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Review
. 2021 Dec;38(12):e14677.
doi: 10.1111/dme.14677. Epub 2021 Aug 30.

Winner's curse: The sad aftermath of the discovery of insulin

James R Wright Jr  1 , Edwin A M Gale  2
Affiliations
Review

Winner's curse: The sad aftermath of the discovery of insulin

James R Wright Jr et al. Diabet Med. 2021 Dec.

Abstract

Every young researcher dreams of making a great discovery, but few achieve it. If they do, success does not guarantee happiness. There is little satisfaction in discovering something if others get the credit, and those who achieve fame must face the 'winner's curse' of living up to their reputation. Few discoveries have been more dramatic than the isolation of insulin which, as Michael Bliss said, resembled a secular miracle. And yet, as he also pointed out, this great discovery brought little happiness to those who made it. Some were sidelined, and Banting and Best were saddled with the winner's curse. Here, we look at the ways in which a great discovery can haunt its discoverers.

Keywords: Bertram Collip; Charles Best; Frederick Banting; JJR Macleod; insulin; medical history.

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References

REFERENCES

    1. Bliss M. The Discovery of Insulin. The University of Chicago Press; 1982.
    1. Wright JR Jr. Almost famous: E. Clark Noble, the common thread in the discovery of insulin and vinblastine. Can Med Assoc J. 2002;167(12):1391-1396.
    1. Bliss M. Rewriting medical history: Charles Best and the Banting and Best myth. J Hist Med Allied Sci. 1993;48:253-274.
    1. Bliss M. Banting: A Biography. University of Toronto Press; 1984.
    1. Wright JR Jr. Essential contributions of pathologists and laboratory physicians leading to the discovery of insulin. Arch Pathol Lab Med. 2020;144(7):894-904.

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