are proven effective, the treatment could be licensed by 2030. The talented scientist, who holds a PhD in chemistry, was featured in Forbes magazine's prestigious 30 Under 30 list for science and healthcare in 2020. In her spare time, Smitten raises money for food banks.
"I feel angry towards friends if they say, 'I feel unwell today,'" she continued, "because I'll think, 'Can you moan about that to someone else?' It's a bit unfair because I've asked them to be normal with me. Sometimes the anger overwhelms me. I was watching a TV news report about a convicted rapist the other night and got upset, wanting to know why I've been given only months to live when there are people like him committing terrible atrocities in the world. It seems so unfair. But, even so, I wouldn't wish this on the worst person in the world."
What is cardiac angiosarcoma?
Smitten was diagnosed with cardiac angiosarcoma, a tumor in her heart. She can opt for surgery to remove it, but it carries a significant risk of bleeding to death. Even if the surgery is successful, she would gain only a couple more years at most, considering the type of tumor is bound to grow back and likely spread or burst -- causing her heart to fail.
Smitten's work could save millions of lives, but she will not have the chance to fall in love, settle down, and have a family. "I'm infertile, thanks to the treatment. There wasn't time to do an egg extraction," she said, adding, "I'm also single. It wouldn't be fair to be in a relationship not knowing how little time I have left. And, anyway, who wants to date someone with terminal cancer?"
Smitten has undergone six rounds of chemotherapy and takes 48 tablets a day since her diagnosis on February 8. The medication includes heavy-duty pain relief, anti-nausea medication, antacids, an antihistamine to ease the chemo-induced rashes and iron for her low red blood cell count. She continues to follow the prescription despite knowing they cannot save her life.
'It's not in my nature to give up'
Smitten said that she wanted to spend the time she has left raising awareness about cardiac angiosarcoma. "I've faced difficult odds before," she said, adding, "The likelihood of finding a successful alternative to antibiotics was certainly not high, and my type of cancer affects just one in 20 million people. In fact, my GP joked that, with my track record, it might be worth buying a Lottery ticket. It's not in my nature to give up. So I'll go on working and fighting this for as long as I possibly can."