Insulin for diabetes was discovered in 1921 by a team at the University of Toronto consisting of Canadian surgeon Frederick Banting, medical student Charles Best, and physiologist John Macleod. Banting and Best first succeeded in extracting insulin from a dog's pancreas, which they used to treat diabetic dogs successfully. Macleod provided laboratory space, supervision, and guidance. Later, biochemist James B. Collip helped purify the insulin to make it safe for human use
. The first human to receive an insulin injection was Leonard Thompson, a 14-year-old boy with severe diabetes, in January 1922. After an initial allergic reaction, a refined insulin extract was administered successfully, dramatically improving his condition
. For their discovery and development of insulin as a treatment for diabetes, Banting and Macleod were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1923. Banting shared his prize money with Best, acknowledging his crucial role in the discovery
. In summary:
- Frederick Banting and Charles Best isolated insulin in 1921.
- John Macleod supervised and supported the research.
- James B. Collip purified insulin for human use.
- Leonard Thompson was the first patient treated with insulin in 1922.
- Banting and Macleod received the 1923 Nobel Prize for this breakthrough
