100 Years since the Discovery of Insulin, from Its Discovery to the Insulins of the Future

Abstract

The term diabetes first emerged in the 3rd century BC, in a reference by Demetrius of Apamea, who described the disease as a dropsy in which any liquid ingested is eliminated in the form of urine. However, the great discovery that revolutionized this field came from the Canadian doctor Frederick Banting, who together with his student and assistant Charles Best, managed to isolate insulin and treat a patient with diabetes on 23 January 1922. This patient was Leonard Thompson, and the results obtained from him were surprising. His glycosuria and ketonuria disappeared and his blood glucose returned to normal. He received daily injections and lived 13 more years. Advances in the treatment of diabetes have been numerous in the 100 years since its discovery. In this review, we recapitulate the most important events that have occurred, and where research is progressing today.

Keywords: Frederick Banting; diabetes; insulin.

Figure 1

The islets of Langerhans. (a) Photograph of Paul Langerhans, discoverer of the islets [7]. (b) Drawing of pancreatic islets.

Figure 2

The faces of insulin discovery [7]. (a) Frederick Banting, the principal investigator; (b) John Macleod, Banting’s supervisor; (c) Charles Best, Banting’s assistant and (d) James Collip, the individual responsible for developing a method to purify a safe and stable insulin extract.

Figure 3

The first successful insulin administration [7]. (a) Photography by Leonard Thompson. (b) Extract from the patient’s medical record at the Toronto hospital after insulin administration. (c) Insulin vial.

Figure 4

Graph that shows the action time of insulin and its plasma levels according to the type of insulin administered.

Figure 5

Insulin structure. (a) Frederick Sanger, awarded the Nobel Prize in 1958 for the discovery of the amino acid sequence of bovine insulin. (b) Amino acid sequence of insulin, made up of two chains, A and B. (c) Dr. Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin, awarded the Nobel Prize in 1964 for the discovery of the (d) three-dimensional structure of insulin.

Figure 6

Past and future advances in insulin development.

Figure 7

The evolution of insulin administration and glucose monitoring systems.