{"id":16091,"date":"2024-11-21T14:06:14","date_gmt":"2024-11-21T19:06:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/itoronto.info\/?p=16091"},"modified":"2024-11-21T14:06:18","modified_gmt":"2024-11-21T19:06:18","slug":"dogs-cows-and-humans-the-story-of-a-life-saving-invention","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/itoronto.info\/en\/eternal-dogs-cows-and-humans-the-story-of-a-life-saving-invention","title":{"rendered":"&#8220;Dogs, Cows, and Humans&#8221;: The Story of a Life-Saving Invention"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Diabetes mellitus is one of the most dangerous diseases of our time, writes <a href=\"https:\/\/itoronto.info\/uk\">itoronto.info<\/a>. Many people remain unaware they have this condition until symptoms become persistent, by which point the disease is often advanced. At this stage, patients are prescribed insulin therapy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What many do not know is that the process of discovering this \u201cmiraculous substance,\u201d capable of reducing blood sugar levels, was far from simple. Numerous individuals played pivotal roles in this achievement. But ultimately, success was achieved, and humanity gained a powerful tool to combat diabetes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In this article, with references to <a href=\"http:\/\/link.library.utoronto.ca\/insulin\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">utoronto.ca<\/a> we tell the story of how insulin was discovered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_74 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6aa7b1cadb0ca\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6aa7b1cadb0ca\"  aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/itoronto.info\/en\/eternal-dogs-cows-and-humans-the-story-of-a-life-saving-invention\/#A_Crucial_Insight\" >A Crucial Insight<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/itoronto.info\/en\/eternal-dogs-cows-and-humans-the-story-of-a-life-saving-invention\/#Skepticism_and_Initial_Efforts\" >Skepticism and Initial Efforts<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/itoronto.info\/en\/eternal-dogs-cows-and-humans-the-story-of-a-life-saving-invention\/#The_First_Breakthrough\" >The First Breakthrough<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/itoronto.info\/en\/eternal-dogs-cows-and-humans-the-story-of-a-life-saving-invention\/#The_Second_Attempt\" >The Second Attempt<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/itoronto.info\/en\/eternal-dogs-cows-and-humans-the-story-of-a-life-saving-invention\/#A_New_Approach\" >A New Approach<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/itoronto.info\/en\/eternal-dogs-cows-and-humans-the-story-of-a-life-saving-invention\/#Practical_Application\" >Practical Application<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_Crucial_Insight\"><\/span>A Crucial Insight<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In October 1920, Canadian surgeon Frederick Banting made a significant scientific observation. He realized that digestive secretions (previously studied by Minkowski) destroyed the secretion of the islets of Langerhans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Banting also knew from his surgical experience that when the pancreatic duct was blocked, the pancreas atrophied while the islets of Langerhans remained intact. This led him to hypothesize that obtaining a pure extract from the islets\u2014essentially untreated insulin\u2014would be possible if the pancreatic ducts were tied off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Skepticism_and_Initial_Efforts\"><\/span>Skepticism and Initial Efforts<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the spring of 1921, Banting arrived in Toronto to share his hypothesis with Professor John Macleod, an expert in the field. Macleod was skeptical of Banting&#8217;s idea, primarily because it lacked prior experimental verification.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Nevertheless, Macleod provided Banting with a laboratory where he could test or refute his hypothesis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_First_Breakthrough\"><\/span>The First Breakthrough<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Banting decided to test his idea on a dog. On July 30, 1921, after tying off the pancreatic duct in a dog, he successfully extracted a substance from the islets. The extracted material was then injected into a diabetic dog, resulting in a 40% drop in blood sugar levels within one hour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This marked the discovery of insulin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Second_Attempt\"><\/span>The Second Attempt<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Banting shared his findings with Macleod, who criticized the methodology and suggested repeating the experiment with more dogs and better equipment. Banting conducted the second experiment successfully, meeting Macleod\u2019s expectations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_New_Approach\"><\/span>A New Approach<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, tying off the pancreatic ducts in dogs proved challenging. This prompted Banting to explore extracting insulin from calf embryos, which had not yet developed digestive glands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Eventually, even the use of embryos became unnecessary as Banting found success in extracting insulin from the pancreases of adult cows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Meanwhile, Macleod paused his work to assist Banting in purifying the insulin extract. For this, he enlisted biochemist James Collip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Practical_Application\"><\/span>Practical Application<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.itoronto.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/39\/2024\/11\/17103311\/ad_4nxcufyp-8xxhuaeazngkgm4e7kcdob6immrawirm1h3-g3cmi8_axgqno74ofwwbmmtjvn5qwphppkcqddtlbeeibjxbhentrtp16spatn39z4o30sxj9kng3lvqzrlfon136hlntakeyws5ozyvkfhedep31xi7qf-8d.png\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On January 11, 1922, Leonard Thompson, a teenager with diabetes, received the first injection of insulin at Toronto General Hospital. Unfortunately, the extract was impure, leading to a severe allergic reaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Over the next 12 days, the scientists worked tirelessly to refine the extract and make it much purer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Finally, on January 23, 1922, Leonard received a second dose of insulin. This time, there were no side effects, and his body successfully accepted the injection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This monumental discovery transformed diabetes treatment and saved countless lives. From its early trials on dogs and calves to its successful application in humans, insulin became a cornerstone of modern medicine. It also solidified Toronto\u2019s reputation as a global leader in medical innovation.Photo: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.novochag.ru\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">novochag<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Diabetes mellitus is one of the most dangerous diseases of our time, writes itoronto.info. Many people remain unaware they have this condition until symptoms become persistent, by which point the disease is often advanced. At this stage, patients are prescribed insulin therapy. What many do not know is that the process of discovering this \u201cmiraculous [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":485,"featured_media":12927,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4819],"tags":[7206,7714,5703,7717,7721,7264,7694,7693,7711,5704,7655,7654,7207,7651,6003],"moimportance":[32,35],"motype":[4825],"moformat":[88],"class_list":["post-16091","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-innovator","tag-canada","tag-development","tag-doctors","tag-idea","tag-improvement","tag-innovation","tag-innovative-solution","tag-innovative-view","tag-innovator","tag-insulin-2","tag-invention","tag-inventor","tag-science","tag-scientists","tag-toronto-3","moimportance-golovna-novyna","moimportance-retranslyacziya-v-agregatory","motype-eternal","moformat-copywriting"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/itoronto.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16091","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/itoronto.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/itoronto.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/itoronto.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/485"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/itoronto.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16091"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/itoronto.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16091\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16095,"href":"https:\/\/itoronto.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16091\/revisions\/16095"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/itoronto.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12927"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/itoronto.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16091"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/itoronto.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16091"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/itoronto.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16091"},{"taxonomy":"moimportance","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/itoronto.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/moimportance?post=16091"},{"taxonomy":"motype","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/itoronto.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/motype?post=16091"},{"taxonomy":"moformat","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/itoronto.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/moformat?post=16091"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}