Nicolae Paulsecu (Nicola Paulesco) (October 30, 1869-July 17, 1931)
Submitted by Alan D. Rogol, MD, Ph.D
Nicolae Paulescu, a Romanian physician/physiologist, studied and began his research career in Paris. He returned to Bucharest where he served as head of Physiology at the University. In 1916 he developed an aqueous pancreatic extract that when injected into diabetic dogs, decreased the blood glucose level.
His career was interrupted by World War I but had a patent pending with the Romanian Ministry (#6254, granted April 10, 1922). This work had already succeeded by the start of the Toronto experiments (CR Soc Biol 1921; 85:556; Arch Int Physiol Liege/Paris 1921; 7:85). The discovery helped to define the pathogenesis of diabetes and offered a key to its treatment. Years later it is clear that Paulsecu deserved a Nobel Prize!