Ten Recent Medical Breakthroughs to Get Excited About

We all hope to be part of a generation that discovers amazing cures for diseases, especially those that have taken so many away from us. In recent years, there have been some amazing medical breakthroughs that might have been overlooked when good news was harder to come by. All over the world, scientists have been hard at work producing cures and advancing knowledge about diseases that have been around for as long as mankind.

From cures for cancer and neurological diseases to growing body parts in a laboratory and successfully transplanting them into human tissue, the list is long and impressive, but not exhaustive. Artificial intelligence will be the next wave of medical wonders. You’ve heard it here first, folks!

Related: 10 Modern Medical Treatments That Might Surprise You

10 Ten neurodegenerative diseases could be controllable

Halberd Corporation in Pennsylvania made a breakthrough in February 2022 in the way neurodegenerative diseases are treated. By removing glutamate from cerebrospinal fluid, they demonstrate that they can control disease-associated antigens from the top ten diseases in this field of medicine. Some examples of diseases that this discovery could affect are PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), traumatic brain injury, chronic traumatic encephalopathy, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, epilepsy, and other neurodegenerative conditions.

All of the techniques used by scientists help produce healthy brain function. William A. Hartman, Halberd’s President and CEO, said, “This breakthrough will bring hope to the 36 million Americans a year and millions more around the world who suffer from some form of neurodegenerative disease.”^[1]

9 Potential cure for stage IV melanoma cancer

In April 2020, Australian scientists at the Melanoma Institute significantly reduced the number of deaths from stage 4 melanoma, often called “Australian cancer.” The stage 4 melanoma patient typically faces a death sentence of six to nine months, but after immunotherapy treatment at the Melanoma Institute, 50% of patients live long enough to be scientifically considered cured. Immunotherapy uses the patient’s own immune system to fight cancer and has been compared to the groundbreaking effect of Associate Professor Menzies’ discovery of penicillin.

In Australia, it is estimated that more than 1,700 people die of melanoma each year. Immunotherapy focuses on three drugs in particular: Keytruda, Opdivo and Yervoy, whose unique combination has been a game changer for stage IV melanoma sufferers. The scientists say the next steps are to find out why 50% don’t respond to immunotherapy and whether the treatment can help other types of cancer.^[2]

8 TETA Treatment Possible Cure for Childhood Cancer

Tests on mice at the Children’s Cancer Institute in New South Wales, Australia used a treatment called TETA to shrink tumors by 40%. This reduction has led to a doubling of the expected lifespan of these mice, all using an affordable drug that is already approved for human consumption as the most commonly used drug to treat Wilson’s disease.

Wilson’s disease causes a buildup of copper in the liver. The findings led by Dr. Vittorio also inform potential success with other cancers such as breast, pancreatic, and lung. Accounting for 15% of all childhood cancer deaths with a 50% survival rate, neuroblastoma treatment “feeds” on copper that has accumulated in the body. Essentially, removing the copper allows the body to “see” the tumor, allowing the immune system to fight it.^[3]

7 Premature babies with chronic lung disease

Babies born prematurely with chronic lung disease were given the Hobart Method: a much less invasive method of giving babies surfactant in a small tube in the windpipe to help them breathe. The method was developed by Peter Dargaville of the University of Tasmania after many years of testing. In December 2021, the findings were published after many years of work in 33 neonatal units of neonatal hospitals in 11 countries in total.

The specific lung disease they were trying to prevent is called bronchopulmonary dysplasia, which occurs when a newborn’s lungs don’t develop properly in the womb or if the baby is born too early and the lungs become inflamed. A follow-up project is underway to determine the long-term effects of treating babies with surfactant.^[5]

6 Brain tumor vaccine increases survival rate by 5 years

There is a vaccine for patients with brain tumors that can double the five-year survival rate, a result we have been waiting for decades. King’s College Hospital London has shown that 13% of patients who received the vaccine were still alive after five years, while the control group showed 5.7%. This is the first time in nearly two decades that improvements have been made in aggressive glioblastoma research. Even patients with a poor prognosis were found to have a prolonged life expectancy from the vaccine, including older patients for whom surgery was not a viable option.

