Biology & Medicine

B - Bio-printers

D - Deafness

L - Limb regeneration

M - Macular degeneration | Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) | Malaria

N - Nanobots

O - Organ transplants

S - Surgical sutures

T - Tooth regeneration

 

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Bio-printers

Scientists are developing 3D "bio-printers", a cutting-edge technology that will allow the creation of synthetic human tissue on demand. In the future, these machines could be used to print entire replacement organs, as well as being available for cosmetic procedures.*

 

 

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Deafness

Recent advances in stem cell research could provide a method of regenerating sensory cells within the inner ear. Humans are born with 30,000 cochlear and vestibular hair cells per ear. Unlike many animal species, they are unable to regenerate these if they are damaged. However, experiments with mice have shown that stem cells - along with reprogrammed fibroblasts - can be induced into creating replacement hair cells. If this process could be replicated in people, it could one day fully restore hearing. Scientists believe this could be achieved in a decade or so.*

Using the patient's own skin as a source of stem cells would mean that the replacements are a perfect genetic match for their body, avoiding issues of immune rejection. This form of therapy could also enable a variety of other ailments to be treated, such as balance disorders and tinnitus.

 

© Anita Potter | Dreamstime.com

 

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Limb regeneration

Within the next few decades, it may be possible for humans to regrow lost limbs. Scientists recently discovered a gene known as P21. This blocks cell cycle progression in the event of DNA damage, preventing cells from dividing and potentially becoming cancerous. By temporarily switching off this gene, adult mammalian cells can be induced to behave like regenerative embryonic stem cells.

If surgical treatments are developed, these would be applied transiently during the healing process and only locally at the wound site, minimising any side effects. Further into the future, spinal cords and even damaged brains may be capable of being regenerated.*

 

Credit: Spauln

 

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Macular degeneration

Macular degeneration is the leading cause of blindness in people aged 65 and older. In 2010, following clinical trials, it became possible to treat this condition using a miniature telescope implanted in the eye. Consisting of two lenses within a small glass tube, this works like a telephoto zoom lens. It combines with the cornea to project a magnified image of whatever the wearer is looking at over a large part of the retina. Only the central portion of the sufferer's vision is damaged by the disease, so magnifying the image on the eye allows the retinal cells outside the macula to detect light, refocus it, and redirect the information to the brain.*

Credit: VisionCare

 

 

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a medical imaging technique, most commonly used in radiology to visualise detailed internal structure and limited function of the body.

Present-day MRI scanners are so bulky that they fill entire rooms.* Scans typically require 30 minutes to create. They are also highly expensive: upwards of a million dollars for a state-of-the-art model, with each individual scan costing hundreds of dollars.

By the 2050s, experts believe that portable, handheld MRI scanners will be available.* This new generation of machines will have supersensitive atomic magnetometers - able to detect the tiniest magnetic fields - replacing the huge doughnut-shaped magnets that are currently used. Hi-res, 3D imaging of internal structures and brain activity would be possible in real-time video, using devices no bigger than a camera.

This will be accompanied by a hundredfold decrease in cost.* Healthcare programs in developing countries will benefit particularly from this.

 

© Katie Nesling | Dreamstime.com

 

 

Malaria

Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans, caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. It is widespread in tropical and subtropical regions, including much of Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and the Americas. This disease results from the multiplication of malaria parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache - in severe cases progressing to coma, and death. Malaria is responsible for over 2.2% of all deaths worldwide. Each year, there are more than 225 million cases, killing 781,000 people.

