Medical Breakthroughs in Health Care
From Edward Jenner’s first smallpox vaccination in the 1700s to Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen’s discovery of X-rays in 1895, medical breakthroughs have dramatically improved the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of diseases and helped improve patient health for centuries. Recent innovations in robotics and machine learning are helping to aid in complex surgeries, and augmented reality continues to help in fields like mental health. As the field of medicine rapidly evolves, medical advances will continue to shape the future of health care.
What Are Some Recent Medical Breakthroughs?
In the past few years, science gave us many breakthroughs in medicine. Doctors discovered how to transplant organs from pigs to humans, gave a first-of-its-kind partial heart transplant to a baby born with faulty valves, moved closer to developing a shot that protects against both COVID-19 and the flu, and built evidence that a blood test could detect Alzheimer’s disease with almost 90% accuracy, to name just a few. Let’s explore some of the other medical advances making headlines.
Bionic Limbs
Prosthetic devices have come a long way since their first known use in ancient Egypt. Sensory feedback now allows users to “feel” textures, pressure, and temperature through their prosthesis. Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) help to create more thought-controlled movements. Osseointegration is a surgical technique that connects prosthetic implants to bone. Furthermore, AI helps to adapt to prosthesis by analyzing muscle signals. MIT’s bionic leg is a recent innovation using the surgical technique of rerouting nerves to new muscles. Advancements in this medical specialty have significantly enhanced the comfort, functionality, and integration with the human body.
CAR-T Cell Therapy
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy helps a patient’s own T cells recognize and destroy cancer cells. CAR-T cell therapy can be used beyond blood cancers, in solid tumors and autoimmune diseases like lupus and multiple sclerosis. Although there are several risks to using this type of therapy, including cytokine release syndrome (CRS), and clinical trials continue every day, gene editing, using allogeneic CAR-T cells, and other advancements are improving the accessibility and costs while medical researchers work to make treatments safer.
Gene Therapy
One of the most significant breakthroughs in gene therapy is the creation of Casgevy and Lyfgenia, the first cell-based gene therapies for sickle cell disease. Gene therapies help restore missing or inactive proteins in the body and help slow muscle decline. The gene-editing techniques CRISPR-Cas9, base editing, and prime editing are enhancing gene modification accuracy. This new therapy is also helping to treat cancer, AIDS, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and some infectious diseases.
Rapid Analysis of Chemical Reactions
Advancements in the rapid analysis of chemical reactions have helped enhance the speed and efficiency of reaction monitoring, particularly in drug discovery, materials science, and chemical process development. Techniques like HPLC (high-performance liquid chromatography) and mass spectrometry allow for the rapid analysis of large sample sets. Continuous flow chemistry allows for fast, real-time monitoring of conditions. These advancements are streamlining drug candidate screening, improving the synthesis of materials, and optimizing chemical processes.
How You Can Get Involved in the Future of Health Care
Getting involved in medical breakthroughs in the health care industry can vary, depending on your interests and education. Earning a degree in health care, like a bachelor’s in health sciences or a related field, is a good first step. With a background in science or health care, you can help contribute to research and innovation by working as a scientist, medical professional, or engineer. You could work at research institutions, universities, or manufacturing companies to help develop new medical treatments and drugs.
But suppose you aren’t interested in working directly in health care. In that case, you can help contribute to medical advances through education, fundraising, and spreading awareness about emerging innovations and health issues. Whatever your choice, you could help play an essential role in the future of health care.
