Recent discoveries in medicine. Modern innovative technologies of medicine. Treating depression with ketamine

Modern innovative technologies of medicine

Modern medicine is developing dynamically and rapidly. Its rapid perfection puts this branch of science at the forefront of world science and its new innovative trends. Undoubtedly, this is directly related to the social aspect of medicine itself. Innovations in medicine every day and hour more and more affect the quality of life of the population of the planet Earth.

In our time, many healthcare projects certainly belong only to the category of innovative technologies in medicine. we have long been accustomed to human organ transplants, stem cell transplants and even rumored cloning processes. Today, modern innovative technologies restore health to tens of thousands of patients every day. In many ways, the state of affairs in the health care of the nation depends on the very process of investing in the industry, it is worth noting that the provision of pharmaceuticals in Russia is almost six times less than in Europe and the USA, the level of state support is also desirable to improve.

Considering innovation in medicine, it should be understood that these are modern technologies for the creation and use of pharmaceutical and diagnostic tools, tools or techniques with the highest standard of competitiveness to existing analogues. Usually, the incentive to start an innovation project is a scientific discovery or achievement.

Based on all this, in the modern world, medicine is entering a completely new trend of achievements, and as a result, we perceive an increase in human life expectancy and the very level of development of modern innovative technologies and assistance to the population, setting ourselves the main goal of rational use of natural resources with the possibility of achieving purpose of satisfying human needs.

The development of medicine, in addition to investment processes, is supported by a huge number of enthusiasts who are not driven by monetary enrichment, but by the desire to see people's lives joyful, long and easier.
Undoubtedly, the process of perfection of information technologies will also be attributed to innovative trends.

They came to the health sector with some delay. Nevertheless, the massive introduction of IT in medicine has given rise to the emergence of a scientific direction of science - medical informatics. The foreign and Russian IT market is rapidly changing today. Appear modern innovative technologies of medicine, capable of providing a breakthrough in the field of improving the health of the population of our planet. In particular, information technology in medicine includes the latest biochip implants, medical applications, mobile diagnostic devices, software for electronic patient health records and other innovations inherent in modern science.

The rapid introduction of IT developments in the improvement of the population is due to the following reasons: a decrease in the cost of medical care in many countries, an increase in the quality of patient care, an increase in the efficiency of medical staff, and an increase in the profitability of medical institutions.

On the basis of world experience, it can be concluded that the construction of global information systems in health care based on the innovations of healthcare facilities (treatment and prevention institutions). Experts identify three main trends in this direction: technological innovations open the way to new approaches in healthcare; joint management of the patient from the district doctor in the clinic through hospitals to rehabilitation is unthinkable without the growing electronic data exchange; the focus from the collection of treatment data should shift to their analysis. These modern innovative technologies are called upon to play an important role in the medicine of the future. Healthcare Technology

To ensure the life of patients, improve the professionalism of doctors and medical insurance agents, . In a foreign version, it was called Healthcare Technology. Its main task is to provide professional medical care to the patient. Of great importance is the possibility of interaction with each other between doctors from different medical institutions through online symposiums and conferences. This allows the attending physician to hear the opinion of more experienced colleagues and solve a complex problem without leaving the patient. This feature is very important for small remote hospitals.

Another interesting area that allows the use of modern computer technology in medicine is the cooperation of hospitals with pharmacies. If the prescription is not given to the patient in writing, but is sent directly to the pharmacy, from where the patient will buy the medicine, this will make it possible to control the purchase of the desired drug and reduce queues in pharmacy chains. In the real world, Healthcare Technology innovation is on the rise.

The development of the trend of modern computer technologies is promoted in Healthcare, including government regulation in many countries of the world. International IT standards are IHE, HL7, DICOM systems. The technology of working with large volumes of information is considered promising. It is already being used in medical program planning, clinical trials, and bioinformatics. Mobile diagnostic devices Another evolutionary direction is mobile diagnostic devices. They can balance the number of doctors and the number of patients. This is especially important for regions where medical institutions are experiencing certain difficulties. Also important is the availability of individual medical devices: blood pressure monitors, glucometers, scales, cardiographs, insulin injectors, etc. They should help to remotely monitor the patient's condition by connecting to smartphones and computers via interfaces standardized according to ISO and IEEE. Remote monitoring provides a reduction in the patient's stay in the hospital, tracking the dynamics of vital parameters after discharge, avoiding critical conditions and timely provision of advisory assistance.

At the same time, in our country, the mass introduction of telemedicine, mobile and hospital-replacing technologies is hindered by the lack of integrated information database management systems and the lack of an appropriate regulatory framework. And information interaction at all levels could significantly help both doctors and patients, often living in remote rural areas, where this would be especially important. Electronic patient health cards.

One of the most demanded features of modern computer technologies in medicine is electronic patient records. They provide the concentration of all required information in a single common database for storing unique electronic data. For Russia, the formation of a full-fledged electronic patient health card through the informatization of clinics, hospitals, laboratories and other medical institutions is a paramount task. But informatization of health care should take place globally, that is, at all levels. In addition, this system allows to reduce the mortality of patients in the intensive care and intensive care units. The development of streaming data processing technologies ensures the rapid development of methods for predicting conditions that threaten the health of the patient. This is done by real-time analysis of a large number of patient parameters. The use of innovative technologies of modern healthcare will help optimize the distribution of human resources. Doctors and nurses, especially from small medical institutions located in the remote regions of Russia, will be able to immediately receive the necessary information about the patient's condition without exhausting tons of papers. In addition, it will reduce the amount of paper medical reporting.

As for the costs of creating and implementing specialized software for the successful operation of medical personnel with information in digital format, they are much lower than the costs of the same actions with paper documents. In addition, in this case, the efficiency of the work of physicians is significantly increased due to instant access to the necessary data. To prescribe electronic patient information information, software types such as EMR, EHR, and PUR are used. All three types describe patient electronic health records, electronic health records, and personal health records. The formats outlined are used to avoid confusion between users, healthcare providers, and other technology models. Companies providing medical services should implement a computerized medical order (order-prescription) for ordering medicines and an electronic prescription for providing patients with online access to medical records. Having a single database can be of great help during natural disasters, as medical professionals will have access to individual information about the health of the victims, their blood type, chronic diseases, etc. In this case, microcomputers and wireless Internet will provide instant communication with a single base center and help maintain an up-to-date list of victims. Many physicians have begun to use tablet computers to record patient data. Nexus 7, iPad , Nokia and other tablets of the corresponding format are ideal devices for working with electronic medical records of the patient. But various factors will influence the intensive penetration of this tablet market. The main one is the perfect comfortable convenience in using gadgets: an intuitive interface, simple input of information, clear visibility on the results screen.

Problems of progress in the development of modern computer technologies in medicine.

Medical informatization also has an undesirable side. People who fight to control the storage of confidential information about patients' diseases fear that hackers can break into existing information databases and gain access to disease descriptions and test results. No company can resist the topical action of hackers. But if the due careful level of a set of security measures is observed, the risk of disclosing the available confidential information about the patient is reduced to almost zero.

In modern times, anyone can receive advice on the Internet around the clock, has the opportunity to order an insurance policy online and get an explanation on insurance programs. Remote consultations will reduce the cost of re-hospitalization of patients with chronic diseases. But in order for all user groups to quickly feel the effect of the informatization of medical organizations, it is necessary to use corporate clouds, their deep integration both among themselves and with other information systems used to manage the organization of a region, country, with public service portals. Isolated systems, even created at the regional or national level, will not bring serious benefits to the public health of the state as a whole. On the other hand, measures such as making an appointment electronically or viewing doctors' schedules can reduce queues at clinics. Another problem regarding the development of IT in the field of medicine is the lack of a well-thought-out, effective legislative framework. So far, all existing documents are constantly reorganized and finalized. In conclusion, it should be said that at present, medical organizations are not only aware of the need to automate the input of actual indicators about the actual state of the patient's health, but also the urgent need for its meaningful use. Today, the Russian market of medical information innovations is undergoing significant changes, and therefore it is partly ready to accept these trends. However, it has yet to get rid of immaturity, low customer requirements, imperfect regulatory framework and pressure from monopolists in the field of communications. For example, in the United States, the number of certified electronic medical record systems is more than five hundred, while our only company, Rostelecom, has a monopoly.

Let's hope that the market of information technologies in medicine in the near future will become competitive, having a progressive impact on the treatment of human pathological processes, including

I would like to especially note the innovation of the invention of telescopic individual lenses and the undoubted prospect of this discovery for mankind.

Or bionic contact lenses, where elastic lenses with a printed electronic circuit are scientifically connected, fantastically allowing the patient to see the world around him with superimposed digital computerized pictures, as if on top of his natural vision. This invention is a breakthrough in its professional use by drivers, pilots, laying and visualizing routes for them, laying out information about weather conditions and the vehicle itself.

Another sensational innovative solution from the field of innovative technologies of medicine came to us from Japan, where scientists have developed artificial skeletal muscles with three-dimensional functionality. The muscle frame is able to fully contract and the command signals for this are impulses passing through the nerve cells invasively introduced into the muscle layer. The muscle system grown in artificial conditions has a decent strength and under the influence of living nerve endings may be of unique interest in the application of this technology of medicine to the attraction of damaged human muscle structures or equipping robots with an artificial muscle frame.

In applying this muscular system to a person, scientists go further and work out the possibilities of interaction on the innervation of an artificial muscle with the central nervous system of the brain.

Another innovative invention that interested the entire scientific world came to us from the walls of Stanford University, where scientists invented the ability to stain the organs of both animals and mammals and make them even initially transparent. That is, initially, through various manipulations, the organ becomes transparent, and then, by introducing chemical compounds into them in the form of dyes, the cells required by the scientist are “tinted”.

