J. Brange, L. Langkjaer
1997
Citations
1
Influential Citations
46
Citations
Journal
Pharmaceutical biotechnology
Abstract
Ever since its introduction in 1922, insulin has provided a major stimulus for scientific research in numerous and diverse fields, including protein chemistry, structure, synthesis, and biosynthesis, polymer biochemistry, metabolism, endocrinology, cellular biology, immunogenicity, radioimmunoassay, receptor-ligand interactions, molecular genetics, and recombinant DNA technology. More importantly, in the context of this book, insulin has for many years served as a model compound for research into protein drug formulation and delivery. The epoch-making discovery by Banting and Best (1922) prolonged the life expectancy for all insulin-dependent diabetic patients from two years to several decades. However, despite the major advances that have occurred relating to production, purification, and pharmaceutical formulation, insulin-replacement therapy is far from ideal (Zinman, 1989; Home et al., 1989). The optimal method of insulin delivery must be safe, should provide insulin to diabetic patients in a way that will correct the metabolic abnormalities of diabetes mellitus, and must be psychologically and socially acceptable. Metabolic control should be maintained the closest possible to normal as this gives the best hope of preventing, delaying, arresting, or even reversing progression of long-term complications in diabetic patients. Sophisticated and sometimes complicated systems, such as continuous infusion pumps, have been developed to enable optimal regulation of