New Perspectives: Four Unsung Heroes of Diabetes Research

This article explores four little-known stories about research into, and treatment for, diabetes. Progressing in order from the participant about whose story we know the most to those about whom we know the least demonstrates that clinical research and therapeutic development are collaborative enterprises and that often key innovations and discoveries happen outside the laboratory setting. The role of unlikely individuals and collectives in reforming diabetes care is revealed, to nudge researchers into new and fruitful pathways. Further, this article shows how with a historical approach we can find the right stories of discovery to help both patients and researchers gain new insights into the prevention, management, and treatment of diabetes in all its forms.