Rogers attempted to enlist in the Army but was rejected and classified 4-F because of his frail build. But an Army General overhead Rogers pleading to be given a chance to help his country, so he offered him an opportunity to participate in experimental research called Operation Rebirth.
Rogers was given many tests, then injected with something called the Super-Soldier Serum, which was administered orally and intravenously. He was then exposed to various radiation wavelengths that were intended to accelerate the serum’s effect. The result? Rogers emerged from the testing with the perfect human body. Unfortunately, the scientist who invented the serum was murdered before he could write the formula down, so Captain America (as Rogers became known) was the only one to benefit from the clinical research.
Of course, most clinical trials aren’t designed to build super soldiers, and Captain America is a fictional comic book character. In real life, clinical research studies are intended to answer a specific question or questions about the effects of a new drug or treatment in humans. Whenever a new drug hits the market or a treatment breakthrough occurs, it’s the result of extensive testing and research by teams of dedicated scientific and medical professionals.
The National Institutes of Health report that there are several kinds of clinical trials. Treatment trials (sometimes called experimental trials) are designed to see whether combinations of drugs, surgery or radiation therapy can help fight a particular condition.