This technique was called CLaRITY - it has already made it possible to make the brain transparent, and after tinting the required areas or parts of the brain, scientists can conduct unique studies in modern event visualization.

Huge interest in the scientific community was generated by the possibility of using luminescent antibiotics in the treatment of infectious diseases in the human body. At its core, an antibiotic entering the patient's body becomes a kind of illuminating marker of a localized infection, easily tracked and visible when viewed through special microscopes. The treatment process becomes more predictable and effective

The method of innovative mammography using the Internet and a bra, which so captivated the female reader, was considered in the article of the site

The topic of the fight against cancer in medicine is very topical. In recent days, medicine has been developing not only surgical surgical methods of treatment and chemotherapy, or the use of destructive rays for a cancer cell, but also treatment with micropulses that destroy pathological processes in the body and initiate the self-destruction of malignant cells. Innovative science has learned to diagnose many diseases, including oncology, at the early stages of the pathological process and the development of the disease, which directly affected the increase in human life expectancy and this is almost 20 years. Moreover, this indicator is steadily growing and human life is increasing.

A huge role in the detection of malignant diseases and early detection of cancer cells was played by the invention of the microscope, which we previously wrote about on the pages of our website -

Do not ignore in our article the invention of a pharmacological preparation used in case of a biological clock failure. In simple terms, Canadian doctors invent a medicine that can reset our biological clock. This invention makes it possible to save people from sleep problems, suffering from insomnia or working at night.

Innovative methods of laser correction in modern cosmetology were popularly described on the page of the site in the article -.

Carrying out plastic surgeries and surgical corrections in cosmetology are discussed by us in the article -

We are dedicated to Sci-fi methods of rejuvenation of the human body

An innovative remedy for sleep problems will synchronize the leukocyte balance in such a way that a person will begin to count day and night in the opposite direction

Modern developments in cardiology have made it possible to practically invent a new generation of artificial human heart Abiokor.

Abiokor is an innovative breakthrough in the modern world of medicine, it is absolutely autonomous and exists independently inside the human body without various additional related devices, tubes or wires. The only condition is regular recharging of its battery via an external network connection.

Modern surgery quickly includes robots that help in carrying out surgical intervention and, in fact, carry out independent most complex surgical procedures. One of these devices is called Da Vinci, which is a four-armed automaton-surgeon with a 3-D visualized system that displays the operating field on the monitor. This robotic surgeon is also successful in the treatment and removal of cancerous metastases and tumors.

A complete review of the articles on our website dedicated to the topic of innovative technologies in medicine can be viewed

Found a mistake in the text? Select it and press Ctrl + Enter

Today's world has become very technological. And medicine is trying to keep the brand. New advances are increasingly linked to genetic engineering, clinics and doctors are already using cloud technologies to the fullest, and 3D organ transplantation promises to become common practice soon.

Fighting cancer at the genetic level

Ranked first - medical project from Google. A subsidiary of the company called Google Ventures invested $130 million in the "cloud" project "Flatiron", aimed at combating oncology in medicine. The project collects and analyzes hundreds of thousands of data on cancer cases every day, passing the findings to doctors.

According to the director of Google Ventures, Bill Maris, cancer treatment will soon take place at the genetic level, and chemotherapy in 20 years will become primitive, like a floppy disk or telegraph today.

Wireless technologies in medicine

Health bracelets or "smart watch" is a good example of how modern technologies in medicine help people to be healthy. Through familiar devices, each of us can control heart rate, blood pressure, measure steps and the number of calories lost.

Some models of bracelets provide data transfer "to the cloud" for further analysis by doctors. You can download dozens of health monitoring programs on the Internet, such as Google Fit or HealthKit.

AliveCor went even further and offered a device that syncs with a smartphone and allows you to do EKG at home. The device is a case with special sensors. The image data is sent to the attending physician via the Internet.

Restoration of hearing and vision

Cochlear implant for hearing restoration

In 2014, Australian scientists proposed a genetic treatment for hearing loss. The medical method is based on painlessly introducing into the human body DNA-containing drug, inside which the cochlear implant is “sewn in”. The implant interacts with the cells of the auditory nerve and hearing gradually returns to the patient.

Bionic eye to restore vision

With the help of an implant "bionic eye" scientists have learned to restore vision. The first medical operation took place in the United States back in 2008. In addition to the transplanted artificial retina, patients are given special glasses with a built-in camera. The system allows you to perceive a full picture, distinguish colors and outlines of objects. Today, more than 8,000 people are on the waiting list for such an operation.

Medicine has stepped closer to curing AIDS

Scientists from the Rockefeller University (New York, USA), together with the pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline, conducted clinical trials of a medical a drug a GSK744, which is capable reduce the chance of contracting HIV by more than 90%. The substance is capable of inhibiting the work of the enzyme, with the help of which HIV modifies the DNA of the cell and then multiplies in the body. The work brought scientists much closer to the creation of a new drug against HIV.

