On the Pathogenesis of Insulin-Dependent Diabetes Mellitus in Man: A Paradigm in Transition

In any epoque and in any field of biomedicine a few major figures stand out as being particularly influential. Some because they contributed very significantly to science, some because their personalities made them natural centres of learning and research. Albert E. Renold did both and will be remembered as one of the greatest names in diabetology of this century. His curiosity, his emphatic interest in young people and their ideas, his open-mindedness and intuitive understanding of new and sometimes rather vaguely formulated concepts made conversations with Albert Renold delightful and encouraging experiences. One of us (J.N.) remembers a long conversation in Geneva several years ago where seemingly odd and certainly less than solidly substantiated ideas on the pathogenesis of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) were discussed. Pointing out these shortcomings Renold said, quoting Thomas Huxley: “He who does not go beyond the facts, he will seldom get as far as the facts”. With this in mind, however, still going to the limits of the facts and probably beyond, we wish to dedicate this chapter on the pathogenesis of IDDM to the memory of Albert E. Renold.