Arthur D. Riggs was a pioneer of biotechnology who helped develop synthetic insulin to treat diabetes.
- Died: March 23, 2022 (Who else died on March 23?)
- Details of death: Died at a hospital in Duarte, California of lymphoma at the age of 82.
- We invite you to share condolences for Arthur D. Riggs in our Guest Book.
Diabetes breakthrough
Riggs began his career as a researcher working on DNA modification. As a young doctoral student in the 1960s, he began theorizing that genetic modification could be the key to a treatment for diabetes. In the 1970s, working with a team of other scientists, Riggs successfully created the first synthetic gene. Somatostatin, the gene they created, is used by the body to regulate the endocrine system. Their breakthrough marked the beginning of the biotechnology industry and paved the way toward their creation of synthetic insulin. Riggs and his team successfully created insulin in 1978, and it was quickly mass produced and made available to people with diabetes. It replaced the practice of using cow insulin to treat diabetes, often resulting in allergic reactions. Their research saved many lives, and the synthetic insulin they developed is still widely used today.
Notable quote
“We chose insulin because it looked doable, and there was a need.” —from a 2010 interview for the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Tributes to Arthur D. Riggs
Full obituary: The Washington Post