Organs and tissues using 3D printers

3D bioprinting: organs and tissues are printed using a printer

Over the past 2 years, scientists in practice have been able to achieve creating organs and tissues using 3D printers and successfully implant them into the patient's body.

Modern medical technologies make it possible to create prosthetic arms and legs, parts of the spine, ears, nose, internal organs, and even tissue cells.

In the spring of 2014, doctors at the University Medical Center Utrecht (Holland) successfully performed the first 3D-printed cranial bone transplant in the history of medicine.

The cure for old age

Superpowers, apparently, will soon appear in humans thanks to new discoveries of geneticists. American Elizabeth Parrish the head of a small biotechnology company decided to become "". She was injected with genes that should slow down aging.

And in Japan, they began testing a drug on a group of volunteers that could potentially become long-desired. A substance called nicotinamide mononucleotide in mice has shown very high efficiency it slowed down the aging process, reportedly by 70%, normalizing metabolism, vision and muscle function.

artificial life

And another major breakthrough in biology was the creation of the first artificial living organism in history this fantastically daring and complex work was done by a team of American scientists led by the famous geneticist Craig Venter. They, using the latest knowledge about genes and technologies for manipulating them, with the code name syn3.0.

nanodoctors

Tiny robots that travel through your blood vessels, delivering medicine to exactly where you need it, clearing clogged arteries, or even performing surgeries is not science fiction, but the real work of many groups of scientists around the world. Biophysicists from Drexel University in the USA recently. They learned how to move, connect and disconnect chains of special microparticles using a magnetic field. They still do not know how to isolate the drug and perform other useful functions, but progress is being made.

When food is poison

Why do overeating people often fail to stop? What blocks the natural mechanism of satiety? Physiologists from Stanford in the US have found a new molecular explanation. It turns out that extra calories disrupt the synthesis in the small intestine of a substance called uroguaniline, also known as "". As a result, the brain simply does not receive signals that it is time to stop eating. Thanks to the discovery, we can expect the creation of new drugs that help against obesity.

artificial pancreas

An important event in 2016 occurred of the first type. The device known as an artificial pancreas has finally received official certification from the very picky US Department of Health. It measures blood glucose levels every 5 minutes and automatically injects insulin at the correct dose through the catheter. Tests on more than a hundred patients for three months have shown that it works effectively and safely.

Snoring fight

And even the best minds of mankind continue to struggle with a problem that poisons the sleep of many families. It's about snoring. A company from California has released, which drowns out this unpleasant sound itself, creating acoustic vibrations in antiphase.

There are domestic and not so exotic novelties on this topic. Boris Gaufman, a somnologist from Krasnodar, has created a device that starts to vibrate on the patient's body if he lies down in the position in which he most often snores.

New taste

The palette of tastes in humans is not limited to sweet, sour, salty and bitter, as was thought until recently. In recent years, scientists have discovered first the taste of meaty "umami", and then the taste of fatty "oleogustus". And now new paint. Researchers at the University of Oregon found a distinct taste sensation associated with starch. It can be described as the taste of rice or pasta. Now scientists are trying to find the receptors on the tongue that are responsible for this taste. The discovery will undoubtedly help the food industry develop recipes more accurately, making our everyday food more appetizing.

Better chill

A large study devoted to was published in 2016 in the authoritative journal Lancet. Scientists summarized the data of about a thousand works on this topic and came to the conclusion: drinks hotter than 65 degrees definitely increase the risk of developing esophageal cancer. At the same time, the standard temperature for serving tea or coffee in restaurants, for example, is much higher 8285 degrees. Researchers consider the danger so great that they even included hot drinks in the list of carcinogens along with fried foods and processed meats.

More medical discoveries in the video "".

Advances in science and technology have changed our lives beyond recognition in recent decades. The changes affected not only how we communicate, receive information, and do business, but also the medical sphere.

You can easily find those who are dissatisfied with these changes: people complain that we have begun to communicate less live, devoting more time to communicating on social networks, talking on mobile phones.

However, these same achievements have compressed, figuratively speaking, our global world space to the size of a small city.

Humanity has received a unique opportunity to quickly exchange information in the medical field, having received powerful tools for controlling and combating various diseases. And in recent years, these changes have continued to accelerate as never before.

Have you heard about the latest advances in genetics that can stop aging? And how do you like the news that a truly effective remedy for the common cold has finally been found? Finally, what can you say about the possibility of diagnosing many cancers at the earliest stages of development, when the disease can still be stopped?

These achievements were preceded by long years (and even decades) of hard work. And in 2017, many of the tasks facing humanity were solved (or serious steps were taken to solve them).

