It is said that on average human knowledge is doubling every 13 months. In the field of medicine, this can be to our advantage.
Every year there are a number of forecasts about medical breakthroughs that are going to change our lives significantly. It is interesting to take note of the developments that could improve, change or even save our lives. Here are ten of them:
1. Diabetes medicine that reduce cardiovascular disease and death
Half of all people suffering from type 2 diabetes will die from complications of cardiovascular disease. Once they reach the age of 65, the risk increases to 70%. Recently two new medicines (empagliflozin and liraglutide) saw the light to help diminish the risk. In 2017 the prescriptions for people suffering from diabetes will change to incorporate these new medicines. It is also expected that research tackling type 2 diabetes will continue to focus on the illnesses going hand-in-hand with this condition.
2. Cellular immunotherapy to treat leukaemia and lymphomas
Immunotherapy in which immune system T-cells of a person suffering from leukaemia or certain types of lymphomas are removed, genetically reprogrammed to seek and destroy tumour cells and then replaced in the body is one of the exciting breakthroughs that will become available this year. In some of the studies that focus on acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), a remission rate of 90% has been reported. It is thought that cellular immunotherapy could one day replace chemotherapy.
3. Liquid biopsies to find circulating tumour DNA
When there is a tumour somewhere in the body, it sheds DNA that circulates freely in the bloodstream. This is known as ctDNA, and there are many more of these than of the actual tumour cells in the bloodstream. “Liquid biopsy” is a new type of test that shows the ctDNA in the blood to help with the early diagnosis of cancer. Some experts think that it’s only a matter of time before catching and treating cancer is as routine as an annual check-up.
4. Mini wireless pacemaker to treat arrhythmia
Many people today walk around with a pacemaker. A pacemaker is a small battery operated device that is placed in the chest or abdomen to help control abnormal heart rhythms. They are connected to the heart by one or more wires. Fitting a pacemaker is an invasive procedure, it must be replaced when the battery runs out and the wires may cause infection. A new mini pacemaker has been developed that is implanted directly into the heart through the femoral vein using a catheter and requiring no wires. It is expected that this type of pacemaker will become available this year.
5. New medicines to treat high LDL cholesterol
Two new medicines called PCSK9 inhibitors are expected to be approved this year for the treatment of high LDL cholesterol. The medicine targets and inactivates a specific protein in the liver. Knocking out this protein, called proprotein convertase subtilisin kexin 9, dramatically reduces the amount of harmful LDL cholesterol circulating in the bloodstream. This is good news for anyone who struggles to lower their LDL levels and it may be used alone or in conjunction with statins.
6. Ketamine for treatment-resistant depression
People suffering from depression sometimes get resistant to the medicines usually prescribed to them. In 2013, a medicine commonly used for anaesthesia, namely ketamine, was studied for its effectiveness in the treatment of depression. The results were overwhelmingly positive; 70% of sufferers with treatment-resistant depression experienced an improvement in symptoms within 24 hours of receiving ketamine. Similar medicines have been developed since then, and should become available to depression sufferers within this year.
7. Liquid pills to help the medicine go down
Many people hate swallowing pills but owing to their health they have to. There is a new type of pill on the market that is 3-D printed, and it dissolves into liquid the moment it goes into the mouth. The first drug approved for this method was an epilepsy drug called Spirtiam. The printer is mechanically quite similar to a sand 3D printer, which lays down very fine layers of the medicine with a small amount of a binding agent. By the end of 2017, it is expected that hundreds more pills will be manufactured in this way.
8. Self-administered HPV test
The human papilloma virus (HPV) is common in most sexually active women, where certain strains are responsible for 99% of cervical cancer cases. Unfortunately most women are not even aware that they may have the virus. This is soon to end with the availability of a self-administered HPV test kit that includes a test tube, a swab and a mail-in box. Women can administer their own test, mail a sample back to a laboratory and be alerted to dangerous strains of HPV. These kits should be available on a large scale in 2017.
9. Ultrasound therapy for Alzheimer’s disease
One in three current seniors will die with Alzheimer’s or another dementia. As yet, there is no cure for Alzheimer’s but encouraging human trails are set to begin in 2017. The treatment involves ultrasound therapy on amyloid plaques, a sticky build-up that clump around neurons and contribute to Alzheimer’s disease. Ultrasounds will be used to clear the build-up without causing damage to the surrounding tissue. If human trials are successful, this promises a much more affordable option than the medicines currently used to achieve the same effect.
10. Using the microbiome to prevent, diagnose and treat disease
Microbes are tiny microorganisms that live in the world with us, around us, and even in us. In our bodies there are millions of microbes such as bacteria and fungi that help with the normal functioning of our bodies. Where they appear in huge quantities, they are considered a microbiome. They influence the way food is digested, the working of medicines and how a disease progresses. Researchers are focussing on the potential of the microbiome to develop new ways of diagnosis, new therapies and probiotic products that can prevent dangerous microbe imbalances. It is thought that this research will be the healthcare industry’s most promising and lucrative frontier in 2017.
Although these breakthroughs are most encouraging, they often take a long time to reach our shores, and then they may not be affordable to the general public. It is nonetheless interesting to take note of these developments taking place elsewhere in the world and to keep faith that they will become available to all soon.
Sources
Berman, N. Ten medical breakthroughs that will change our health In 2017. Retrieved from http://moneyinc.com/10-medical-breakthroughs-will-change-health-2017
Grunewald, S.J. The FDA approves the first 3D printed pill to help prevent epileptic seizures. Retrieved from https://3dprint.com/96574/fda-3d-printed-epilepsy-pill
Jaquith, T. Future Health: 2017’s most exciting medical advances. Retrieved from https://futurism.com/predicting-2017-the-most-exciting-medical-advances-we-can-expect/
Seven amazing medical breakthroughs that will wow the world in 2017. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/7-amazing-medical-breakthroughs-that-will-wow-the-world-in-2017_us_5852c870e4b012849c05d133