From UM kids to perfect sleep
Rating of medical discoveries – 2018
Sergey Kolenov, Hi-tech+
In 2018, medical science has made many breakthroughs. Researchers have obtained new data on the development of Alzheimer's disease and determined the optimal duration of sleep. However, the first place in the ranking was taken by the alleged birth of the first genetically edited children in China.
The New Atlas edition presented its top medical discoveries of the outgoing year.
The first genetically edited children
The statement of the Chinese scientist He Jiankui that his project on editing human embryos led to the birth of healthy children became the main world scientific news at the end of November.
However, the reaction of colleagues and the public clearly came as a surprise to him: instead of admiring He's courage, he was condemned for an unethical and risky experiment. The details of this story are still shrouded in mystery. Some are even sure that in fact edited children do not exist. He's data has not been published, and he disappeared after the Chinese government began investigating the incident – probably sent under house arrest.
However, the birth of the first edited children, real or fake, will affect the entire field of gene editing for years to come. Judging by the first reaction, research in this area may slow down due to new legislative bans.
The connection between the brain and the intestines
Scientists have long known about the connections between the brain and the intestine, but this year this knowledge was supplemented with new information. Specialists from Duke University has discovered a direct sensory channel that connects these two organs.
Information on it is transmitted much faster than through the hormonal system. The discovery not only refuted previous ideas about how the brain receives information about saturation, but also revealed a fundamentally new neural circuit.
Psilocybin for depression received the status of breakthrough therapy
In 2018, the rehabilitation of many compounds that were considered drugs continued, but proved to be potential drugs. One of the most striking examples is the assignment of the status of breakthrough therapy to psilocybin for resistant depression. This classification means that in case of successful clinical trials, the American FDA regulator will approve its use in this capacity in an accelerated manner.
Trials of the first male contraceptives have started
The search for effective contraceptive drugs for men has stretched for many years. All candidate substances failed the safety test, leading to side effects, but significant progress has been made in the past year.
Two new drugs have entered the phase of clinical trials at once. The first is a contraceptive gel, which must be applied to the shoulders daily. At the moment, it is being tested by hundreds of couples around the world. The second solution is the classic contraceptive pill, which is currently undergoing safety tests.
New ways to look inside the human body
High-quality medical imaging is needed for accurate diagnoses and tracking the development of the disease. In 2018, several new technologies have appeared in this area. For example, the EXPLORER scanner scans the entire body using positron emission tomography and X-ray computed tomography.
It takes only 20-30 seconds to create an entire image, and the sensitivity of the device is 40 times higher than that of modern analogues. Researchers from New Zealand presented a "color X-ray" – a new scanner for biovisualization. It creates full-color three-dimensional images of bones and soft tissues thanks to a special sensor chip. The images created with the new scanner clearly show the smallest details of the internal structure.
The "Big Bang" of Alzheimer's disease
An impressive study conducted by scientists from The University of Texas, has identified the earliest point of the neurodegenerative process that leads to dementia. The discovery was an important milestone in the research of Alzheimer's disease.
Scientists hope that it will allow detecting the disease long before the first cognitive symptoms, which means that it will open the way to the creation of effective drugs against it.
The first marijuana drug approved by the FDA
The "rehabilitation" of drugs affected not only psilocybins. In June, the FDA approved the first cannabidiol-based drug for the treatment of two rare forms of severe epilepsy in childhood. The decision was part of a large–scale movement to legalize medical marijuana - including in Canada, Great Britain and a number of US states.
The optimal sleep duration has been determined
In October, the results of the largest sleep study in history were published. Scientists have concluded that its optimal duration is 7-8 hours, and both lack of sleep and excess sleep are harmful to the body. This figure coincides with the standard recommendations of doctors, but now it has a solid scientific basis.
The Nature magazine recently published its list of scientists who identified the main trends in science in 2018. It includes physicists, climatologists, environmentalists and even fighters for gender equality. The publication did not ignore the scandalous He Jiankui.
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru