Zombies, pills for the elderly and GMOs. Major medical discoveries in 2018

In the summer, US doctors reported a successful laboratory experiment in the growth and transplantation of lungs derived from bioengineering. Simplified, it looks like this: the animals took their own cells and grew their lungs. The organs were transplanted into four pigs. Experience has shown that the lungs are perfectly used and do not pose serious problems to their owners.

The attempts to grow lungs out of cells were made long ago, but scientists were facing a serious problem: these organs were poorly supplied with blood due to an underdeveloped vascular network. However, thanks to a new technique, this has been avoided.

The organs of bioengineering will allow a person to modify certain parts of the body according to the needs, without fearing the risk of rejection. This is still a long way off, but the results of the Americans' work are encouraging.

At the end of the year, sensational news spread around the world: The Chinese teacher announced the birth of the world's first genetically modified children, the girls Lulu and Nana. Thanks to doctors, they are no longer threatened by HIV infection because babies are innately immune to this terrible disease.

After the statement of the Chinese doctor, a series of events in which it is possible to film a spy thriller is followed. In the end, many do not believe in the accuracy of the experience.

– China is a very unusual and interesting country in which (unlike America, for example), there are no strict ethical controls regarding genetic experiments. There is no technological barrier to changing the genome. The catch is only ethical. But thanks to the modification of genes, humanity will be able to forget at least hereditary diseases, believes Alexander.

Long ago (according to medical standards), the "authors" of Dolly, the sheep, claimed that when people learn to clone monkeys, there will be no more obstacles to human cloning . Of course, except for the ethic.

And now – a breakthrough. And again from China. At the beginning of the year, some primates have been cloned successfully in this country. Previously, similar experiences had also occurred, but all cases resulted in the death of monkeys due to serious complications with their health condition. This time, everything is fine for the tested subjects, they do not complain about their illnesses and will not die.

The scientists who conducted the experiment are not opposed to cloning a person in about six years. It seems that only the violent resistance of the rest of the world, preoccupied by the moral side of the question, can prevent them.

The intervertebral discs are a layer between the vertebrae that provides cushioning during running and walking. Anomalies in their work are one of the common causes of back and neck pain. In severe cases, a person can not even breathe without acute pain.

Today, operations are performed on the splicing of vertebrae and the implantation of artificial prostheses. However, both methods lead to the limitation of human mobility. The decision is again for the bioengineering implant.

Americans raised an intervertebral disc from goat cells and transplanted it. It is a large animal whose spine is about the size of a human being. As a result, the goat showed no sign of reduced mobility. The spine as new! Excellent result, but far from the experiences with people.

Multiple sclerosis is a terrible disease, unlike the name that has nothing to do with so-called senile sclerosis. The bottom line is as follows. In order to give order to this or that movement, the brain sends impulses through the nerve fibers. Through the same fibers, the impulses go to the brain, through which we perceive the outside world. The impulses must run very fast, for this, the processes of the neurons are wrapped in a special adipose tissue – the myelin sheath. If without this, the signals travel at a speed of 1 m / s, then with that, 100 m / s.

In multiple sclerosis, the myelin sheath is destroyed by the immune system. The cause of the disease has not yet been reliably established, but it is thought that it is somehow related to the Epstein-Barr virus. The immune system probably wants to fight this virus, but for some reason it attacks the myelin sheath. The patient's visual acuity decreases, coordination is disrupted, sleep is lost, various mental disorders are observed.

The symptoms may be slow, but overall, the disease is still considered incurable. This is "at the moment" because in November, scientists reported encouraging results of immune treatment aimed at destroying the Epstein-Barr virus in nerve tissue. The people who participated in the study did not just stop the development of multiple sclerosis – the disease began to recede!

– It is thought that when humanity overcomes cancer, the last fortress will remain autoimmune – the hardest and most difficult to treat of the disease. And it turned out that immunotherapy can in principle affect autoimmune diseases. This is a major breakthrough that we could never have dreamed of before!

Cancer remains the scourge of humanity. Already today, oncology does not sound like a sentence, but there is a chance that the terrible misfortune can soon get rid of it.

In October, it was learned that the Nobel Prize for Medicine was awarded to American James Pi Ellison and Japanese Tasuku Hongjo. Learn more about their discovery here. In short, scientists have learned to "trick" cancer cells that, after treatment, are not able to prevent the immune system from destroying them.

The discovery was made in the 1990s. The scientific community had long been waiting for an event of such an era to be judged on its merits. And here, the Nobel Committee "has given the green light". This is a kind of recognition that cancer immunotherapy has actually brought revolutionary changes in oncology.

– I am sure that in 10 years, such medicine will wait for us, that we will remember the horror of 2018 and we will ask how we could live like this. In Belarus, in my opinion, such therapy will be available in 3-5 years.

