The past year science has been very fruitful. Special progress scientists have made in the field of medicine. Mankind has made amazing discoveries, scientific breakthroughs and has created many useful medicines that will certainly will soon be freely available. We offer you to familiarize yourself with the ten most amazing medical breakthroughs of 2015 that are sure to make a serious contribution to the development of medical services in the near future.
Opening teensbikini
In 2014, the world health organization warned all that mankind has entered into the so-called postantibiotic era. And after all, she was right. Science and medicine since 1987 did not produce really new types of antibiotics. However, the disease does not stand still. Every year new infection, the more resistant to existing medicines. It became a real world problem. However, in 2015, scientists made a discovery that, in their opinion, will bring radical changes.
Scientists have discovered a new class of antibiotics in 25 antimicrobials, including very important, which received the name of the taikomochi. This antibiotic kills bacteria by blocking their ability to produce new cells. In other words, the microbes under the influence of this drug cannot evolve and develop with time a resistance to the drug. Taikomochi to date has proven to be highly effective against resistant Staphylococcus aureus and several bacteria that cause tuberculosis.
Teensbikini laboratory tests were carried out on mice. The vast majority of experiments have shown the effectiveness of the drug. Human trials should begin in 2017.
Doctors grow new vocal cords
One of the most interesting and promising areas in medicine is tissue regeneration. In 2015, the list is recreated artificial method bodies supplemented with a new paragraph. Doctors from the University of Wisconsin have learned how to grow human vocal chords virtually nothing.
A group of scientists led by Dr. Nathan Vilhena bioengineering method has created a fabric that is able to simulate the mucous membrane of the vocal cords, namely the fabric, which appears to be two petals ligaments that allow vibrating to create human speech. Cells donors, were then grown with new ligament were taken from five patients-volunteers. In laboratory conditions for two weeks scientists have grown the necessary fabric, and then added it to the artificial layout of the larynx.
Created received vocal cords the sound, the scientists describe how a metal and compare it with the sound of robotic kazoo (a toy wind musical instrument). However, scientists believe that they created the vocal cords in real conditions (i.e. when implanted in a living organism) would sound almost like the real thing.
In one of the latest experiments on laboratory mice grafted with human immune system, the researchers decided to test whether the rodent body will reject the new tissue. Fortunately, this did not happen. Dr. Welham sure that the fabric will not be rejected, and the human body.
A cancer drug can help patients with Parkinson’s disease
Tiesinga (or nilotinib) is a proven and approved remedy, which is usually used to treat people with symptoms of leukemia. However, a new study conducted by the medical center at Georgetown University, shows that the drug Tasing can be a very powerful tool for the control of motor symptoms in people with Parkinson’s disease, improving motor function and controlling non-motor symptoms of the disease.
Fernando pagan, one of the doctors who conducted this study, believes that nilotinib therapy may be the first of its kind is an effective method of reducing degradation of cognitive and motor functions in patients with neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease.
Scientists within six months were given increased doses of nilotinib 12 patients-volunteers. All 12 patients who underwent the test of the drug before the end, there was an improvement in motor functions. 10 of them reported significant improvement.
The main objective of this study was to check the security and safety of nilotinib on the human body. The used dose was much less than the dose that is usually given to patients with leukemia. Despite the fact that the drug proved its effectiveness, the study was conducted on a small group of people without the involvement of control groups. Therefore, before the Tasing will begin to use in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease, will have to do some more testing and research.
The world’s first 3D-printed chest
The last few years, 3D printing technology is penetrating into many spheres, leading to surprising discoveries, developments and new production methods. In 2015, doctors from the University hospital of Salamanca in Spain conducted the world’s first surgery to replace damaged breast cells of a patient to a new 3D-printed prosthesis.
The man suffered from a rare form of sarcoma and the doctors had no choice. To avoid the further spread of the tumor throughout the body, experts remove a person almost all of the sternum and the bones replaced with a titanium implant.
As a rule, implants for large bones made from different materials, which over time can wear out. In addition, replacing such a complex joint of bones, as the sternum bones, which, as a rule, unique in each separate case, asked the doctors to conduct a thorough scan of the sternum of the person to develop an implant of the desired size.
As a material for a new sternum it was decided to use titanium alloy. After conducting high-precision three-dimensional computed tomography, the researchers used the printer Arcam cost of 1.3 million dollars and created a new titanium rib cage. The operation to install a new sternum the patient was successful, and the man has completed a full course of rehabilitation.
From skin cells to brain cells
Scientists from the Californian Salk Institute in La JOLLA has devoted the past year to research the human brain. They have developed a method of transforming skin cells into brain cells and have already found several useful applications of the new technology.
It should be noted that scientists have found a way to turn skin cells in the old brain cells, which simplifies their use, for example, in studies of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s and their relationships with effects caused by aging. Historically, such studies were used the brain cells of animals, but scientists in this scenario were limited in their capabilities.
Relatively recently, scientists managed to turn stem cells into brain cells that can be used for research. However, this rather laborious process, and the output is a cell, not able to simulate the brain of an elderly person.
Once researchers have developed a method of creating an artificial brain cells, they directed their efforts to create neurons that would have the ability to production of serotonin. And although the resulting cells have only a tiny fraction of the capabilities of the human brain, they actively help scientists in research and finding cures for such diseases and disorders as autism, schizophrenia and depression.
Birth control pills for men
Japanese scientists from the research Institute for studies in microbial diseases in Osaka published a new scientific paper, according to which in the near future we will be able to produce effective contraceptive pill for men. In their work, scientists describe the study of drugs “Tacrolimus” and “Ciclosporin A”.
