Best was just a student when he started researching the causes of diabetes. He received the 1923 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his invention of insulin.
(1899-1978) Canadian physician. Together with Banting, he found the presence of insulin in pancreatic secretion and explained its function. He was born on February 27, 1899, in West Pembroke, Maine, USA. His family was Canadian. While continuing his medical studies at the University of Toronto, which he entered in 1916, he participated in Banting's experiments on diabetes and pancreatic secretion; In 1921, they succeeded in separating insulin. Best received his diploma the same year and was appointed Head of the Insulin Department at Connaught Laboratories. After completing his residency in 1925, he went to England and began his doctoral studies at the University of London under Dale's direction. He returned to the University of Toronto, earning his doctorate in 1928, and became head of the physiology department the following year. Upon Banting's death in 1941, he also assumed the directorship of the Banting-Best Medical Research division, continuing both positions until 1965, and died on March 31, 1978, in Toronto. He was a member of many foreign academies of science, as well as the Royal Society of Canada and London.
Charles Herbert Best (February 27, 1899 – March 31, 1978) was an American-Canadian medical scientist and one of the co-discoverers of insulin.
Best was still a student in 1921 when he and Banting began investigating the causes of diabetes. In their experiments on dogs, they determined that the insulin hormone secreted from the islets of Langerhans in the pancreas plays a regulatory role in keeping the amount of sugar in the blood at a certain level. They later assisted in the industrial production of the hormone for use in the treatment of diabetes. Banting, who received the 1923 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his invention, shared the award with his colleague Best.
Continuing his research alone, Best observed that the liver of dogs whose pancreas was removed after a while became excessively fatty, and insulin therapy could not relieve this symptom. Finally, he explained that "choline", an amino alcohol found in liver cells, acts as a protector of these cells and that various liver disorders can be caused by choline deficiency.