See the first dog ever treated with insulin—a peptide

Leonard Thompson was the first human to receive an insulin injection for diabetes

In January 1922, the 14-year-old was the first person to receive an insulin injection to treat diabetes, just months after insulin was isolated in dogs and used to treat their induced diabetes. Thompson had an allergic response to an apparent impurity in the injection, but his second dose, 12 days later, was a success.

Peptide research dates back to the late 1800s

Peptide science dates back to the late 1800s with some early peptide synthesis work, but peptides took off in the medical sphere after surgeon Frederick Banting and his colleague's isolation of insulin from dog pancreases in 1921.

Early peptide research focused on isolating the substances from animal tissue

In the first half of the 20th century, peptides including insulin and adrenocorticotropic hormone were isolated from animals to provide life-saving medicines. ACTH was isolated from the pituitary glands of cows and pigs and insulin was isolated from the pancreas of dogs and cows.

The discovery of insulin led to a controversial Nobel Prize in 1923

For centuries, Type 1 diabetes was fatal. The 1920s "discovery" of insulin netted two of its creators—Frederick Banting and his boss, John Macleod—a Nobel prize. Separately, the German doctor Georg Zuelzer synthesized an effective version of the life-saving drug years earlier but was interrupted by World War I.

An overview of 200 years of diabetes treatment

Diabetes treatment became truly effective after the advent of insulin injections in the early 1900s. Diabetes is becoming increasingly common. Current trends estimate one in three Americans will have diabetes by 2050. This overview explores two centuries of diabetes treatment—starting in 1812—and outline potential challenges to treatment and prevention.

Diabetes drug GLP-1 is a peptide (that's what the 'P' is for)

Glucagon-like peptide-1, or GLP-1, is one of the most well-known peptides in common use. In 2024, 26.5% of all adults with diagnosed diabetes used the substance. GLP-1 was particularly popular among people with diabetes aged 50-64, followed by younger adults and then seniors aged 65+.

When was the first blood transfusion?

In the 1600s, an English doctor transferred the blood from one dog to another via quills. The procedure ended when one of the dogs died. This article details the early days of blood transfusions, which turned toward humans shortly after the 1666 dog experiment and involved putting the blood of a sheep into a human recipient (who reportedly survived the encounter).

Understanding insulin

Scientists Daniel and Kelly talk with researcher Dr. Katrine Whiteson about diabetes, the history of insulin production, and Dr. Lydia Villa-Komaroff—an essential member of the team who discovered that bacteria could be induced to produce insulin. Listen to discover interesting facts about the life-saving medicine and how it works in the human body.

Dogs' disease-sniffing skills were first identified in 1989

This capability, reported in the medical journal The Lancet, was discovered when a dog reportedly detected cancer in its handler. The dog repeatedly focused on a spot on the owner's leg where a malignant melanoma lesion was later found, helping lead to an early diagnosis.

See different pig-to-human xenotransplantation possibilities

Xenotransplantation can include the insertion of any organ, tissue, cells or fluids from any nonhuman animal into a human. This US Food and Drug Administration graphic about pig-to-human applications shows different possibilities, including the exploration of using pig pancreatic cells for treating diabetes.

Peptides account for 31 of 370 new drugs approved by US FDA between 2016 and 2023

Among the approved peptide-based drugs is the first-ever treatment for Rett syndrome, a rare inherited neurologic disorder that leads to a progressive loss of motor skills and language. Peptides are particularly attractive for multiple reasons, including their ability to selectively bind to cellular receptors to either activate or inhibit their function.

Read a deep dive on the 'all-purpose healing' peptide BPC-157.

Recombinant DNA technology turns microorganisms into protein factories

Genes for molecules such as insulin can be inserted into loops of bacterial DNA called plasmids and reinserted into bacteria. Once placed in fermentation tanks, these bacteria use the gene to produce these molecules, which are then harvested and purified for eventual use.

This scientist treated her own cancer

Virologist Beata Halassy treated her own breast cancer by injecting the tumor with lab-grown viruses. Though this self-treatment worked, it has not been approved for widespread use. Read to learn more about her fascinating experience, and how it has led to conversations about safety and ethics.

The animals that paved the way for space travel

The history of animals in space exploration is often overlooked. Before humans first made their way to space in 1961, fruit flies, primates, and canines preceded us. Watch this video for a further appreciation of the contributions and sacrifices made by animals for scientific progress.

In 1933, the influenza virus was first identified through “ferret flu” experiments

In 1933, British researchers dripped filtered nasal fluids from a sick colleague into ferrets, which quickly developed “ferret flu.” This experiment proved influenza was viral, not bacterial, and established the basis for modern flu vaccines.

The first prenatal screen for disease was developed in 1961

Scientist Robert Guthrie created a method to test newborns for a metabolic defect called phenylketonuria, or PKU. This blood test didn't look for gene variants—it hunted for excess phenylalanine in the blood. The disorder is caused by an inability to digest the amino acid phenylalanine, leading to excess phenylalanine in the body. PKU results in intellectual disability, seizures, and other symptoms if it isn't caught early and treated with a specialized diet.

How Seabiscuit's DNA made him a winner

Seabiscuit's sudden success in the sport has been framed as a classic against-the-odds sports story. One Binghamton University molecular physiologist wanted to go a bit deeper, though, to see how much genetics played a role in the horse's legendary career. Using the horse's silvered hooves, his research team discovered that Seabiscuit's genotype was typically associated with late bloomers, a finding confirmed by the horse's track record.

