Discovery of Insulin

Medicine & Pharmacology 1921

Discoverers: Frederick Banting, Charles Best

Overview

Isolation of insulin from pancreatic extracts and demonstration that it reverses diabetes symptoms, transforming a fatal disease into a manageable condition.

Significance

Provided the first effective treatment for diabetes mellitus, saving millions of lives and pioneering hormone replacement therapy.

Methodology

Ligation of pancreatic ducts in dogs to atrophy exocrine tissue, extraction of the remaining islet secretion, and injection into diabetic dogs.

Impact