In short
In 1921, Canadian researchers Frederick Banting and Charles Best isolated insulin at the University of Toronto, discovering the hormone that regulates blood sugar. Within a year, the first diabetic patient received insulin treatment, transforming a previously fatal disease into a manageable condition that has saved hundreds of millions of lives.
How it unfolded.
The five-minute version
What actually happened.
Insulin is a peptide hormone produced by beta cells of the pancreatic islets encoded in humans by the insulin (INS) gene. It is the main anabolic hormone of the body. It regulates the metabolism of carbohydrates, fats, and protein by promoting the absorption of glucose from the blood into cells of the liver, fat, and skeletal muscles. In these tissues the absorbed glucose is converted into either glycogen, via glycogenesis, or fats (triglycerides), via lipogenesis; in the liver, glucose is converted into both. Glucose production and secretion by the liver are strongly inhibited by high concentrations of insulin in the blood. Circulating insulin also affects the synthesis of proteins in a wide variety of tissues. It is thus an anabolic hormone, promoting the conversion of small molecules in the blood into large molecules in the cells. Low insulin in the blood has the opposite effect, promoting widespread catabolism, especially of reserve body fat.
As it was happening
13 voices, 13513 days.
One beat at a time. Click any dot on the timeline to jump, press play for autoplay, or use the arrow keys to step.
Pancreas-diabetes link established
Oskar Minkowski and Joseph von Mering remove the pancreas from a dog, demonstrating the organ's role in blood sugar regulation.
Voices from this moment (1)
Pancreas-diabetes link established
Jan 1
“Oskar Minkowski and Joseph von Mering remove the pancreas…”
As it was happening
13 voices, 13513 days.
Day 0 · January 1, 1889
Pancreas-diabetes link established
Oskar Minkowski and Joseph von Mering remove the pancreas from a dog, demonstrating the organ's role in blood sugar regulation.
“Oskar Minkowski and Joseph von Mering remove the pancreas…”
- Pancreas-diabetes link established, Jan 1
Day 11807 · May 1, 1921
Banting and Best begin experiments
Frederick Banting pitches his idea to Charles Best at the University of Toronto. Working in a makeshift lab, they begin isolating the pancreatic secretion responsible for glucose metabolism.
“Frederick Banting pitches his idea to Charles Best at the…”
- Banting and Best begin experiments, May 1
Day 11897 · July 30, 1921
First successful animal test
Banting and Best's pancreatic extract lowers blood sugar in a diabetic dog, proving the hormone's therapeutic potential.
“Discovery of Insulin Offers Hope in Treatment of Diabetes”
- The New York Times, Nov 14
“Toronto Scientists Unlock Diabetes Secret - Canadian…”
- The Globe and Mail, Nov 16
“Une decouverte medicale sensationnelle au Canada -…”
- Le Journal de Montreal, Nov 18
“Banting and Best's pancreatic extract lowers blood sugar in…”
- First successful animal test, Jul 30
Day 12021 · December 1, 1921
Macleod and Collip refine extraction
John Macleod's lab and biochemist James Collip develop a purified, injectable form suitable for human use—dramatically improving on Banting and Best's crude extract.
“Internal Secretion of the Pancreas: The Isolation and…”
- The Lancet, Dec 3
“John Macleod's lab and biochemist James Collip develop a…”
- Macleod and Collip refine extraction, Dec 1
Day 12062 · January 11, 1922
First human insulin injection
Leonard Thompson, a 14-year-old boy dying from type 1 diabetes at Toronto General Hospital, receives the first insulin injection. His blood sugar drops and symptoms improve dramatically.
“Leonard Thompson, a 14-year-old boy dying from type 1…”
- First human insulin injection, Jan 11
Day 12172 · May 1, 1922
Clinical trials expand
Multiple patients in Toronto begin insulin treatment with remarkable success. Word spreads internationally; demand becomes urgent.
“Multiple patients in Toronto begin insulin treatment with…”
- Clinical trials expand, May 1
Day 12568 · June 1, 1923
Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
The Nobel Committee awards the prize to Banting and Macleod. Best and Collip are controversially excluded, causing lasting friction within the group.
“The Nobel Committee awards the prize to Banting and Macleod.”
- Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, Jun 1
Day 12690 · October 1, 1923
Mass production begins
Eli Lilly in Indianapolis begins large-scale insulin manufacturing, making the hormone available beyond research hospitals.
“Eli Lilly in Indianapolis begins large-scale insulin…”
- Mass production begins, Oct 1
Day 13513 · January 1, 1926
Insulin structure clarified
Frederick Sanger begins work on insulin's amino acid sequence, eventually winning a Nobel Prize for revealing the first complete protein structure.
“Frederick Sanger begins work on insulin's amino acid…”
- Insulin structure clarified, Jan 1
Front pages.
3 outlets carried the story: The New York Times, The Globe and Mail, The Lancet.
Media coverage
What the world was reading.
4 pieces, ranked by how much they shaped the discourse.
The Globe and Mail
Newspaper · Canada · Nov 16, 1921
"Toronto Scientists Unlock Diabetes Secret - Canadian Discovery Hailed as Medical Triumph"
Synthesized from period reporting - Dr. Frederick Banting, Charles Best, and Professor John Macleod of the University of Toronto have successfully extracted and refined a pancreatic hormone that restores life-like function to diabetic dogs. The substance, provisionally named 'insulin,' represents a turning point in endocrinology.
- Nov 14, 1921
The New York Times
Newspaper · United States
"Discovery of Insulin Offers Hope in Treatment of Diabetes"
Canadian researchers at the University of Toronto have isolated a substance from the pancreas that appears to regulate blood sugar levels in diabetic patients. The discovery by Dr. Frederick Banting and his team marks a potential breakthrough in treating one of medicine's most intractable diseases.
- Dec 3, 1921
The Lancet
Magazine · United Kingdom
"Internal Secretion of the Pancreas: The Isolation and Physiological Effects of a New Hormone"
Synthesized from period reporting - A detailed account of Banting and Best's experimental work demonstrating that an extract from pancreatic islet tissue can reduce blood glucose and restore glucose tolerance in depancreatized animals. The medical journal notes this represents the first successful isolation of an internal secretory hormone.
- Nov 18, 1921
Le Journal de Montreal
Newspaper · Canada
"Une decouverte medicale sensationnelle au Canada - L'insuline pourrait sauver les diabetiques"
FR: 'Une decouverte medicale sensationnelle au Canada - L'insuline pourrait sauver les diabetiques' / EN: 'A Sensational Medical Discovery in Canada - Insulin Could Save Diabetics'. Des chercheurs canadiens ont reussi a extraire une substance du pancreas qui offre un espoir veritable aux malades du diabete.
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Sources & citations.
Sources
Where this came from.
Every claim on this page traces to a public, license-clean source. We don't asterisk well.
Wikipedia
1 source- 1.Discovery of insulin
en.wikipedia.org