We bring to your attention ten significant achievements of medical science over the past year, which are sure to have a significant impact on our lives in the very near future.
Scientists have created an artificial uterus that allows the development of the so-called very preterm infants for about one month. So far, the invention has been tested on eight premature lambs.

Future lambs were removed from the uterus of sheep prematurely, at the beginning of the second half of pregnancy, by transferring them to artificial wombs. The animals continued to develop, showing normal growth until their "second birth", which was carried out four weeks later.

An artificial uterus is essentially a sterile plastic bag filled with artificial amniotic fluid. The umbilical cord of the fetus is attached to a special mechanical device that provides the developing organism with nutrients, and also saturates the blood with oxygen (a kind of analogue of the placenta).

Normal intrauterine development of a human embryo occurs at approximately 40 weeks. However, thousands and thousands of babies are born prematurely all over the world every year.

However, many of them spend less than 26 weeks in the womb. About half of the babies survive. Many of the survivors have cerebral palsy, mental retardation, and other pathologies.

An artificial womb adapted for the development of a human embryo should give these preterm babies a chance for normal development.

Its task is to ensure the possibility of a longer "ripening" in an environment similar to that in the woman's uterus. The creators of the artificial womb plan to move on to testing on human embryos in the next five years.

First pig-human hybrid

One way to create a chimera is to transplant an organ from one animal into the body of another. However, this path leads to a high risk of rejection of the foreign organ by the second body.

Another way to create a chimera is to start making changes at the embryonic level by introducing cells from one animal into the embryo of another, after which they develop together.

The first experiments on the creation of a chimera led to the successful development of rat cells inside a mouse embryo. The mouse embryo underwent a genetic change that resulted in the formation of the rat's pancreas, eyes, and heart, which developed quite normally. And only after these experiments, scientists decided to conduct similar experiments with the cells of the human body.

It is known that pig organs are very similar to human organs, which is why this animal was chosen as the recipient (that is, the host organism). Human cells were introduced into porcine embryos at an early stage of development. Then the hybrid embryos were implanted into surrogate sows, where they developed for almost a whole month. After that, the embryos were removed for detailed study.

As a result, scientists managed to grow 186 chimeric embryos, in which the initial stages of the formation of such important organs as the heart and liver were recorded.

This means the hypothetical possibility of growing human organs and tissues inside other species. And this is the first step towards growing organs in the laboratory that can save thousands of patients, many of whom die before transplantation.

The body of one species of frog, relatively recently discovered in South India, was covered with mucus, which is able to resist influenza infection.

In the fluid secreted by the skin of this frog, molecules containing amino acids connected by peptide bonds (that is, peptides) were found. They serve as protection against influenza infection.

Scientists tested the peptides of this Indian frog, finding that only one of them, later named "Urumin", has antimicrobial and antiviral properties, and is able to protect against influenza. It is noteworthy that the name of the traditional Indian sword-belt - urumi - was taken as the basis.

As is known, the lipid envelope of each influenza virus strain contains such surface proteins as hemagglutinin and neuraminidase. Virus strains are named for the combination of each protein they contain. For example, H1N1 contains a combination of hemagglutinin H1 and a combination of neuraminidase N1.

The most common strain of seasonal influenza virus contains the H1 combination. Urumin, as a result of laboratory tests, has demonstrated the ability to effectively destroy each type of H1 virus combination; and even those types that have developed resistance to modern antiviral drugs.

The impact of modern medicines, which are now being treated for influenza, is directed to the glycoprotein neuraminidase, which mutates much more often than hemagglutinin. A new drug that acts on hemagglutinin will be effective protection against many strains of the influenza virus, becoming the basis for a universal vaccine against this disease.

Major medical advances in 2017

This deadly form of skin cancer has a high mortality rate, as it leads to the rapid formation of metastases that spread throughout the body and affect internal organs (for example, the lungs and brain).

Cancer cells spread throughout the body because, as a result of a process called transcription, on the DNA template, RNA and certain proteins are synthesized and transformed into a malignant tumor - melanoma. The chemical substance in question in this discovery, however, has demonstrated the ability to successfully interrupt this cycle.

Simply put, this substance is able to interrupt the transcription process. Thanks to this preventive measure, it will be possible to stop the aggressive spread of cancer. As a result of laboratory tests, it has already been possible to come to the conclusion that the test substance is able to successfully stop the spread of cancer in 90% of cases.

Several years of clinical trials on people suffering from melanoma separate us from the creation of a medical product based on this substance.

However, researchers are already expressing a fair amount of optimism about the possibilities of a future drug. In addition to melanoma, the drug will be tested on other cancers to see if it can be a potential treatment.

Erasing bad memories

Scientists have been working on solving this problem for many years. But only recently, a group of researchers from the University of California at Riverside (USA), studying the effect of stressful situations on human memory, made an amazing discovery. They focused their attention on the neural pathways that create memories and allow us to access them.

