On the 100th anniversary of the Nobel Prize «For the Discovery of Insulin»

Abstract

The condition known today as diabetes mellitus was described as early as 1550 B.C. in the papyrus of Ebers, when Ayurvedic physicians noted the sweet taste of urine in patients with polyuria. This fact allows diabetes to be considered as one of the most well-known antiquity diseases. During all these thousands of years scientists have been trying to «unravel» this «mysterious» condition, and to find the cause and ways to cure the disease. Therefore, the long history of the diabetes existence is rich in discoveries, which often had a tremendous impact on all medicine. Insulin discover and investigation has become a key moment in diabetes history. A lot of scientists who have worked on the study of the insulin structure and developed new methods have been honored with the Nobel Prize. In our opinion, this review highlights the most important works of the 20th century, which played a key role in the discovery of a drug for the treatment of diabetes mellitus patients.