Science has helped us in ways we never would have imagined possible, as evidenced by the 15 most important medical discoveries of 2018. Can you think of a time when even contracting the flu would result in inevitable death? Science has come a long way from the days when reaching your 30s was considered to be an actual achievement and now, someone passing away in their 50s is considered to be a shock.
However, shocking as it may seem, some people are even against medical advancements. Their argument is that the drastic improvements in medicine have increased the life expectancy of people significantly, and thus, raised the burden on the world’s resources. And while this may be a cause for concern, we must admire the developments in medicine which have improved our quality of life so significantly. If you are curious about other scientific discoveries, you may find 16 accidental scientific discoveries and inventions made by mistake to be an interesting reading material.
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Every year, incredible medical discoveries are made, discoveries which have often seemed impossible and yet, thanks to the sheer hard work and dedication of scientists all over the world, many people in need got some relieve. Some of the major discoveries made this year include combating cancer while making breakthroughs in cures or treatments for mental illnesses as well.
To determine the most important medical discoveries of 2018, we visited various websites and read articles, which discussed some of the life-changing medical discoveries, including Interesting Engineering, ACACert, and Insider, selecting those discoveries, which appeared on most of the sources. While the medical world sees breakthroughs happening all the time, the ones mentioned on this list are liable to change the medical field forever. Without further ado, here are the most important medical discoveries of 2018, starting with number 15:
15. CRISPR Genome Editing
This breakthrough, made by the scientists at Salk Institute, makes use of CRISPR genome editing to target the diseases at a genetic level and while a full scale treatment is not yet available, an experiment showed that the method was successful in restoring a healthy level of proteins to the neurons which had been affected by the disease.
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14. Synthesized antibiotics
Nowadays, most of the people start to take antibiotics at the slightest hint of a sniffle, and then promptly abandons it at the slightest hint of recovery, which has allowed drug-resistant bacteria to develop. However, researchers at the Britain University of Lincoln have already successfully tested synthesized antibiotics in experiments on infected mice. While commercial availability is far away, the signs are still quite encouraging hence synthesized antibiotics ended up being one of the 15 most important medical discoveries of 2018.
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13. Brain implants
For patients suffering from Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s disease, perhaps one of the worst things they need to deal with is the loss of memory; in Alzheimer’s, it could go to the inability to even recognize your own family! However, thanks to the US Department of Defense, a breakthrough has been made with the help of a pacemaker which utilizes electrical pulses and could improve memories of the users by 15%.
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12. Cycling improves your health
While you may have thought of this one as obvious, considering that exercise has been considered healthy since time immemorial, a new study by British scientists states that cycling long distances regularly resulted in people in their 80s with immune systems which would rival that of a person in his 20s!
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11. Male contraceptive pills
While female contraceptive pills have dominated the markets, males often had to settle for harsher options, such as a vasectomy. Well, not anymore as a trial by the Endocrine Society in Chicago showed a promise for a male contraceptive pill, which would only have to be taken once a day for it to be effective.
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10. Death of viruses by UV rays
While UV rays have always been effective in killing viruses, they have had negative consequences for humans too. However, Far-UVC rays can kill viruses while having no consequences on the health of humans, as reported in a breakthrough study in an issue of Scientific Reports, which could result in significant advantages in the battle against viruses. What do you think, is this enough for claiming the spot among the most important medical discoveries of 2018?
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9. A smart-phone heart monitor
While there is no doubt you have seen several heart monitor apps, that technology fails to even compare with the product AliveCor and Mayo Clinic are developing together. Their AI system should be able to detect the levels of potassium in a person, and if they are at risk of sudden death.
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8. Fast acting depression drugs
Now that the world is starting to acknowledge depression as a serious mental illness and not just a burst of extreme sadness, drugs are being developed to combat the disease. A recent discovery showed that ketamine was extremely successful in treating depression, lifting it in just a few hours. However, the permanence of its effects is yet to be determined.
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7. Superglue stitches
Despite so many technological breakthroughs, we still use staples and stitches, or in other words, primitive technology to heal wounds. However, a newly invented superglue isn’t just flexible, it will also stick to wet areas as well, hence it is being perfect for bloody wounds. Scientists are currently finding a way to ensure it dissolves on its own as well.
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6. Vascepa reduces the risk of heart disease
In the US alone, over half a million die every year of heart disease; a figure which may decrease significantly after the introduction of Vascepa by Biotech Amarin, which can reduce the risk of heart disease by a whopping 25%!
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5. Migraine preventing injections
Anyone who has suffered from a migraine can tell you it’s one of the worst feelings in the world, and the treatment is practically non-existent. However, Amgen Inc. has recently come up with a monthly injection, Aimovig, which has the ability to prevent the frequency of migraines in the patients tested.
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4. Deep brain simulations help stroke patients
To combat the paralysis which often hits stroke victims, two doctors tested a DBS implant in the cerebellum of a stroke patient’s brain; a significant improvement was noted, giving hope to the belief that the paralysis may be reversed in due time.
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3. Ingestible sensors
Researchers belonging to RMIT University in Australia developed ingestible sensors which have the ability to track gases in your gut, thereby allowing scientists and doctors a look into your digestive system which was not previously possible. This should help them detect issues more accurately and hence, present their solutions.
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2. Two face transplants for the same person
A Frenchman who suffered from a genetic condition which caused tumors to grow on his face initially received a face transplant in 2010. Unfortunately, his body soon began to reject it, which led to him receiving a second transplant this year and thus becoming the first person in the world to receive two face transplants.
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1. Cancer vaccine
Yes, topping the list of 15 most important medical discoveries of 2018 is a potential cure for cancer! A trial run on mice showed that the vaccine, administered by researches in Stanford University, completely destroyed any traces of cancer in an overwhelming majority of the mice in the trial, thereby paving the way for a human trial, and a potential cure to the worst disease in the world!
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