In Type 1 DM, the loss of insulin production is swift and virtually complete. It is CAUSED by a genetic predisposition to “autoimmunity” – a situation wherein the immune system attacks its own body; in this case, the very specific and TINY portion of the pancreas that produces insulin – the pancreatic endocrine beta cells, which are less than 2% of a healthy pancreas. Once destroyed – NO insulin is produced. Without insulin, all mammals die – so ONLY by injecting insulin regularly can we stay alive. Prior to the discovery, isolation and purification of insulin by Banting, Best and MacLeod in 1921, ALL newly-diagnosed T1s (Type 1 diabetics) died within weeks of diagnosis.
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