A widely-available vaccine that offers long-term, high levels of protection has yet to be developed. However, recent advances in gene research may offer new hope from a different angle. In 2010, scientists in the USA successfully engineered the first malaria-resistant mosquito. By introducing a gene that modified the insect's gut, the malaria parasites were prevented from developing. This gene also reduced the insects' lifespan.*

A further advance was made in 2011, when a gene modified against malaria was successfully spread throughout a whole population of mosquitoes. This was achieved in just a small number of generations. Inserting the gene produced an enzyme which split the mosquito DNA in two. The cell's repair machinery then used this gene as a "template" when repairing the cut. As a result, the gene was preserved and copied, with all sperm produced by a male mosquito subsequently carrying copies of it. In other words, all its offspring would have the gene.*

In the future, it is conceivable that widespread deployment of such a technology could result in the disease being largely eradicated from the world. Exactly how long this would take is unclear. There would also be concerns arising from the use of genetically modified organisms. In the coming years, however, once the risks have been assessed and the moral zeitgeist has moved forward, it seems highly likely that malaria will be consigned to the history books.

As well as genetic modification and research into a vaccine, "mosquito lasers" are being developed. These could be utilised in hospitals and other health-sensitive buildings, zapping the insects before they even land on people.*

 

Credit: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, United States Department of Health and Human Services

 

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Nanobots

Microscopic robots - measuring just a few nanometres across - are expected to be developed in the mid-2020s.* These tiny machines will be available for a variety of medical uses. Their size will enable them to reach places in the human body that were simply inaccessible before or too delicate for conventional instruments to operate on.

In the coming years, the most important breakthroughs will be in the treatment of cancer. Using nanobots, it will be possible to detect tumours earlier than ever before and to target them with far more precision. In the 2030s, 90% of cancers may be cured as a result of this. Even patients who would previously have been classed as terminally ill could routinely be saved. Monitoring of heart conditions, neurological disorders and many other illnesses would also improve dramatically. Combined with enormous strides in stem cell research, this would create a new generation of medical treatments reaching a whole new level of sophistication and efficiency.

The nanobots themselves will be built on a molecule-by-molecule basis, via positionally-controlled diamond mechanosynthesis and diamondoid nanofactories. Each robot will propel itself using tiny motors and will come equipped with microscopic sensing, guidance and communication devices.

 

 

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Organ transplants

As of 2011, it is already possible to grow individual tissues, tendons and cartilages from stem cells. By 2020, scientists expect to have fully characterised how every part of the heart works - enabling them to grow complete replacements for use in transplants.*

The need for external donors will be eliminated, and since the organ will be genetically matched to the patient, there will be no chance of rejection. Natural, living tissue is also far more flexible, sophisticated and efficient than artificially built components - so this new treatment will offer radical hope to millions of people affected by cardiovascular disease. Around 15m people currently die each year from heart-related conditions.

The economic benefits could be huge. A significant percentage of healthcare costs are attributable to organ failure, the recurring treatments for chronic diseases and their subsequent complications. This new regenerative medicine will effectively provide a cure, rather than ongoing treatment. Direct healthcare costs of organ replacement and associated care are currently over $350 billion globally (about 8 percent of global healthcare spending).

Other organs may be developed in the 2020s: lungs, livers, kidneys, spleens, stomachs and sexual organs could all be made available by the end of the decade. Internal organ failure will gradually become a thing of the past.

Combined with new vitrification techniques* (allowing organ banking without damage from ice crystal formation), this will be a major step towards longevity extension.

 

© Sebastian Kaulitzki | Dreamstime.com

 

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Surgical sutures

In the near future, doctors will no longer have to use a needle and thread to seal wounds. Pen-shaped devices are being developed that can do the job using lasers, in combination with a blood protein called albumin. Heated at just the right temperature, this forms a natural "glue" after the skin has cooled down. Using this method allows a wound to be stronger, water-tight, and less likely to scar than traditional stitches.*

 

 

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Tooth regeneration

Having been demonstrated in mice, bioengineered tooth regeneration may soon be available for humans. Using a combination of stem cells, scaffold material and signaling molecules, a fully functional and living tooth could be regrown in around two months - complete with roots, inner pulp and outer enamel.

Until now, dental implant therapies have required pre-existing high quality bone structures for supporting the artificial implants. Full reconstruction of natural, healthy teeth in patients without adequate bone support will therefore be possible. Fillings and dentures will become obsolete as a result, improving the health and well-being of many millions of people.*

 

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