100 Years since the Discovery of Insulin, from Its Discovery to the Insulins of the Future

The term diabetes first emerged in the 3rd century BC, in a reference by Demetrius of Apamea, who described the disease as a dropsy in which any liquid ingested is eliminated in the form of urine. However, the great discovery that revolutionized this field came from the Canadian doctor Frederick Banting, who together with his student and assistant Charles Best, managed to isolate insulin and treat a patient with diabetes on 23 January 1922. This patient was Leonard Thompson, and the results obtained from him were surprising. His glycosuria and ketonuria disappeared and his blood glucose returned to normal. He received daily injections and lived 13 more years. Advances in the treatment of diabetes have been numerous in the 100 years since its discovery. In this review, we recapitulate the most important events that have occurred, and where research is progressing today.