News & Research

1916-1949 | 1950-1969 | 1970-1979 | 1980-1989 | 1990-Present

1970
The Ames Company devices the first glucose meter.

1970-1979
Laser eye treatment becomes an effective therapy for certain types of retinopathy, and by the end of this decade a treatment known as vitrectomy has become widely used to restore sight.

Early 1970’s
Development of the Biostator enabled continuous glucose monitoring and closed loop insulin infusion.

1972
The relationship between blood vessel disease and hyperglycemia is reported thanks to research showing evidence of capillary basement membrane thickening in people with diabetes. Further research showed that this thickening can be reduced, in certain circumstances, with medications.

1973
Glucagon is shown to be a mechanism for increasing the immediate supply of fuel to the body.

U100 insulin is introduced. With the availability of this single concentration and with insulin syringes marked with only a U100 scale, it is hoped that the frequency of dosing errors is reduced.

1974
Tumor angiogenesis factor is found to cause abnormal growth of new blood vessels in the eye.

Progress is made in obtaining islets from normal pancreases. Beta cells can be grown in test tubes and can respond to glucose by producing insulin.
National Diabetes Research and Education Act, the first diabetes law in U.S. history, requires the government to coordinate national research on diabetes and distribute diabetes information.

1975
Researchers in Edinburgh, Scotland, and London, UK, detect antibodies to islet cells in people with type 1 diabetes, adding weight to the argument that type 1 diabetes is caused by an immune system attack on pancreatic islet cells.

Human Leukocyte Antigens (HLAs) are discovered on cell surfaces. People with type 1 diabetes have specific patterns of HLA that are associated with varying levels of risk for diabetes. Patel 1975.

1976
Exchange Lists are revised to reflect a new understanding of nutrition and diabetes, thanks to studies that show the need to reduce fat in the diet and that carbohydrates need not be disproportionately restricted. Note: The lists are revised again in 1986 and 1995. Thompson 1974; Philips 1975; Berkson 1975; Fernandes 1979; Wolfe 1979; Gray 1980; Bantle 1983; Chen 1984; Klandorf 1986; Surwit 1989; Georgopolous 1992; Staprans 1993; Lovejoy 1993; Hellerstein 1994; Air 1999; Hu 1999; Havel 1999; Gannon 1999, 2003.

Scientists discover patients with type 1 diabetes who have a form of insulin molecule with a genetic defect. Understanding how defective insulin interacts with healthy insulin helps scientists to better understand how healthy insulin functions.

1976-1979
Pancreas and islet cell transplantation meet with some success in animals. Transplantations in humans are less successful. Dickerman 1979; Najarian 1979; Kyriakides 1979; Simmons 1979; Brown 1979; Lum 1979.

1977
Insulin receptors are discovered on cell membranes. This discovery raises the possibility that missing or defective insulin receptors may prevent glucose from entering the cells, thus contributing to the insulin resistance of type 2 diabetes. Archer 1974.

Rosalyn Yalow, PhD is awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine. Together with Dr. Solomon Berson, they develop a sensitive radioimmunoassay technique used in determining the amount of insulin in biological materials.

Boston researchers develop a test to measure glycosylated hemoglobin (A1C).

1978
Researchers at the City of Hope National Medical Center in Duarte, California, and Genentech, Inc., in San Francisco, induce E. coli bacteria to produce insulin identical to human insulin.

Portable insulin pumps are introduced and researchers achieve normal blood sugar levels in patients using them. But, due to their large size, they are impractical at this time. Philip Felig 1970, 1974; Service 1975; Tamborlane, Jr. 1979.

The National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse is created by the federal government to gather and document all diabetes literature.

1979
The National Diabetes Data Group develops a new diabetes classification system: 1) insulin-dependent or type 1 diabetes, 2) non-insulin-dependent or type 2 diabetes, 3) gestational diabetes, and 4) diabetes associated with other syndromes or conditions.

The hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp technique is introduced allowing the precise measure of insulin sensitivity of muscle and liver. The ‘clamp’ technique becomes the gold standard for measure of insulin sensitivity.

Previous  1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - Next