Zinman B
CMAJ. 1996 Nov 1;155(9):1271-4.
Although 75 years have elapsed since the discovery of insulin, diabetes mellitus continues to be a chronic disease associated with significant morbidity and mortality. However, progress in basic and clinical research has advanced our understanding of the pathophysiology of the disease. The development of animal models has facilitated research into the autoimmune processes that underlie insulin-dependent diabetes, although the factors that trigger these mechanisms still remain a mystery. Research into non-insulin-dependent diabetes has furthered our understanding of the action of insulin at the molecular and cellular level and raised questions about the genetic basis of the disease. In addition, concerted efforts are being made to improve insulin therapy and develop interventions to prevent or mitigate the complications of diabetes. Researchers are now on the threshold of testing new therapies that one day may change the long-term outcome for people with diabetes.
尽管自胰岛素被发现以来已经过去了75年，但糖尿病仍然是一种与高发病率和死亡率相关的慢性疾病。然而，基础研究和临床研究的进展加深了我们对该疾病病理生理学的理解。动物模型的开发促进了对胰岛素依赖型糖尿病潜在自身免疫过程的研究，尽管触发这些机制的因素仍然是个谜。对非胰岛素依赖型糖尿病的研究进一步加深了我们对胰岛素在分子和细胞水平作用的理解，并引发了关于该疾病遗传基础的问题。此外，各方正在共同努力改进胰岛素治疗，并开发预防或减轻糖尿病并发症的干预措施。研究人员目前正处于测试新疗法的阶段，这些新疗法有朝一日可能会改变糖尿病患者的长期预后。
