Nicolae Paulescu, who would become one of Romania’s most brilliant physicians and researchers, was born on November 8, 1869, in Bucharest, at 69 Calea Moșilor. His parents, Costache Paulescu, a merchant, and Maria Paulescu (née Dancovici), provided him with a stable family environment where study and culture were highly valued. From an early age, Nicolae Paulescu demonstrated an extraordinary thirst for knowledge and a natural aptitude for the exact sciences.

Professional training in Paris

Paulescu began his elementary studies at the “Boys’ Primary School No. 1, Yellow Color” and, in 1880, enrolled at the Mihai Bravul Gymnasium (Mihai Viteazul High School), which he graduated from in 1888. 

During high school, he excelled not only in natural sciences, physics, and chemistry but also in classical and modern languages. This solid foundation allowed him to continue his studies in Paris, where he obtained his Doctor of Medicine degree in 1897 with a thesis titled Recherches sur la structure de la rate (“Research on the Structure of the Spleen”).

During his studies, Paulescu worked as an extern at the famous “Hôtel-Dieu” hospital in Paris (1891–1894) under the guidance of Professor Étienne Lancereaux, a renowned clinician and anatomo-pathologist. 

He continued as an intern from 1894 to 1897 and then as a secondary physician until 1900 at the Notre Dame du Perpétuel-Secours hospital, where he served as Lancereaux’s assistant and editorial secretary of the Journal de Médecine Interne.

Alongside his medical work, Paulescu attended courses in biological chemistry and general physiology at the Faculty of Sciences in Paris. In 1899, he earned a Doctor of Science degree with the works Experimental Research on the Changes in the Rhythm of Respiratory and Cardiac Movements under the Influence of Different Body Positions and Determinant Causes and Mechanism of Sudden Death Following Transition from Horizontal to Vertical Position. 

In 1901, at the University of Paris, he obtained a second doctorate in science with the dissertation Comparative Study on the Action of Alkaline Chlorides on Living Matter (Étude comparative de l’action des chlorures alcalines sur la matière vivante).

Return to Romania and academic career

Nicolae Paulescu returned to Romania in 1900 and was appointed Professor of Physiology at the Faculty of Medicine and Director of the Internal Medicine Clinic at Saint Vincent de Paul Hospital in Bucharest.

In 1902, he opened his Physiology course with the lecture Spontaneous Generation and Darwinism in the Face of the Experimental Method. In 1905, he delivered three famous lectures—Purposefulness in Biology, Materialism, and Soul and God—later published as the volume The Notions of “Soul” and “God” in Physiology, which was reissued in 1944 and 1999.

Paulescu’s anti-Darwinian views led to sharp polemics with other Romanian scientists, such as Nicolae Leon and Dimitrie Voinov, in the pages of Convorbiri literare and Spitalul journals. Nonetheless, these debates did not diminish his scientific prestige, and his research on pancreatic physiology would make a revolutionary contribution to diabetes treatment.

The brilliant scientist who discovered insulin

In 1916, Nicolae Paulescu discovered an antidiabetic active substance in the pancreas, which he named pancrein—the substance known today as insulin. His experiments included administering pancrein to a diabetic dog, observing a normalizing effect on blood glucose levels. 

Unfortunately, his involvement in World War I temporarily halted his research, but he resumed immediately after the conflict ended.

In August 1921, he published the work Pancreina și procedura fabricației sale (“Pancrein and Its Method of Manufacture”), thereby claiming rights to his method of obtaining it. 

Shortly afterward, in December 1921, Canadian researchers Frederick Grant Banting and Charles Herbert Best announced the discovery of insulin, which they administered to a patient for the first time. In 1923, Banting and Macleod received the Nobel Prize in Medicine.

Paulescu officially contested this, explaining that his research had demonstrated the effectiveness of pancrein in animals and had prepared the groundwork for its subsequent use in humans, but his request was denied.

Recognition of Paulescu’s merits

International recognition of Paulescu’s work came nearly 50 years later. In 1969, responding to a campaign initiated by Scottish physiologist Ian Murray, Professor A.W.K. Tiselius, Vice President of the Nobel Foundation, acknowledged the merits of the Romanian scientist in discovering antidiabetic treatment and expressed hope that Paulescu’s pioneering work would be properly honored by the international scientific community. 

In 1976, Professor Ioan Pavel published The Priority of N.C. Paulescu in the Discovery of Insulin, presenting indisputable documents proving Paulescu’s priority in the discovery of insulin.

In posthumous recognition, Nicolae Paulescu was named a member of the Romanian Academy in 1990. His fundamental contribution revolutionized diabetes treatment, allowing patients to manage the disease effectively and lead near-normal lives.

Scientific impact and legacy

Paulescu’s discovery of insulin represented not only a major advancement in physiology and endocrinology but also saved millions of lives worldwide. Additionally, his research on the physiology of the spleen and pancreas opened new perspectives in understanding human body functions. As a professor, Paulescu trained generations of Romanian doctors and researchers, laying the foundations for a modern school of physiology in Romania.

His scientific work reflects deep commitment, methodological rigor, and remarkable perseverance in the face of obstacles. Even after the Nobel Prize was awarded to the Canadian researchers, his contribution was later recognized and appreciated both in Romania and internationally.

Today, Nicolae Paulescu remains a symbol of Romanian scientific excellence, and the discovery of pancrein, insulin, stands as a fundamental milestone in global medicine. His work enabled the development of modern diabetes treatments and demonstrated the importance of rigorous research and perseverance in science.

We also recommend: „Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Bucharest: tradition and excellence in medical education