• Question: What is the most interesting finding to date regarding hormones, in your opinion?

    Asked by ExtraCheekyNandos to Amy, Craig, Laura, Partha, Saffron on 13 Jun 2015.
    • Photo: Saffron Whitehead

      Saffron Whitehead answered on 13 Jun 2015:

      Oh dear, there are so many but if I was to single out one I think it was the discovery of insulin in 1921. Two scientists took out the pancreas of animals which made them diabetic. If they were then injected with an extract of the pancreas from another animal is cured their diabetes. Within two years extracts of the pancreas were used to treat patients. Without insulin people with type 1 diabetes simply died. Today we can make insulin to treat diabetes.

    • Photo: Amy Cameron

      Amy Cameron answered on 15 Jun 2015:

      I agree with Saffron. I was going to say exactly the same thing! With the discovery of insulin, it meant any alternative research into other compounds were set aside for a number of years. This includes the group of chemicals called biguanides, one of which is metformin the drug I research. It is used to treat type 2 diabetes where people are resistant to insulin so other drugs are needed to reduce blood sugar levels.

    • Photo: Laura Wales

      Laura Wales answered on 18 Jun 2015:

      Insulin for me too. It’s amazing/crazy how quickly patients were getting treated after the discovery.

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