When traumatic events occur, the strongest neural connections are that provide access to bad memories, rather than to all others. That is why it is often easier for people to remember the details of some tragedy that happened years ago than, for example, what they ate for breakfast today.

In their experiments on experimental mice, scientists from the aforementioned university turned on a high-frequency sound while simultaneously hitting the rodents with an electric discharge. Soon, as expected, this high-frequency sound made the mice literally freeze in horror.

However, the researchers were able to weaken the connection between neurons that made the mice remember their fear at the moment the high-frequency sound was turned on.

To do this, scientists used a technique called optogenetics. As a result, mice no longer experience fear of high-frequency sound. In other words, their memories of the traumatic event were erased.

An important aspect of this study is the fact that only necessary memories can be erased. In this way, people can forget their bad memories without forgetting how to lace up their shoes.

You can't envy a person who gets bitten by an Australian funnel-web spider that lives in an agricultural region of Australia called the Darling Downs.

The poison of this spider can kill within 15 minutes. However, the same poison contains one ingredient that is able to protect brain cells from the destruction caused by a stroke.

When a person has a stroke, there is a violation of the blood supply to the brain, which begins to experience oxygen starvation.

Pathological changes occur in the brain, as a result of which acid is produced that destroys brain cells. Molecules of the Hi1a peptide, found in the venom of the Australian spider, are able to protect brain cells from destruction provoked by a stroke.

As part of the experiments, a stroke was induced in experimental rats, and two hours later they were injected with a drug containing the Hi1a peptide. As a result, the degree of damage to the brain of rodents was reduced by 80 percent.

In a repeat experiment, the drug was administered eight hours after the stroke. The degree of damage in this case was reduced by 65 percent.

At the moment, there is no drug that would preserve brain cells after a stroke. One treatment is surgery to remove the blood clots.

In the treatment of hemorrhagic stroke, bleeding is controlled surgically. There is not a single drug to reverse the process. If Hi1a proves to be successful in human trials, it could drastically reduce the number of stroke victims.

Humanity is one step closer to a drug that can reverse the aging process. Animal tests have already proven its effectiveness in the treatment of aging. Human trials are currently in the process of implementation.

Our cells have the ability to repair themselves, but this property is lost as our body ages.

Critical to the recovery process is a specific metabolite called NAD+ that is present in every cell.

A group of researchers from the University of New South Wales (Australia) conducted tests on experimental mice, which used nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN drug), which increases the number of NAD + molecules.

After administration of the drug to old mice, they showed an improved ability to repair damaged cells. After only a week of treatment with NMN, the cells of the old mouse functioned as well as those of the younger mice.

At the end of the experiment, mice were exposed to doses of radiation. The mouse previously treated with NMN showed less cell damage compared to the non-treated mouse.

Also, a lesser degree of cell damage was noted in the experimental individual, which was injected with the drug after exposure to radiation. The results of the research allow us to count not only on the fact that humanity will learn to reverse the aging process: the treatment can be used for other purposes.

Astronauts are known to undergo premature aging due to exposure to cosmic radiation. The body of people who often fly in airplanes is also more likely to be exposed to radiation. The treatment can also be applied to children who have been cured of cancer: their cells also undergo premature aging, which leads them to many chronic diseases (for example, Alzheimer's disease up to 45 years and so on).

Achievements of medical science that will turn the world upside down

Detection of cancer at the earliest stage

To detect these tumors, scientists propose a new diagnostic technique in which a light-emitting substance is injected into the patient's blood. A team of scientists from Rutgers University used nanoparticles that emit short-wavelength infrared light in their research.

The purpose of these "luminous" nanoparticles in this experiment is the following: the detection of cancer cells in the process of moving through the patient's body. In the earliest stages of the study, experiments were carried out, as usual, on experimental mice.

Thanks to the introduction of nanoparticles into a mouse with breast cancer, scientists were able to accurately track the spread of cancer cells throughout the rodent's body, finding them in its paws and adrenal glands.

The method of diagnosing cancer using nanoparticles makes it possible to detect a cancerous tumor months before the disease can be diagnosed using the vitamin C method, cough decoctions and teas, various drugs that can be bought without a prescription at any pharmacy. Despite this, the saying remains relevant, according to which “a cold, if treated, disappears in a week; and if not treated - in seven days.

However, it seems that the situation will soon change. Many viruses can cause colds; Rhinovirus is the most common virus responsible for 75 percent of infections. Scientists from the University of Edinburgh Napier (Scotland) at the very beginning of last year, as part of the study of certain antimicrobial peptides, came to an interesting discovery.

A group of scientists managed to synthesize peptides that showed the highest efficiency in the treatment of rhinovirus, completely destroying it.

Initially, these peptides were identified in pigs and sheep. Work is currently underway to enhance the effectiveness of future anti-cold drugs, which will include synthesized peptides.

Genetic editing of a human embryo

For the experiment, donor sperm was used with a genetic mutation that causes cardiomyopathy (a disease that causes weakening of the heart, rhythm disturbances, valve problems and heart failure).

