In operating rooms, doctors can now direct robotic codes with a precision of a few nanometers and operate on patients remotely from computer screens.
Genetic laboratories equipped with DNA splicing enzymes – just a polypeptide chain sequence – can work wonders. The entire genetic makeup of humans can be translated into understandable genetic code.
Medical Biotechnology has advanced by leaps and bounds in the last few years. In this article, we set out to list some of the breakthroughs of biotechnology in medicine.
3. Targeted Cancer Therapies
Standard chemotherapies are toxic to healthy cells. Targeted cancer therapies are drugs that work to minimize damage to healthy cells either by interfering with the function of specific molecules or by targeting only known cancerous cells. According to the National Cancer Institute, “Eventually, treatments could be personalized based on the unique molecular targets produced by a patient’s tumor.”
4. 3D Visualization for Surgery
Surgery is brutal on the human body and medical breakthroughs that make the healing process more efficient are always welcome. Biotechnology has now made it possible for doctors to view an entire 3D image of the inside of a patient’s body using MRI and CT scans. Furthermore, augmented reality will allow relevant information to be displayed directly superimposed on the relevant body parts.
5. HPV vaccine
Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) is one of the causative agents of cervical cancer. It is the second most deadly cancer in women. Therefore, a successful HPV vaccine is considered a major medical achievement. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved some PV vaccines for use in women between the ages of 9 and 26.
6. Face Transplant
Face transplantation is the process of using skin grafts to replace all or part of a patient’s face with that of a donor. The first partial face transplant was performed in 2005 in Amiens, France. The next successful face transplant was performed five years later in Spain; this was also the first full face transplant. The transplant patient, whose face had been badly damaged in an accident, received a new nose, lips, teeth and cheekbones in a 24-hour operation.
7. CRISPR
Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR), which we have covered in more detail in previous newsletters, is a relatively new gene editing system that has been hailed as a groundbreaking tool in medical research. By actively testing newly found mutations, researchers can continuously keep pace with genetic mutations to correct targeted therapies
8. 3D Printed Organs
Artificial limbs have been used for centuries and there has been a continuous improvement in the mobility and versatility of bionic limbs. Now new advances in bionic technology and 3D printing have taken it even further. It has made it possible to artificially construct internal organs such as hearts, kidneys and livers. Doctors have been able to successfully implant them in individuals in need.
9. Nerve Regeneration
Nerve damage from neurodegenerative disease and spinal cord injury is known to be largely irreversible. However, researchers have made significant progress in synthesizing rare enzymes that promote the regeneration and growth of injured nerve cells. Neurotrophins are proteins that promote the development of neurons. They are a series of small molecular chains with strong neurotrophic properties. While these neurotrophins have some of the shortcomings of protein-based agents, researchers are pursuing this as a possible pathway for nerve regeneration.
10. Technology to Translate Brain Signals into Speech
Scientists are trying to develop a device that can translate brain signals into voice speech using a voice synthesizer. This would serve as an incredible tool in communicating with individuals paralyzed by disease or traumatic injuries. Scientists have also found that they can use these devices in epileptic patients to isolate the source of their seizures.
Reference: https://explorebiotech.com