I could go into a long-winded preamble, but the thread idea is a pretty simple one - what breakthroughs do you think are most likely to occur in the near future?
Now, ideally, if you have some sort of background (M.D., medical research, etc) that would give you greater insight than an average schmoe, you will let us know.
So let’s break it down :
What will be the biggest medical breakthrough in the next five years? In ten? In twenty?
We’re beginning to do marvelous things with nanomedicine, and engineered organs, and I’m curious where it will go.
We are starting to see some of the early drugs that were specifically engineered based upon the molecular characteristics of particular cancers. Early testing results are very encouraging. A few companies have built pipelines to bring such drugs to market and a methodology that, in theory, should allow they approach to be readily adapted to other cancers.
Some of the details I’ve spoilered out.
[spoiler]The class of drugs are variously known as antibody-drug conjugates or sometimes immunoconjugates.
Cancers typically display certain proteins on the surface of the cancerous cells. Many cancers can be characterized by which unique cell surface proteins are displayed. It is well understood how to make an antibody against a known protein.
The ADC drugs link together a potent poison which can kill a cell and an antibody specifically created to target a cell surface protein of a particular cancer. The antibody latches onto the cancerous cell and the poison is released. This targeted approach allows the use of much more toxic compounds that could not be tolerated in the larger doses that would be needed as a general chemotherapy drug.
Once this system is worked out, scientists need only to identify cell surface proteins on other cancers (many are already known) and make the relevant antibodies. Link that to the same toxin payload and you have a targeted treatment for a different cancer. Wash. Rinse Repeat. Cancer becomes much more treatable and the treatment much more tolerable.
[/spoiler]
This could lead to a much more detailed diagnosis and treatment regimen for cancers. It would no longer be sufficient to diagnose Hodgkins Lymphoma. A doctor would need to do further testing to determine the particular characteristics of that individual’s HL before prescribing a drug that is narrowly tailored to treat just CD30+ HL, for example.
Earliest drugs have already been approved. Within ten years I think the methodology will be proved on other cancer lines. Then designing an effective and targeted treatment will be relatively straghtforward, just requiring modifying the targeting antibody.
I believe that work is progressing on an artificial womb so you can pop the baby out and into it to finish gestating.
Targeted medicine appeals to me - so instead of 4 different pills for my heart issue, I get one that very specifically works on me so instead of a sort of shotgun approach, I get exactly what I need.
Stem cells - I would love having a better functioning body, diabetes sucks. mrAru would love to not have to take synthroid too, he would like a new thyroid.
Self-cloned replacement organs. I have a friend who had a kidney transplant about 15 years ago, and every few months he has to go get some small skin tumor or another removed thanks to the immunosupressants he takes. He is currently in his 5th month in hospital trying to shake the bout with pneumonia he picked up back then. At the ancient age of 55 he is out permanently on SSD and may end up losing his home and being moved permanently into assisted living. That seriously sucks, he is one of the sweetest guys I know.
I believe there are two types of Targeted medicine one that goes after the type of cancer and other that goes after the genes in some way change the genes in your body.
Stem cell and gene medicine look good but I still think it 10 to 15 years out.
Pretty sure:
Stem cell therapy is going to be big.
Speculation:
Tailored enzymes that target specific gene sequences and chop them up. This could be used in antiviral drugs and in cancer treatment. They might also be used as a safety on stem cell and gene therapy techniques. (The modified cells would have a “bullseye” inserted into their DNA that could be used to kill them if they go cancerous.)
Going out on a limb:
Bioengineered “glands”. These would be sections of natural tissue modified by gene therapy to produce regulated amounts of specific drugs, hormones, or other chemicals for people on common maintenance medications.
On a related note - detection technology. MRI’s seem like a promising area for improvement - no ionizing radiation, so most people can use them with no side effects. Can we improve the sensitivity of the machines and approach Star Trek-like levels of diagnostic sensitivity with an MRI alone?