This sperm was used to fertilize a donor egg, and then, using gene editing techniques, they made changes to the mechanism of mutation. Scientists figuratively described this procedure as "microscopic surgery on a mutated gene."

This operation led to the fact that the embryo itself "repaired" the damaged gene. The editing technique has already been applied to 58 embryos, and the gene mutation has been successfully corrected in 70 percent of cases.

Scientists consider the fact that the correction did not lead to random mutations of other DNA sections (unlike earlier experiments) to be an important point. Despite the success of the procedure, so far no one was going to grow children from “adjusted” embryos. First, more research is needed.

In addition, opponents of genetic modification have expressed their concern about certain circumstances. Intervention in the DNA of the embryo will be reflected in future generations; thus, any mistake that may be made as a result of the gene editing procedure may eventually lead to a new genetic disease.

There is also an ethical problem - such experiments can lead to the cultivation of "artificial children", where parents can choose the character traits of a child before birth, assigning him the desired physical characteristics.

Scientists, in turn, said that they are guided by the desire to find ways to prevent genetic diseases, and not by trying to create people to order. It is already obvious that at the embryonic stage, pathologies such as Huntington's disease, cystic fibrosis, as well as ovarian and breast cancer caused by the BRCA gene mutation can be prevented.

The site provides reference information for informational purposes only. Diagnosis and treatment of diseases should be carried out under the supervision of a specialist. All drugs have contraindications. Expert advice is required!

​We are no longer surprised when the revolutionary discoveries of medicine quickly become applied in practice and make it possible to preserve the most valuable thing we have - health. What has medical science accomplished this year?

Discovery 1. Medicines in nanocapsules
In the new century, the world pharmaceutics sets itself the daunting task of changing the usual forms of drugs. Tablets should act instantly, pointwise and without side effects. This year, Russian scientists from Tomsk Polytechnic University (TPU) have also joined the global trend. In the new laboratory of TPU, preparations for a joint study with representatives of the International Association of Russian-Speaking Scientists (RASA) have begun. Scientists will develop technologies for controlled delivery of drugs to the patient's body.

We are talking about spherical microscopic nanocapsules. Their size is comparable to erythrocytes - red blood cells. Once in the body, nanocapsules carry out targeted delivery of the drug to the organ that needs to be cured. Then the capsule opens, and the contents fall directly on the affected area. The scheme of action is as follows: doctors take the patient's blood, add nanocapsules with the drug inside it, and then inject the patient's native blood back. The body does not perceive it as something foreign and does not give an immune response to treatment.

Scientists in Germany and a number of other countries are currently developing chemical targeted drug delivery. Scientists from Tomsk focused on the physical methods of delivery of nanocapsules and the development of remotely controlled systems with which the doctor can direct the drug to a specific point. The new technology will greatly facilitate the treatment of blood clots in cardiovascular diseases, including stroke and myocardial infarction. In the treatment of diabetes, a nanocapsule with insulin can be directed to the area where the largest amount of sugar is concentrated.

Discovery 2. New painkillers for childbirth
It seems that soon the walls of maternity hospitals will not hear the painful cries of expectant mothers. Scientists from the University of South Australia have found a way to ease childbirth and save women from pain with the help of ... a nasal spray. The innovative drug is based on the analgesic fentanyl, which is as effective as pethidine, which is used as an anesthetic during childbirth. However, the nasal spray is much more convenient to use and starts to work faster than injections. Moreover, according to doctors, the pethidine formula is already outdated. "It takes some time for pethidine to start working. In addition, it takes a long time to be eliminated from the body of the mother and child. Fentanyl works faster, more efficiently and with fewer side effects," Julie Fleet, the author of the technique, commented on the mechanism of action of the new spray.

The new tool has already been tested in action. Mothers in labor expressed their approval of the life-saving spray. Scientists are confident that in the near future pain relief with the help of an innovative tool will become a routine procedure, about the same as treating a common cold. And at the same time a worthy alternative to epidural anesthesia.

Discovery 3. Sperm Motor
The problem of infertility is so urgent all over the world that scientists are developing fantastic ways to solve it. For example, researchers from Germany have proposed a way to increase sperm motility so that they have time to fertilize an egg. Slow spermatozoa will be hurried by special "pushers" - engines. They are microscopic spirals attached to the tails of spermatozoa. Having accelerated with the help of such a "motor", the spermatozoa will successfully be able to reach the target. The know-how has already been tested in the laboratory, but so far its use is applicable only for in vitro fertilization. Scientists hope that in the near future they will be able to apply their invention in the natural conditions of the female body.

