The greatest advances in medicine were almost always met with derision and sarcastic laughter. There was just an article here in town about a doctor who invented a new way to treat vertigo. Has to do with moving the head in certain ways. It's a cure for some people. But it looked ridiculous and simple and people laughed at first. Other doctors were threatened. The Board of Medical Examiners launched an investigation into this doctor because two prominent competitors complained that what he was doing was a violation of the medical practice act. The investigation took years and did great damage to this amazing doc. Ultimately, he was cleared and the cure he invented has since become the standard of care the world over for a certain kind of vertigo. That treatment is now called the Epley Maneuver.

So, if you believe in what you are pursuing and if you have some sort of scientific theory or basis to back it up, don't ever quit. Playing it safe rarely got anyone anywhere in medical research. Go for it.