Usually these medications are used after operations on organ transplantation to suppress the immune system of the body, so that she did not rejected the new tissue. The blockade is due to the inhibition of the production of the enzyme calcineurin, which contains proteins and PPP3R2 PPP3CC usually present in the male seed.
In their study on laboratory mice, the scientists found that once the organisms in rodents are poorly PPP3CC protein, their reproductive function are drastically reduced. This led researchers to the conclusion that lack of this protein can lead to sterility. After more careful study, experts have concluded that this protein allows the sperm cells to the flexibility and necessary power and energy for penetration through the membrane of the egg.
The test healthy mice only confirmed their discovery. Only five days use of drugs “Tacrolimus” and “Ciclosporin And” would lead to the complete futility of mice. But their reproductive function had fully recovered only a week after they stopped giving these drugs. It is important to note that calcineurin is not a hormone, therefore the administration of drugs does not reduce libido and excitability of the body.
Despite promising results, it will take several years to create a real male birth control pills. About 80 percent of the studies in mice are not applicable to human cases. However, scientists continue to hope for success, as efficacy has been proven. In addition, similar products have already passed human clinical trials and widely used.
Printing DNA
The technology of 3D printing has led to the emergence of a unique new industry — printing and selling DNA. However, the term “seal” here is used for commercial purposes and does not necessarily describe what this field is really going on.
CEO of Cambrian Genomics explains that this process is best described by the phrase “check for errors”, rather than “print”. Millions of pieces of DNA are placed on a tiny metal substrate and scanned by computer, which selects those circuits that ultimately will have to compile the entire sequence of the DNA chain. Then the laser accurately cut the right connections and put in a new chain, pre-ordered customer.
Companies such as Cambrian, consider that in the future people will be able through special computer equipment and software to create new organisms just for fun. Of course, such assumptions will immediately arouse the righteous anger of the people doubting in ethical correctness and the practical benefits of this research and opportunities, but sooner or later, as we would have wanted or not wanted, we will come to it.
Now DNA print shows nemnogonado potential in the medical field. Drug manufacturers and research companies — here is a list of the first customers companies such as Cambrian.
Researchers from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden have gone further and began to create from the DNA chains of various figures. DNA origami, as they call it, may at first sight seem to be ordinary mischief, but the practical potential of using this technology is also available. For example, it can be applied to the delivery of medicines into the body.
Nanobots in a living organism
In early 2015 the field of robotics has won a great victory, when a group of researchers from the University of California in San Diego announced that conducted the first successful tests with the use of nanobots completed their task, being inside a living organism.
A living organism, in this case, performed laboratory mouse. After putting nanobots inside animals micromachines went to the stomachs of rodents and delivered the goods placed on them, which was made by microscopic particles of gold. By the end of the procedure, the scientists noted no damage to internal organs mice and thereby confirmed the usefulness, the safety and effectiveness of the nanobots.
Further tests showed that the nanobots brought the particles of gold remains in the stomachs of more than those that were just entered there with eating. This gave scientists the idea that nanobots in the future will be able to more effectively deliver the desired medication into the body than the more traditional methods of administration.
Motor chain of tiny robots consists of zinc. When it gets in contact with the acid-alkaline environment of the body, a chemical reaction occurs, which produces bubbles of hydrogen, which promote the nanobots inside. After some time, the nanobots simply dissolve in the acidic environment of the stomach.
Although this technology has been under development for almost a decade, only in 2015, scientists were able to conduct the actual tests in a live environment, rather than the usual Petri dishes, as was done many times before. In the future nanobots could be used to identify and even treat various diseases of the internal organs by the impact of drugs on individual cells.
Injection brain nanoimplants
A group of scientists from Harvard has developed an implant that promises the ability to treat a number of neurodegenerative disorders that lead to paralysis. The implant is an electronic device consisting of a universal frame (grid), which in the future will connect various nanodevices after inserting it into the patient’s brain. Thanks to the implant it will be possible to monitor the neural activity of the brain to stimulate certain tissues, as well as accelerate the regeneration of neurons.
Electronic mesh consists of conductive polymer threads, transistors or nanoelectrodes are interconnected intersections. Almost the entire area of the grid comprises openings that allows living cells to form new connections around it.
By the beginning of 2016 a team of scientists from Harvard still holds the test security using similar implant. For example, two mice were implanted into the brain of a device consisting of electrical components 16. The device successfully used for monitoring and stimulation of specific neurons.
Artificial production of tetrahydrocannabinol
For many years marijuana was used in medicine as an anaesthetic and in particular to improve the conditions of patients with cancer and AIDS. In medicine is also widely used synthetic substitute for marijuana, specifically its main psychoactive component, tetrahydrocannabinol (or THC).
However, the biochemistry from the Technical University of Dortmund announced the creation of a new type of yeast-like fungi, producing THC. Moreover, in unpublished data we know that these same scientists have created another type of yeast-like fungi that produces cannabidiol, another psychoactive component of marijuana.
Marijuana contains several molecular compounds to researchers. Therefore, the opening of an effective artificial way to create these components in larger quantities could bring medicine a huge favor. However, the usual method of plant cultivation and subsequent production of the necessary molecular compounds is now the most effective way. Inside 30 percent of the dry weight of the marijuana might contain THC desired component.
Despite this, Dortmund scientists are confident that we will be able to find a better and quicker way of THC extraction in the future. To date created by yeast fungus is grown repeatedly on the same molecule of the fungus is the preferred alternative in the form of simple sugars. All this leads to the fact that with each new batch of yeast decreases and the amount of free THC component.
In the future, scientists promise to optimize the process to maximize the production of THC and increase the scale up to industrial needs that eventually will satisfy the needs of medical research and European regulators who are looking for new ways to produce THC without growing the marijuana.