Immunotherapy is used in treatment by helping the body attack cancer cells and recognize them as cancer cells. Each patient has their own vaccine made from the analysis of their immune cells, known as dendritic cells. They work by capturing cells and allowing immune cells to destroy them.

Once the dendritic cells are removed from the body, they are mixed with tumor biomarkers that, when injected back into the patient, share the information with the immune system to attack the tumor. The medical team wants to test the vaccine with other types of cancer and combinations of drugs.^[5]

5 Improved Imaging and Detection Techniques

Circulatory diseases can be more easily detected with specialized screening and imaging techniques. Neurovascular imaging, which creates images of the smallest blood vessels in the body, is being investigated at Coventry University’s Center for Smart Healthcare. Research will uncover how circulatory systems can affect early-stage diseases such as diabetes, autoimmune diseases, cancer, and aging arteries. Using different colors of light, they can see blood flow, composition, and temperature, which can help with diagnosis. The procedure is non-invasive and cost effective.

Armed with this information, the team hopes to detect new ways to treat Reynaud’s phenomenon, where fingers and toes change color when a person becomes anxious or cold. Having Reynaud’s phenomenon can indicate more serious problems that can affect internal organs.^[6]

4 Dressings specially designed for hidradenitis suppurativa

A former chef helped develop special dressings to control the incurable symptoms of hidradenitis suppurativa (HS). Suzanne Moloney, founder of HidraMed Solutions, has designed adhesive-free dressings that fit over a range of specially designed undergarments. Her Irish company won the irish times Innovation of the Year Award in 2021 to help the 4% of the world population suffering from HS.

Lesions and abscesses are found in the armpit, thigh, and groin, and need regular dressings that do not leak, fall off, or shift. Often the adhesive from other brands of dressings can cause more harm than good in its application and removal, and the process can be very painful and stressful. People with HS can often be at risk of social isolation, depression, and anxiety from the stress of living with the condition. Moloney created fashion-forward items with discreet padding and zippers, such as crop tops, T-shirts, and boxers.^[7]

3 Successful transplantation of lab-grown 3D-printed ear

A woman who was born with a condition known as microtia has successfully undergone a 3D-printed ‘living’ ear transplant. While made from human skin cells but 3D printed in a lab, the transplant is the first of its kind in history. Microtia is a condition in which the ear is underdeveloped or missing at birth. The American scientists used existing cells from your ear tissue that were turned into the “bioink” to create the new ear, meaning the body is less likely to reject its own cells.

Without 3D printing, microtia is treated with implants or surgery that can be invasive as cartilage is removed from the ribs. Surgery is performed on children born with this condition. Lead physician Dr. Bonilla said, “I am inspired by what this technology can mean for microtia patients and their families.”^[8]

2 Two stories of cures for HIV

a woman who was cured of hiv after stem cell treatment he has become the third person to be cured of AIDS. The case was also the first to use cord blood, which may make the treatment more widely available. He was treated for leukemia in the marrow and, after treatment, has been in remission for 14 months without the need for antiretroviral therapy, which is used in the treatment of HIV.

Another story from 2022 reports that a vaccine has been developed that can activate the immune system and cure AIDS. Gene editing has been used by researchers at Tel Aviv University to create a vaccine that neutralizes the virus. It does this by engineering type B white blood cells to activate the immune system and produce antibodies that neutralize HIV.^[9]

1 British Army tests remote surgery communication technology

The British army is testing technologies that could mean wounded soldiers thousands of miles away in the field could receive life-saving surgeries by doctors using augmented reality glasses. The “Lara Project” explains that, in typical battle circumstances, younger medics work further forward, while more veteran medics work further back, treating patients over a wider area. The junior doctor may, in fact, need more communication help than the senior. But unfortunately, the closer you are to danger, the worse communication can be.

The purpose of the Lara Project is to ensure that young doctors have the right information and specialist advice when they need it most. A specialist can use the Microsoft HoloLens 2 augmented reality glasses and assist a doctor in the field with a routine task, follow the surgery and offer help and instructions when needed.^[10]