Review article

Celebrating 100 Years of Insulin Use

Zrinka Šakić ; Vuk Vrhovac University Clinic for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases, Merkur University Hospital, Zagreb, Croatia
Kristian Dominik Rudež ; Vuk Vrhovac University Clinic for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases, Merkur University Hospital, Zagreb, Croatia
Anica Radoš Kajić ; Vuk Vrhovac University Clinic for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases, Merkur University Hospital, Zagreb, Croatia
Sanja Klobučar Majanović ; Department of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases, Clinical Hospital Center Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia; Faculty of Medicine, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia
Dario Rahelić orcid.org/0000-0002-2901-0646 ; Vuk Vrhovac University Clinic for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases, Merkur University Hospital, Zagreb, Croatia; Catholic University of Croatia School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia; Josip Juraj Strossmayer University School of Medicine, Osijek, Croatia

Abstract

The year 2022 marked the one-hundredth anniversary of the first application of
insulin. November 14th, the birth date of one of its main discoverers, Frederick Banting, was designated
as World Diabetes Day. This paper comprises a narrative review of the history of the discovery of
diabetes and insulin, progress in insulin development, important breakthroughs in insulin production
and delivery, and a short commentary regarding potential future developments in insulin treatment.
Diabetes, as one of the earliest recorded illnesses in medical writings, has been a focus of research for
almost the entire written human history. Groundbreaking discoveries during the early 20th century
have resulted in type 1 diabetes mellitus becoming a treatable, chronic condition. The relationship between
good glycemic control and reduced occurrence of diabetes complications was established, which
has enticed further development and refinements in insulin treatment, ranging from the purification
and increased quality of insulin itself, as well as various inventions in its administration. Despite great
achievements in insulin therapy so far, future research aims to avoid the need for subcutaneous administration
and to create non-invasive means of insulin application.

Keywords

Insulin; Diabetes; Discovery; Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus; Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Hrčak ID:

296148

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/296148

Publication date:

1.11.2022.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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