As a lifelong reader, I've fuelled my imagination with tales ranging from the horrific to the fantastic. Science fiction is my genre of choice. Not just works that explore outer-space possibilities but those that delve into what could be right here on Earth. I've devoured stories about smart houses turning malevolent and alien invasions with equal glee.
These stories don't always take a dark turn, though. Many are life-affirming; they give hope for what the future might bring. For instance, the blind seeing again, thanks to their bionic eyes. Or combat veterans walking again because some medical breakthrough reactivated their spine.
Wait a minute, that story was just in the news! A cyclist paralysed more than a decade ago has regained their legs through a technological intervention. And wasn't there something a couple of years ago about a man, blind for 40 years, regaining his sight? Maybe Sci-Fi lovers have been reading science-fact all along. Only it's years ahead of its time.
Technology makes even the most extraordinary medical theories fact. The medical and scientific communities never had so much data or computing power to work with. Never have there been many ways to explore or make possibilities actual. The last decade has delivered amazing breakthroughs in:
- vaccine technology and formulation
- genetics and genome-based research
- bionics - artificial limbs with technology-controlled enhancements
- wearables and the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT)
- Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the dawn of personalised medicine
We're not blithely tossing out aspects of medical discoveries; we want to dive into each category. We'll find out where these initiatives stand and the possibilities they offer. You're invited to join the discussion, too. Let us know your thoughts in the comments section.
Wearables and IoMT
In 2009, a San Francisco company called Healthy Metrics Research, Inc. debuted a wearable physical fitness monitor. The initiative was a resounding success. Within months of the Fitbit's premiere, the company changed its name to match its flagship product.
The initial wearable had limited functionality; it served mainly as a pedometer. Starting in 2014, the device had a platform to connect to via Bluetooth. Fitbit expanded its wearables' capabilities to include a heart monitor, a food diary, and an activities log. Later versions allowed the setting of fitness goals and helped wearers count calories consumed and burned.
Data collected from individual wearables may 'feed' the IoMT. This Internet of Things (IoT) subset proposes enabling remote health monitoring via Fitbit and other wearable devices. Implanted devices such as pacemakers and cochlear implants may also connect to the IoMT.
This tracking and monitoring cause substantial worry over data and personal privacy. People are right to be concerned about their tech being hacked and who controls their data and devices. Still, starting in 2018, the healthcare and insurance industries have embraced these technologies. Some of those corporations require wearables and IoMT to be part of clinical diagnoses and treatment plans.
With patience and precision, a biology tutor can dissect complex concepts, making these medical breakthroughs both fascinating and digestible.
Vaccine Technology and Discoveries
In 2020, the world shut down. Nearly the entire global population went into lockdown trying to prevent the spread of the SARS-coV-2 virus. No need to go on about it; you were there. But do you remember how amazing it was that science formulated a vaccine so quickly?
Historically, it took years of research and trial and error to arrive at an effective serum. More than 20 years passed between the initial push for a polio vaccine and its first effective formulation. Today, we have both science and technology to thank for this exponentially faster vaccine creation. But as remarkable as the speedy COVID vaccine is, the Ebola vaccine is even more impressive.
The Ebola virus is highly contagious and often lethal. Scientists identified this virus in 1976 from outbreaks in two different regions of the African continent. Since then, the continent has suffered 24 episodes; over half of the infected died. The worst attack started in December 2013 and lasted until January 2016; more than 1,1000 died.
Scientists with the Public Health Agency of Canada applied for their Ebola vaccine patent in 2003. Their serum remained untested on humans until the 2013 outbreak. The World Health Organisation (WHO) ruled its use on humans was ethical, considering the potential loss of life. The vaccine was effective, making it one of the most significant breakthroughs in medical research.
Exoskeletons, Prosthetics and Implants
Unfortunately, we have no effective vaccine to protect against human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV). But medical science has dramatically improved in restoring limb, organ and sense functionality. Did you know one can 3D print human body parts, even organs? Once those machines caught up to their potential, medical researchers wasted no time testing their capabilities.
They get the best performance printing prosthetics. Even more remarkable: blueprints and sizing instructions are open-source. Anyone needing a new appendage can visit e-NABLE, send the design to the printer and create their hand or leg. Always provided they have access to a 3D printer.
Since 2018, the fused deposition modelling process has been the most cost-effective - and thus, the most popular 3D printing technique. Those printed appendages are lighter (but more fragile) than traditional prosthetics. And certainly more cost-effective than exoskeletons.
Like detectives, a biology tutor and student can piece together the top medical breakthroughs, unveiling the story of life's grand tapestry.
The first functional exoskeleton debuted in 2011. It featured wrist-mounted controls that allowed people with paraplegia to stand, walk and climb stairs. Other research companies soon saw the promise. By 2019, the suit had evolved to read its wearer's mind, translating brain activity into movement.
But it seems exoskeletons don't have much of a future, considering how far implant technology has come. Our introduction mentioned brain implants to help blind people see and spinal implants to support the paralysed walk. Now, the US company Neuralink wants to design and implant brain chips with expanded capabilities. It seems the future of human optimisation will be implanted.
Gene Editing and Genetic Research
The Human Genome Project started in 1990 and ended in 2003, with 92% of the genome mapped. The final gapless assembly was completed in January 2022. But maybe we didn't need the entire human genome mapped. At least, not for one of the most profound medical breakthroughs of the decade.
In 2012, an international team of scientists discovered how to edit genomic DNA. Two years later, CRISPR became the most hotly-contested innovation in biochemistry and one of the most significant medical advances. CRISPR allows gene editing in living persons. It also permits editing at the embryonic stage, an issue that has provoked ethical debates worldwide.
On a larger scale, genetic research yields clues to the causes of disease. The medical community has long puzzled over why some people are susceptible to illness and not others. Or why some conditions affect one demographic but not all. Sickle-cell anaemia is a prime example; African descent is far more afflicted than other populations.
AI and Personalised Medicine
Cancer diagnosis and treatment also rely on genetic research advances. Indeed, the future of personalised medicine puts genetics at the centre of its doctrine. Doctors have had no recourse for far too long but 'one size fits all' to treat their patients. Or, more correctly, doctors could only treat the diseases their patients present with instead of treating the patients.
Aggressive therapy is another go-to method, especially for cancer treatment. Most cancer patients undergo surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy, a gruelling regimen. Sometimes, the cancer returns, proving the tumour is only a symptom. The illness runs much more profound.
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Already, initiatives are underway to incorporate AI into the diagnostic process. Over the years, doctors and scientists have collected millions of diagnostic scans. AI has trained on them and can identify cell abnormalities as fast as technicians with decades of experience. Pairing that learning with knowledge of the human genome has delivered stunning results.
Personalised medicine considers individual patients' genetic makeup when choosing the most effective therapy for any condition. AI uses that information and all it knows about pharmaceuticals to recommend optimal medications. AI may also help patients by reminding them to take their meds, advising on refills and scheduling follow-up appointments.
There is some debate over how fair personalised medicine will be. The costs to get such a system up and running are staggering. Poorer nations lack the funds, infrastructure, and facilities to make this level of care possible.
Taking a broader view, all of the medical breakthroughs in this article risk deepening inequality. Stem cell treatments and gene therapy are neither cheap nor brain implants. Can only wealthy countries afford to implement these changes? Will all of these advances benefit only the rich?
Probably not, because humanity still benefits even if you never get a brain implant. Technology is good at crossing boundaries, so you'll likely still access the services these advances afford. For instance, telehealth systems in use today will also feature in personalised medicine systems.
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