Medicine
aims to alleviate the pain and distress. Many diseases scourged mankind for
ages. Marvellous inventions and discoveries have been made in the field of
medicine right from the very early times. The significant ones that changed
history as we know it today are
- Antiseptics
- Antibiotics
- Anaesthesia
- Anti-Rabies
vaccination
- Insulin
Medicines
which can be taken orally are well accepted by patients. Injections play a
major role during Surgeries (Anaesthesia), acute emergencies and in cases of
severe infections where we want the drug to take an immediate effect . One life
saving medicine which doesn’t come under any of the above mentioned categories
is Insulin. Many people have lost their lives to acute hyperglycemia (High
Sugars). Those affected by the non insulin dependent type of Diabetes (Type2) suffered
the long term complications of elevated blood sugars.
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| Paul Langerhans |
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| Islets of Langerhans |
It was the discovery of
Insulin secreting cells in the pancreas by Langerhans which paved way for future
research. Banting and Best provided us with a cure in a bottle – INSULIN. This
saved millions of lives and continues to do so.
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| Porcine Insulin |
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| Bovine Insulin |
We
have come a long way from crude Porcine, Bovine insulin to designer insulin. As
the years passed safe insulin was developed. These were devoid of side-effects,
much safer to use and more stable are various temperatures. So with this weapon
we are ready to heal the world of Diabetes?? Oh No.... Wait.... There is one
more problem....
