The Discovery of Insulin and Diabetes Treatment
The discovery of insulin in Toronto dates to 1921, while its first successful use to treat a person occurred in January 1922. Frederick Banting and medical student Charles Best conducted key experiments under John Macleod’s direction; biochemist James Collip later substantially purified the extract. The first patient was 14-year-old Leonard Thompson.
Insulin transformed diabetes, especially type 1 diabetes, from an often-fatal untreated disease into a condition that can be managed with ongoing therapy. It does not “cure” diabetes or remove the need for continuing medical care. Calling 1922 the discovery year conflates the 1921 discovery research with the first clinical treatment in 1922.