Insulin was discovered and isolated in the year 1922 by scientists Dr. Fredrick Banting, Charles Best, Professor J. J. R. Macleod and Dr. James Collip.  This gave hope to people with the condition known as diabetes, which had previously been thought of as incurable.  Diabetes results from a lack of the polypeptide hormone insulin, which is produced by the pancreas.  Symptoms include a large appetite and thirst, high blood sugar, coupled with an inability to process food.  The four scientists were able to synthetically create the vital hormone insulin, which was able to lower the patient’s blood glucose levels.  Prior to the creation of artificial insulin, the only way to fight diabetes was to change your dietary habits to reduce sugar and carbohydrates and increase fats and proteins.  However, this was only minimally effective, as it prolonged a victim’s life by at most a few years.  Although taking in more insulin doesn’t eradicate the disease from the patient’s system, it is a life saving product that has helped millions worldwide.

*Pictures from Encarta Encyclopedia and http://www.biology.arizona.edu/biochemistry/tutorials/chemistry/page2.html

PBS Online. "A Science Odyssey: People and Discoveries: Banting and Best isolate Insulin." Retrieved April 3, 2004. <http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aso/databank/entries/
dm22in.html>

• This site contains more details about the nature of diabetes and insulin.