Discovery 4. Human head transplant
When we read the novel "Professor Dowell's Head", we did not dare to imagine that we would witness ... a head transplant to a person. And this is no fantasy, but a real achievement of this year. It all started, of course, with a monkey. Chinese neurosurgeon Xiaoping Ren reported earlier this year that he was able to transplant a head into a mammal and still keep the brain intact. According to the scientist, the monkey underwent surgery without neurological damage and lived for 20 hours. Then, of course, she was euthanized for ethical reasons. And scientists, inspired by the success of their Chinese colleague, went further.

And now the Italian surgeon Sergio Cavero plans to carry out a revolutionary operation to transplant a human head in December 2017. Valery Spiridonov, a programmer from Russia, agreed to participate in the project under the symbolic name "Heaven". A 30-year-old man suffers from Werding-Hoffman disease, which leaves him confined to a wheelchair. The disease progresses every year, so Valery is not even afraid of the possibility that the operation may fail and end sadly for him. Now among neurosurgeons there are serious disputes. Some believe that hypothetically a head transplant is possible, but they are not sure of success, while others consider all this to be nothing more than a gamble. Which of them is right, we will soon find out.

Discovery 5. Lung transplant from an adult to a child
Russian traumatologists completed the year with a grandiose success. Federal Scientific Center for Transplantology and Artificial Organs named after A.I. Academician V. I. Shumakov of the Ministry of Health of Russia managed to successfully transplant a lung from an adult to a child suffering from cystic fibrosis. Prior to this, there was no such practice in the country. Transplantation of a 13-year-old girl was performed according to the original technique of bilateral lobar transplantation. It lasted about 10 hours, and 18 hours after the operation, the child was able to breathe on his own.

Despite the fact that a lung transplant does not completely eliminate the disease and medications will have to be taken for the rest of their lives, for children this is a real chance to live a full life and experience all the delights of childhood. Babies with cystic fibrosis, after treatment, will be able to enjoy simple things - play outside, go to school and, most importantly, breathe deeply.

Discovery 6. Robot assistant

This year, for the first time in Russia, the operation on the abdominal aorta was assisted by the Da Vinci robot surgeon. The operation of femoral bypass surgery by laparoscopic method was performed by specialists of the Novosibirsk Research Institute of Circulatory Pathology named after N.N. E. N. Meshalkina. It consists in installing a prosthesis (shunt) inside a blood vessel in order to restore blood circulation in the lower extremities. Usually, a more traditional method is used for these purposes, without the involvement of a robotic assistant. But in this case there were a number of contraindications to a conventional operation. The operated patient, in addition to narrowing in the abdominal part of the aorta, suffered from obesity, which made access difficult and threatened with a number of complications in the postoperative period.

The robotic operation made it possible to minimize trauma, blood loss, pain and postoperative complications. The patient was fitted with a double-branch prosthesis, through which blood passes directly from the abdominal aorta to the arteries of the thighs, bypassing the narrowing area, which is turned off from the general circulation. This technique is used only in a few medical centers around the world, and in Russia this is generally the first such case.

Discovery 7. Placebo works!
Doctors have long known the placebo effect, but what Israeli researchers managed to prove deserves the title of discovery of the year. It turns out that pacifiers work not only when people are not aware that they are taking a placebo, but also when they are informed that they are not taking a drug. The experiment of Israeli scientists involved 97 people who suffered from chronic lower back pain. One group took only drugs, others were given extra cellulose tablets labeled "dummy." Those who drank, in addition to conventional drugs, also placebo, noted 9-16% more successful treatment than those who drank only drugs. Thus, it was possible to expand the concept of the placebo effect and confirm that pacifiers work even for those who know what they are taking. That is, the effect depends not only on the patient's belief in the reality of the medication being taken. This discovery has puzzled scientists who intend to continue their research to understand what is really behind the placebo effect.

Discovery 8. Schizophrenia is not a sentence
It would seem that psychiatrists have just dispelled the established opinion that schizophrenia is a sentence for a normal human life. And now there is new encouraging data on obtaining even more effective methods of treatment. The discovery in the study of one of the most mysterious diseases of mankind belongs to American geneticists, who managed to determine the biological cause of schizophrenia. Experts have identified the very gene of innate immunity responsible for mental disorders. And they tested their discovery on 65,000 participants in the experiment. It turned out that when the gene is too active, it begins to destroy very important neural connections in the human brain. Now that the culprit has been caught red-handed, doctors will be able to treat the very cause of schizophrenia, rather than its symptoms.

Discovery 9. Surgery to install a heart valve through a neck puncture
Russian surgeons from the Tomsk Research Institute of Cardiology for the first time in the world performed an operation to install a heart valve through a neck puncture in a child. Previously, such manipulations were carried out only by adults. I had to go on an experiment for several reasons. Prior to this, the child had already undergone valve replacement surgery, but he stopped functioning properly. Considering that the classical operation is complicated, requires a large amount of drugs for anesthesia, and the child was in a serious condition, and besides, this was not his first operation, it was decided to take a risk. Everything went well, and the child was discharged from the hospital after a few weeks. Now nothing threatens his health, a long and fulfilling life.