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Falcetta P, Aragona M, Bertolotto A, et al. Insulin discovery: A pivotal point in medical history. Metabolism. 2021;127:154941doi: 10.1016/j.metabol.2021.154941.
Falcetta, P., Aragona, M., Bertolotto, A., Bianchi, C., Campi, F., Garofolo, M., & Del Prato, S. (2021). Insulin discovery: A pivotal point in medical history. Metabolism: clinical and experimental, 127154941. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.metabol.2021.154941
Falcetta, Pierpaolo, et al. "Insulin discovery: A pivotal point in medical history." Metabolism: clinical and experimental vol. 127 (2021): 154941. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.metabol.2021.154941
Falcetta P, Aragona M, Bertolotto A, Bianchi C, Campi F, Garofolo M, Del Prato S. Insulin discovery: A pivotal point in medical history. Metabolism. 2021 Nov 25;127:154941. doi: 10.1016/j.metabol.2021.154941. Epub 2021 Nov 25. PMID: 34838778.
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Metabolism. 2021 Nov 25;127:154941. doi: 10.1016/j.metabol.2021.154941. Epub 2021 Nov 25.

Insulin discovery: A pivotal point in medical history.

Metabolism: clinical and experimental

Pierpaolo Falcetta, Michele Aragona, Alessandra Bertolotto, Cristina Bianchi, Fabrizio Campi, Monia Garofolo, Stefano Del Prato

Affiliations

  1. Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Section of Metabolic Diseases and Diabetes, University of Pisa, Via Trivella, 56124 Pisa, Italy. Electronic address: [email protected].
  2. Section of Metabolic Diseases and Diabetes, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Pisana, Via Trivella, 56124 Pisa, Italy. Electronic address: [email protected].
  3. Section of Metabolic Diseases and Diabetes, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Pisana, Via Trivella, 56124 Pisa, Italy. Electronic address: [email protected].
  4. Section of Metabolic Diseases and Diabetes, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Pisana, Via Trivella, 56124 Pisa, Italy. Electronic address: [email protected].
  5. Section of Metabolic Diseases and Diabetes, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Pisana, Via Trivella, 56124 Pisa, Italy. Electronic address: [email protected].
  6. Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Section of Metabolic Diseases and Diabetes, University of Pisa, Via Trivella, 56124 Pisa, Italy. Electronic address: [email protected].
  7. Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Section of Metabolic Diseases and Diabetes, University of Pisa, Via Trivella, 56124 Pisa, Italy. Electronic address: [email protected].

PMID: 34838778 DOI: 10.1016/j.metabol.2021.154941

Abstract

The discovery of insulin in 1921 - due to the efforts of the Canadian research team based in Toronto - has been a landmark achievement in the history of medicine. Lives of people with diabetes were changed forever, considering that in the pre-insulin era this was a deadly condition. Insulin, right after its discovery, became the first hormone to be purified for human use, the first to be unraveled in its amino acid sequence and to be synthetized by DNA-recombinant technique, the first to be modified in its amino acid sequence to modify its duration of action. As such the discovery of insulin represents a pivotal point in medical history. Since the early days of its production, insulin has been improved in its pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties in the attempt to faithfully reproduce diurnal physiologic plasma insulin fluctuations. The evolution of insulin molecule has been paralleled by evolution in the way the hormone is administered. Once-weekly insulins will be available soon, and glucose-responsive "smart" insulins start showing their potential in early clinical studies. The first century of insulin as therapy was marked by relentless search for better formulations, a search that has not stopped yet. New technologies may have, indeed, the potential to provide further improvement of safety and efficacy of insulin therapy and, therefore, contribute to improvement of the quality of life of people with diabetes.

Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Keywords: Diabetes; Glucose-responsive insulin; Insulin administration routes; Insulin analogs; Insulin discovery; Insulin therapy

Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of competing interest SDP has received lecture and/or advisory fees from Applied Therapeutics, Abbott, AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Eli Lilly & Co, Merck Sharpe & Dohme, Novartis, No

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