Discovered the First True Miracle Drug! In the spring of 1921, Frederick Banting moved into a 7-foot by 9-foot flat in Toronto, with little more than an idea. Against the advice of his girlfriend, he left behind a struggling medical practice to pursue research at the University of Toronto - though he had absolutely no research background nor expertise. However, he was certain he had an idea that could change diabetes treatment. And, he had motivation. As a youngster, he’d watched his 14-year old friend, Jane, wither away and die from diabetes. This event shook him terribly and stayed with him as a motivator. His persistence paid off and his research idea proved to be true, leading to the discovery of insulin, the first true miracle drug. Diabetes is a disease that restricts the body’s ability to produce or to use insulin. Insulin is produced in the pancreas of healthy individuals and is critical to the regulation of blood sugar (glucose specifically) levels. In Banting's day, no one had ever heard of insulin or knew where it came from or what it did. Banting’s hypothesis was that a specific part of the pancreas produced a substance that could treat diabetes.
Banting began working in the laboratory of J.J.R. Macleod at the University of Toronto. He provided the laboratory despite his skepticism of Banting’s theory. Despite everyone’s lack of belief, he set out to test his idea of deriving a secretion from a particular area of the pancreas, the Islets of Langerhans. He believed if he destroyed the rest of the pancreas, he could isolate the key substance.
Banting and his assistant, Charles Best, began operating on 10 dogs. Things didn’t start out well, as seven of the dogs died in the first two weeks. Undeterred, he sold his car to fund the purchase of additional dogs. He was now “all in” and determined to beat the disease. He removed the pancreases of some of the dogs, inducing diabetes. Then, once he extracted the secretions from the dogs with altered pancreases, he was ready to test his theory. He injected the extract into a collie and waited. The results were stunning, although temporary. Banting and Best coined the term “isletin” for their extract. Excited, they added a chemist to their team and began producing more “isletin” so they could perform larger trials.
The University at this point renamed it “insulin”. Banting now turned his attention toward human testing. But first, they tested it on themselves to convince themselves of its safety. In January of 1922, they tested their solution on their first human patient – a 14 year old like his childhood friend. The young boy showed immediate improvement – further testing confirmed its effectiveness, and diabetes finally had a life-saving treatment. Building on this success, Banting reached back into his childhood once again, and used his farm upbringing to switch his studies to cattle, which were readily available in great quantities. This allowed for mass production of insulin, resulting in millions of lives saved and countless lives enhanced.
When World War II broke out, Banting went to work with the Canadian Army Medical Corps. He wanted to serve on the frontlines, but Canadian officials denied his request, believing his skills were needed more on the research front. On a secret mission, while flying to England, he went down in a plane crash over Newfoundland. In a last act of service, he managed to wrap the wounds of the injured pilot before succumbing to his own injuries. His brilliant career as a lifesaving scientist ended all too soon at the age of 49. |
