HISTORY OF DIABETES: World Diabetes Day: Do You know the History of Diabetes and why we celebrate the day? World Diabetes Day is celebrated every year on November 14; in memoriam of the birthday of Dr. Frederick Banting who, in partnership with Dr. Charles Best, are credited with the discovery of insulin in 1922. World Diabetes Day aims to engage millions of people globally in diabetes awareness. For centuries, people have studied diabetes and the underlying factors that lead to the illness. Today, much advanced research goes into the prevention and treatment of the disease. Insulin has been used to manage diabetes only since 1922. Diabetes can be indicated by the occurrence of glucosuria, or the condition of having glucose in the urine. Ancient Hindu writings told of black ants and flies that were found lingering around the urine of those with diabetes. Sushruta, an Indian doctor who lived around 400 bc, wrote about the urine of diabetics and described it as a sweet substance. Later on, physicians believed that sweet urine was a sign that a person had diabetes. In 250 bc, the term diabetes was coined. Diabetes in Greek means “to siphon,” as the disease was believed to drain an individual of fluid. The Greek physician Aretaeus explained that diabetics were being drained of their body fluid because they urinated more often than usual, and he vividly described the disease as the “liquefaction of flesh and bones into urine.” In 1674, King Charles II’s personal physician, Thomas Willis, coined the term diabetes mellitus, with mellitus meaning “honey.” Willis also believed a diabetic’s urine was sweet or “imbued with honey and sugar.” In the 1800s, many different treatments were suggested for diabetics, including bloodletting and opium. Different diets were also suggested. In the early decades of the century, starving oneself was said to be an effective therapy. Sufferers were said to enjoy a longer life span through these practices. The treatment of diabetes took a major step forward in the late 1800s, when two German physicians, Joseph von Mering and Oskar Minkowski, removed the pancreas of several dogs and discovered that the dogs gradually developed diabetes. Through this discovery, the physicians tried to link the pancreas to diabetes and aimed to isolate a pancreatic extract that they hoped could treat the disease. In Canada, Dr. Frederick Banting was eager to isolate the extract in spite of skeptics who didn’t believe it could be done. In May 1921, Dr. Banting, together with his assistant Charles Best, a medical student, began experiments at the Toronto laboratory of Professor John Macleod. Banting tied off the pancreatic ducts of dogs to observe the behavior of insulin. The pancreatic cells, which release digestive enzymes, degenerated, while the cells that released insulin did not. After a few weeks, the pancreas disintegrated into sediment to the point that insulin could be isolated and retrieved. In July 1921, a dog with its pancreas removed was injected with extract obtained from another dog with tied ducts. As a consequence, the canine’s blood glucose level dropped. Following this experiment, another dog with its pancreas removed was injected with the extract for eight days. The scientists observed the same results and called the substance “isletin.” The isletin studies caused the dogs to have lower blood glucose levels, thus improving their overall condition and causing their urine glucose levels to go down. It was observed that as long as the dogs received isletin, they survived. Later on, different animals were experimented on, with many experts now experimenting on cows rather than dogs. The animals could survive without a pancreas for a period of seventy days. This breakthrough led to improved diabetic research. Following these experiments, Dr. James Collip, a biochemist at the University of Western Ontario, tried to develop a new extract with longerlasting effects. On January 11, 1922, a fourteen-year-old boy named Leonard Thompson was the first to receive insulin injections. However, these injections produced only a slight decline in glucose levels and caused protruding abscesses at the site of the injection. Because of these unsatisfactory results, Dr. Collip worked on refining the insulin extract. After several weeks, the same boy was given the purified extract, and soon his health improved. His blood sugar levels were now up to par. He gained weight and managed to live another thirteen years, dying at twenty-seven from pneumonia. During the spring of 1922, Charles Best continued to produce insulin to help in the recovery of patients at the Toronto clinic. For almost sixty years, insulin was manufactured to produce long-lasting, positive effects and became a flexible therapy for diabetic patients with evolving needs. In 1978, a change came about with the creation of recombinant human DNA insulin; instead of using animals, the substance could now be replicated from insulin produced by human beings. This was a major medical milestone. In 1923, Macleod and Banting were awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine for the discovery of insulin. They maintained that insulin was not actually a cure for diabetes but rather a treatment. Due in part to their experiments, it is now known that insulin helps metabolize carbohydrates and other nutrients that provide the body with energy for everyday activities.
Posted on: Mon, 04 Aug 2014 16:45:12 +0000
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