Parkinson's disease usually affects the elderly. A curved silhouette, a tremor, a slow walk with small steps are one of the obvious manifestations of the disease. Most often, it occurs after the death of certain neurons responsible for the production of dopamine, which plays an important role in the transmission of signals between brain cells.

In November, Japan announced the start of stem cell treatment trials for Parkinson's disease. Previous animal experiments have shown that the introduction of stem cells into a specific area of ​​the brain leads to their transformation into neurons, which begin to produce dopamine again.

Today, the symptoms of the disease are successfully removed with the help of electrodes implanted in the brain. However, this operation is rather dangerous and not always predictable.

And now it is the time of people. The Japanese conducted a similar procedure on seven patients with Parkinson's disease. It remains to wait for the results, but the doctors are inspired. They are convinced that it will not be the suppression of the symptoms, but the complete cure and the elimination of the very cause of the disease.

– In the 1990s, there was a similar technique, but at that time, they had not yet learned to "clean" stem cells. As a result, the experiments have had disastrous consequences in oncology. The Japanese have taken into account the shortcomings and now promise treatment without complications. By the way, a similar study will take place in Belarus this year.

Hunter's disease is due to an inappropriate metabolism of fats and carbohydrates. These patients have a specific appearance: coarse features, sparse teeth, thick skin, low voice. They often have SARS.

In 2017, scientists altered the genome of a person with signs of Hunter syndrome. Alas, the experience has not resulted in an improvement. However, a year later, the treatment was changed and clinical trials were much more successful. They are currently in progress.

Imagine such an image: a computer board with a mix of different human tissues is on the table. This sounds like a mean, but it is an interesting and important novelty for the entire medical sector.

In the spring, the Mbadachusetts Institute of Technology introduced the so-called "organism on a chip" – a set of cells of various organs applied to a microchip (brain, lungs, liver, heart, uterus, intestines, kidneys, pancreas, skin skeletal muscles).

Why do you need it? All this to study the effect of new drugs on different organs. For example, scientists can ensure that the heart medication does not affect the liver and kidneys. All information is displayed in real time on the computer to which the chip is connected.

Aging is one of the main "problems" of humanity. One of the leading specialists in gerontology is Britain's Aubrey De Gray, the author of the SENS concept ("The Strategy for Achieving Negligible Aging by Engineering Methods"). The scientist has identified seven types of damage that, along with age, are characteristic of the diseases of the elderly: atherosclerosis, cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer's disease, etc. It is thought that by affecting each of the seven injuries, humanity will learn to inhibit the mechanisms of aging and even rejuvenate the body.

Clinical trials under the SENS concept have been conducted for a long time. These include stem cell transplantation. But another crucial step is the destruction of senescent cells, also known as zombie cells.

The normal life cycle of any cell in the body ends with apoptosis – programmed self-destruction. However, for some of them, the self destruct mechanism does not work. In such particles, there are two ways: some begin to divide uncontrollably and develop into tumors, while others freeze in some current state. The first is found and quickly destroyed by a healthy immune system. But zombie cells secrete certain biologically active substances that poison healthy cells nearby. Senescent cells accumulate at an early age and eventually lead to various inflammatory processes and age-related diseases.

Since the last century, doctors have been testing and studying senolithic – various drugs that destroy and excrete zombie cells. In 2018, the United States finally began testing such "drugs for old age" in humans. Senolitic is injected into the cavity of the patient with osteoarthritis of the knee. The complex anti-aging effect can not be obtained in this way, but at least the point efficiency of the preparations will be visible.

What to expect from 2019

This year, we will pursue a very large number of studies – you will not list them all. Alexander has identified five interesting and significant events.

It is expected that this year the Japanese medicine that will cure the flu in one day will go on sale. Drink a pill – and the flu virus in the body is gone! A license for the distribution of the miracle drug has already been awarded to the Swiss pharmacology company Roche.

But there is a nuance. The drug kills most flu viruses almost instantly. However, the human body still triggers an immune response to the infection, so that the symptoms of the disease can not be avoided – for five days, a virtually healthy person will sneeze and will work with fever. But you can not worry about the infection of others and the symptoms will be easier.

This year will be large-scale testing of the gel for male contraception. Rub it on the shoulders and palms – that 's all, not kids! This method promises to be safe, simple and without long term effect. Also in 2019, they will begin testing pills that can replace physical exercise. A pill instead of an hour of workout at the gym? Why not!

Another old disease, for the treatment of which doctors are closely taken. They are about to begin clinical trials on people using technology that can restore cerebrospinal fluid circulation. This should contribute to the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. In all cases, animal testing has shown extraordinary results with complete recovery.

The Japanese are considering starting human trials on so-called cardiac patches. The stem cells will be applied to the skeleton and then placed on the affected areas of the heart (for example, after a heart attack). Total restoration expected of damaged tissues.

At the present time, even the most futuristic prostheses read movements from the remains of muscles. By 2019, the first artificial hands should appear, which will be controlled directly by the nervous system. If possible, they will be minimally lower than the natural limbs.

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