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Bernard's Discovery
Bernard was accredited for discovering that liver stored glycogen, and it secretes a sugary substance into the blood. He was the first to link glycogen metabolism to diabetes. -
Langerhans's Discovery
Langerhans discovered that the pancreas has two types of cells within it, and these cells then were later found to help make insulin (hormone). -
Bouchardat's DIscovery
Boucherdat observed the disappearance of sugar in urine of diabetes patients during the food rationing in Paris. He then came up with the idea of diets individualized specifically for people. -
Frederick Banting
Frederick Banting came up with the idea of how to find the cause and treatment for "sugar disease" (later known as diabetes). He realized that the pancreas secretes a digestive juice that was destroying the islets of Langerhans hormone, before it was able to be contained. -
Insulin Extract Purification
Chemist James Bertram Collip purified insulin extract, and this injection was then found to lower his own blood sugar and rid his urine of sugars and other toxins that were signs of disease. -
Production of Insulin (Commercially)
In 1923, Eli Lilly and Co. began to produce and sell insulin on a commercial level, and then years later they were able to develop slower-acting insulins...such as protamine insulin. -
Glucose Tolerance Test
The glucose tolerance test is a medical test where glucose is given and blood samples are then taken from the patient afterward to calculate how fast the glucose is cleared from the patients' blood. -
Syringes
In 1949, Becton Dickinson and Co. began making insulin in standardized insulin syringes designed and approved by the ADA (American Diabetes Association). -
Oral Medications for Diabetes
Oral medications were developed with the intention of stimulating the pancreas to make more insulin, such as Sulfonylureas. -
1st Successful Transplant (Pancreas)
The first successful pancreas transplant was performed in 1966, at the University of Minnesota hospital, on an animal, pioneering the way for pancreas transplants to occur in the future in humans. -
Insulin Pumps Developed
In 1970, insulin pumps were developed and they were now able to provide patients with more control and flexibility for managing their diabetes. -
Insulin Receptors Discovered
In 1971, scientists discovered that insulin receptors are on cell membranes, and this discovery then was the background knowledge for defective insulin receptors that may be preventing glucose from entering cells, causing a buildup of glucose - a problem in Diabetes. However, this contribute to only Type 2 diabetes, and not Type 1. -
The EXTERNAL Insulin Pump Developed
In 1980, the external insulin pump was developed to allow patients with Diabetes to have more freedom with their injections and have closer control of them. There is less risk of reactions for this type of insulin pump, and the readings on the external insulin pumps allow their doctors to be able to personalize treatments and reduce side effects to the insulin injections. -
Invokana - Inhibitor
In 2013, Invokana was developed and it is a pioneer in a newer class of drugs, in the inhibitor family (specifically the SGLT-2). They are in charge of lowering blood sugar levels in patients that have Type 2 Diabetes, and the inhibitors are then in charge of blocking the activity of sodium glucose transport proteins in the kidneys. This then reduces the glucose re-uptake and increases the secretion of glucose in the urine, ridding the body of the patient of the excess glucose.
