7Reversing The Aging Process
Following in the footsteps of their contemporaries in the skin care and bogus superfood industries, a group of scientists have discovered a chemical in the blood of young people that could have a significant impact on the debilitating effects of old age. This wasn’t some one-off, nutjob study, either—three separate groups all came to the same conclusions in experiments with mice. In the research, transfusions of young blood reversed age-related deterioration of memory, learning, brain function, muscle strength, and stamina. Maybe Elizabeth Bathory wasn’t so crazy after all.
Two of the groups even claimed to have identified the single chemical which was responsible for this age-reversing effect. Since the studies were done on mice, it still remains to be seen whether it will also work for people, but the researches are confident that it could. Clinical trials are expected to begin in a few years, potentially paving the way for a genuine anti-aging injection.
6Next-Gen Medication Monitoring
No matter how far we come as a people, the incredible forgetfulness and laziness of humanity will always prevail. Medication is an extremely important part of many people’s health, and forgetting to take it can be dangerous, even deadly. In a development which some will see as incredible and others will see as a frightening step too far, an electronic system which will monitor your medication is now available. Tiny sensors and a skin patch will keep tabs on you, making sure you never miss another pill.
If constant monitoring isn’t your style, they have more advantages. The system can also track the body’s response to said medication, giving you and your physician details on how your body is reacting, so if anything goes wrong you’ll be able to rectify it immediately.
5Giving A Bit of Heart
The heart and its health are key to a long, rich life. The biggest cause of death in the United States isn’t AIDS or any kind of cancer, it’s heart disease. Heart disease kills approximately one million Americans each year, equating to about one person passing away every 33 seconds. It is also a huge killer across the rest of the world. It’s the number one cause of death in Australia, claiming a life every 12 minutes, as well as in the UK, where it is responsible for a quarter of the deaths each year.
However, scientists recently managed to transplant a genetically modified pig heart into a baboon and have it function perfectly for over a year. This research gives the medical world hope that one day animals will be able to provide an endless supply of animal hearts (and other organs) to transplant into humans, greatly increasing life expectancy.
4Reducing Disabilities Caused By Stroke
Strokes are terrifying and often deadly. In cases where they don’t kill, strokes can leave the afflicted unable to perform basic tasks, greatly impacting their quality of life. Independence and autonomy are almost completely taken away, and sufferers are unable to control their body as they once could. Previously, there were very few treatment options for these people. But now, scientists have used a revolutionary new procedure to treat these horrific disabilities, giving hope to all of those affected—not to mention their friends and families.
By injecting stem cells into the brains of patients, researchers have managed to restore the ability to move their limbs and perform tasks that were previously impossible. The people involved see this as a very encouraging sign for stroke victims, who number close to a million per year in the US alone.
3Printing New Hearts
We’ve already gone over the monumental impact that heart disease has on the lives of humanity, as well as the importance of organ transplants to keep people alive. Well, with the increasingly innovative advent of 3–D printing, there are some in the field who believe that within only 10 years they’ll be able to print an entire “bioficial” heart. A group at the University of Louisiana has already taken huge steps toward fulfilling this prediction.
By utilizing fat cells and collagen, the team has managed to print working components of the human heart. They use the analogy of an airplane—a complex machine assembled in parts before being combined—to explain why they can’t just print an entire heart and why it instead must be done part by part. But with the ability to print the parts, 10 years seems a very reasonable time frame to expect the sum of these parts to be complete.
2Bionic Arms
Ever since the first cyborgs appeared in science fiction, scientists have been searching for a way to create bionic body parts. Doing so would immeasurably improve the lives of people with amputated limbs, and every bit of research gets us closer to understanding the intricate communication system between our brains and our muscles. And it looks like that all that effort is finally coming to fruition. The brain impulse-controlled prosthetic dubbed the DEKA arm is no ordinary attachment—it’s a genuine super gadget.
Invented by the same man who invented the Segway, the arm can perform such fine, delicate tasks as zipping up a coat, holding an egg without busting it, or unlocking a door using a key—tasks that even people with fully intact arms seem to struggle with sometimes. The bionic arm is also very adaptable, making it an option for people who were amputated at the shoulder, at the mid-lower arm, or the mid-upper arm. Unfortunately, those amputated at the hand or wrist won’t have the Skywalker arm available to them, at least for now.
1Suspended Animation
This one is so stereotypically sci-fi that the researchers involved don’t like to call it suspended animation. One of the leading surgeons at the hospital where it’s being developed prefers to call it “emergency preservation and resuscitation,” even though he admits that they are suspending life. Basically, the patient’s blood is replaced by a very cold saline solution which creates a kind of induced hypothermia, slowing all cellular activity to a near halt. In other words, it’s like flipping the slow-motion switch on the shutdown of the body’s vital systems, giving surgeons more time to fix the problem. According to the man who invented the technique, Peter Rhee, the patients aren’t necessarily alive during the procedure, but they’re not dead either.
In 2000, Rhee demonstrated this technique on pigs and it worked. The pigs suffered massive hemorrhages before they were suspended, then they were treated and “brought back to life.” In most cases, their hearts started again on their own with no loss of cognitive or physical function. Now, Rhee and his team just have to wait for the right human candidate. “After we did those experiments, the definition of dead changed,” says Rhee.
No comments:
Post a Comment