technology The Advancement of Modern Medicine

[Golurk 468]

Ever since we realized we could die, we've tried to stop death. Our search has been fruitless (and I myself hope it to remain that way), but along the way, we've found countless ways to make life better while we have it, and to extend it so we can enjoy it as long as possible. In recent years, this has become incredibly apparent, with new discoveries being made every day. Both myself and countless others are fascinated and inspired by such things. As such, I'd like to bring these discoveries to light to others. I'm making this thread as a place to spread knowledge of and discuss the most recent developments in medicine, as to truly respect and admire these discoveries. I myself have found four to get the discussion started, and anyone with anything else of note can feel free to add them on here as to bring light to them as well. 

 

 

1: Organs Off the Presses.

A man recently had an operation on his skull. It had been seriously damaged, to the point that simply fitting the shards back together would have been impractical. So, they went with something different: they used a 3-D printer to make a skull plate out of a high-strength and body friendly polymer. Using this technology, they were able to replace 75% of this man's skull with a synthetic skull in the same shape as what he had before. Refine this technology, and we may end up being able to print off even internal organs, eliminating the need for donors, as well as the possibility of tissue rejection.

 

2: A New Meaning to "Spray-on Abs"

Serious burns have been a problem for a long time. Until recently, the only option for healing was to graft skin from other parts of the body. Recently, however, scientists have developed a way to rapidly culture skin cells, and combine them with certain other biological agents (such as anti-clot factors) to create what can be applied to affected areas as basically "spray-on skin." The culture has proven successful in healing skin ulcers and the like in fractions of the time it would take for a graft to heal the same wound.

 

3: Selectively Deadly Toxins

Venom is highly dangerous. Scorpion venom is no exception. However, a certain chemical found in the venom (the synthetic version is called T-601) has a rather helpful effect if isolated: it tags brain tumor cells, and brain tumor cells exclusively. It discolors the cancerous tumor tissue, allowing surgeons to more easily distinguish cancerous brain tumor cells from the regular healthy cells, allowing for more effective and reliable removal. And given how fragile the brain is, this is an infinitely helpful tool in the battle against cancer.

 

4: A True Replacement

One area of medicine that never ceases to amaze is prosthetics. From the early days of muscular hooks to more modern metallic analogues, the field has advanced very greatly. However, the one of the most important improvements is coming from John's Hopkins University: a cybernetic arm that is controlled by thought. Electrodes are placed on the brain in the parts that control arm and hand movement, which send signals to a transmitter placed elsewhere in the body. The transmitter then sends the signals to the arm, which moves just like (and just as easily as) a human arm. What makes this truly astonishing, however, is another ability of this system. The arm itself contains electrodes and sensors that pick up environmental data that gets sent back to the transmitter. From there, it goes to electrodes placed in the areas of the brain where that area's sensory information is normally processed, basically, allowing the user the "feel" with their new arm

 

These should be enough to get some discussion started. And again, feel free to share anything you guys come across; this thread IS meant to appreciate modern medical developments, after all. Here's hoping to more lifesaving medicine that has yet to be discovered! 

[Nohbdy 4,108]

We've really come a long way since our ancestors first discovered fire. The advances we've made in the past century alone is staggering. From penicillin to the rocket, to the eradication of smallpox, to the World Wide Web, we as a species have a lot to be proud of. And medicine is no exception. Not only have we achieved so much in so little time, the future promises even greater developments.

 

We live in exciting times, my friends!

[Broccoli 127]

Yes, medical science is advancing so fast! Besides Equestriadaily, MLPforums (here), another website that I visit everyday is www.sciencedaily.com There's alot of kickass sciences stuff there. I was shown this website by my chemistry teacher and have gone there eversince. 

 

There's also another incident involving body part replacements using 3D printed items. Last year I think, an old woman in her 80's had a jaw disease, and needed a new jaw. They printed a new fit jaw for her using very advanced materials, and placed it in her mouth. Some 3 days after the surgery, the old woman could talk and eat regularly! Oh man I love this world~

[aoEAF2FBvC0MIo2Q 3,673]

Lately I've been hearing more about this bio-psycho-social model. That the physiological health is tied to the psychology and the relationships of the person in question. Stress does more than just predispose you to heart attacks and strokes. Dr. Gabor Maté has done different lectures on subjects relating to this, the one closest to this cycle being about one of his books titled When The Body Says No. One of the things he's noticed working with patients who have cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, ALS... What he often if not always found with such patients is that they tend to deny themselves in just how far ahead they put others before themselves. Unless I'm misinterpreting what he's said, people can turn like that out of feelings of self-shame and feel the need to overcompensate somehow. He claims that science has come a long way in this area but that it's been having a very difficult time permeating the medical institutions.

[Michael DeSanta 258]

I read up on the blaze and wired magazine about this stuff. Man we are in some amazing times I mean 3d printers,replaceable organs,replacement stem cells no more aborting unborn babies for stem cells a win in ethical science if you ask me. I actually heardof a new grade of water filterthat could essentally take irradiated,poisined water in the3rd world and turn it into clean fresh water for the masses. The rate of scientific progress is truely amazing wemay even have cures to our massive impending energey crisis soon. I haveto thinkhow far man has come from in the turn of the century to today we progress so much nowadays.

[Jammo 986]

A good counter argument to the "Things are worse than ever" argument.

Black Plague. Raising kids knowing about half of them would likely die from sickness. Not just your kids. Your family friends, your loved ones. There's a good chance that people you know will die horribly from illness.