How Gleevec transformed leukemia treatment and cancer research

An outline of the discovery of imatinib (Gleevec), a ground-breaking drug that transformed the treatment of chronic myelogenous leukemia and sparked the beginning of precision medicine.

‘Hope for Healing’: The first-ever use of an in utero stem cell treatment

In 2023, researchers at UC Davis performed the first-ever fetal stem cell transplant, attempting to cure a case of spinal bifida prior to childbirth using stem cells derived from the placenta. The trial, and others including an effort to treat muscular dystrophy, highlight the potential power of stem cell therapy.

Before humans, the Soviet Union and the United States sent animals—including apes, dogs, and cats—to space during the Space Race.

FDA approved the first ever peanut allergy treatment in January 2020

This new medication, called Palforzia, is designed to stave off severe reactions from accidental peanut exposures with a daily dose that is increased over time under an allergist’s supervision. It’s not a treatment that should be administered during an allergic reaction, however. Epinephrine, usually administered via injection, remains the intervention for severe reactions.

The Adams family brought the first pets to the White House

When John Adams became the first president to live in the White House, Abigail brought along the family's dogs—making them the first presidential pets to reside there. Abigail was known for her love of dogs.

Watch how Sanger sequencing kickstarted the first generation of DNA sequencing

Sanger sequencing is a foundational DNA sequencing technology developed in 1977. The Nobel Prize-winning discovery uses fluorescent dyes at the end of DNA chains, which are sorted by length through electrophoresis, to determine the order of nucleotide bases.

Teddy Roosevelt was given a daily dose of saccharin

America's 26th president was prescribed a sugar-free diet by his clinician, so when the chief chemist for the US Department of Agriculture approached him with concerns about the product's safety in the early 1900s, the duo clashed over how to regulate it.

In a first, eye prosthesis has restored sight to macular generation patients

In a clinical trial, 27 of 32 participants with advanced macular degeneration regained enough vision to read books, food labels, and subway signs about a year after receiving a prosthetic retina device. This is the first device to restore functional vision to patients with incurable vision loss, though in this case they can only see in black and white, with no shades in between.

Telehealth demand for GLP-1s for weight loss is booming as consumers seek easier access.

How the placebo effect became mainstream

Contemporary patients and medical students take the placebo effect for granted, as its a standard element in most drug trials. But the concept was only first debated and standardized in the 1950s after a ground-breaking 1955 paper by medical...

See the evolution of Ebola vaccine and treatment development.

The first line of 'immortal' human cells, which can divide indefinitely and are used in scientific research, was nonconsensually taken from a Black woman.

At the beginning of the 20th century, a group of young men ate standard American food—replete with food additives like borax and formaldehyde—as part of government research to better understand food safety.

Clever Hans was a 1900s horse that was believed to be able to solve math equations, tell time, and read and comprehend German, until a psychology student discovered how he got his answers.

The concept of phantom limbs, the perception that amputated limbs are still present, dates back to a French military surgeon in the 16th century.

Hookworm infection, though risky, may help fight certain autoimmune conditions by tamping down the immune system's inflammatory response.

Larger animals like giraffes, elephants, and blue whales have developed a unique defense against cancer, a phenomenon known as Peto's Paradox

Budweiser stores yeast derived from the original 1800s strain in a secret bunker, which only the Head of Yeast Management can access—not even the CEO

The hormonal disorder PCOS was renamed PMOS in 2026, a move designed to improve care and research by shifting the focus to the hormonal causes of this condition that affects 1 in 8 women.

Visualize how CRISPR-Cas9—a type of immune system used by single-celled organisms to attack invasive viruses—targets and makes precise changes to a gene's DNA.

English mathematician Ada Lovelace wrote the first computer algorithm a century before computers existed and hypothesized that computing devices would one day be able to compose music—foreseeing the generative AI systems of today.

In 1939, baseball star Lou Gehrig delivered his inspirational 'Luckiest Man' speech after retiring due to the health condition that now bears his name.

In recent years a child anxiety expert has created and tested a novel phobia and anxiety treatment approach for children, focused on changing how parents respond to the fears.

A vending machine run with Anthropic's AI went out of business after it was convinced to give away items for free and sell a video game console.

The animatronic shark from Steven Spielberg's 'Jaws,' the first modern blockbuster, was a complex underwater apparatus called 'Bruce.'

Meet the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence—most of whom didn't put pen to paper until August 2, 1776—and see their original signatures.

An initial public offering or 'IPO' is the process of a private company becoming public by putting shares of the company on the stock market for purchase.

The Ramones' 'Pet Sematary,' the theme song for the Stephen King novel of the same name, was written while the band was admiring the writer's collection of horror memorabilia.

Famed poet TS Eliot rejected the manuscript for George Orwell's political fable 'Animal Farm,' writing that its criticism of authoritarianism was not 'the right point of view.'

Watch a 1934 short film starring jazz legend Cab Calloway, a major figure in the Harlem Renaissance's music scene

For centuries, Niagara Falls has been a magnet for daredevils seeking to conquer one of nature's most powerful wonders, with its 200-foot drop and water rushing at 32 feet per second with 280 tons of force.

Sony set the standard for cylinder-shaped batteries when it repurposed manufacturing equipment used to make rolls of magnetic recording tape.