Abstract
For a century now, the use of insulin has advanced the treatment of diabetes beyond what was ever thought possible in the early 1920s. This article walks through the evolution and ongoing development of progressively more physiologic formulations of insulin. The discovery of insulin was the most important landmark in treatment of diabetes by far. The discovery continues to inspire medical scientists to develop insulins mimicking basal as well as prandial profiles. Similarly, progress has been ongoing in commercial production of insulins from animal sources to advanced recombinant DNA technologies to formulate molecules almost identical to human insulin. Finally, over the years, insulins have become progressively more purified to almost 100% without contamination leading to almost total elimination of allergic reactions. In conclusion, what was just an idea based on previous knowledge of the role of disorder of pancreatic islets in causing diabetes to discovery of insulin 100 years ago to what is now well established as a life-saving treatment of diabetes.
Highlights
The idea, discovery and manufacture of insulin tops the list of innovative medical research breakthroughs and has revolutionized the management of diabetes
What was just an idea based on previous knowledge of the role of disorder of pancreatic islets in causing diabetes to discovery of insulin 100 years ago to what is well established as a life-saving treatment of diabetes
Barron deduced that the islets secreted a hormone controlling glucose metabolism, and Banting became interested in experimenting how to isolate this substance from the islets apart from the rest of the pancreas
Summary
The idea, discovery and manufacture of insulin tops the list of innovative medical research breakthroughs and has revolutionized the management of diabetes. The first description of diabetes can be found in Egyptian medical texts dating back to 552 BC [1] [2]. The name “diabetes” was likely coined by Aretaeus of Cappadocia, a Greek physician (129-199 AD), from the Greek word “siphon” as he noted the association with diabetes and a constant flow of urine [2] [3]. The original treatment proposed a 4-day course of a mixture combining bones, wheat, grain, grit, green lead and earth [4]
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