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6 Healthcare Innovations in 2018 That You Should Know About

Here’s presenting 2018’s medical breakthroughs.

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Advancement in the field of modern medicine has saved many lives. But it’s a tricky line to tread. One has to be extremely cautious and drive innovation responsibly, especially when you’re dealing with human lives.

2018 saw many breakthrough innovations in the field of medicine, but did all of them make the cut? While there is new hope for people affected by diabetes, cancer and Alzheimer’s, one controversial intervention divided the medical community.

Here’s presenting 2018’s medical breakthroughs:

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1. First Baby Born After Womb Transplant From Deceased Donor

This was a landmark moment in fertility. Scientists say it offers hope to thousands of women battling infertility.

A baby girl was born last December to a woman born without a uterus, a rare syndrome that affects about 1 in 5,000 women. She received a transplanted uterus from a dead woman in world’s first such medical procedure. Eleven previous births have used a transplanted womb but from a living donor. Previous attempts for transplantation from deceased women haven’t succeeded.

Experts said using uterus from women who have died could make more transplants possible.

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2. Medical Marijuana Drug for Epilepsy

Here’s presenting 2018’s medical breakthroughs.

While the medical community has for long advocated the use of marijuana to treat several conditions, this year, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first medical marijuana drug for epilepsy.

There is active research on to explore other medical benefits of medical marijuana, including in the field of chemotherapy, anxiety, PTSD, sleep disorders and chronic pain. In India as well, a couple of research centres have been licensed to grow marijuana and carry out tests.

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3. Immunotherapy Cures Advanced Breast Cancer

A woman with an aggressive form of breast cancer which defied chemotherapy and spread to other organs, was cured with an experimental treatment that triggered her immune system.

The new immunotherapy approach, for the treatment of patients with a late-stage form of the disease, has helped the woman live cancer-free for two years now. The results were reported earlier this year and experts called it exciting.

Immunotherapy has already been shown to work in some people with cancer of the lung, cervix, blood cells (leukemia), skin (melanoma) and bladder.

Here’s presenting 2018’s medical breakthroughs.
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4. Artificial Pancreas for Type 2 Diabetics

A device which is called ‘artificial pancreas’ had already been used to treat Type 1 diabetes patients in 2016. It regulates blood sugar levels in patients – the work done by pancreas, hence, the name.

This year, in a new study, a variation of the device was shown to better control blood sugar levels in hospitalised patients with Type 2 diabetes compared with those getting insulin manually. India has an estimated 72 million people living with diabetes and majority of those are Type 2.

In future generations, experts believe, this technology could improve health outcomes and reduce doctors’ and nurses’ workload managing glucose levels for the millions of patients with diabetes admitted to hospitals each year.

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5. Alzheimer’s Gene Neutralised in Human Brain

In a first, this year, scientists identified and successfully erased the effects of a key gene that significantly increases the risk for Alzheimer's disease. This may help in reducing the risk of incidence. But a cure still remains elusive.

After decades of research worth billions of dollars, Alzheimer’s drugs have a 99.6 percent fail rate in clinical trials.

There is absolutely no medicine, no treatment plan, no app, no game, no yoga in the market which can slow, cure or reverse this devastating neurological nightmare yet.

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6. Gene-Edited Babies

Now, here’s something that divided the medical community.

A Chinese researcher claimed that he helped make the world's first genetically edited babies — twin girls born in December whose DNA he said he altered with a powerful new tool capable of rewriting the very blueprint of life.

If true, it would be a profound leap of science and ethics but a report in the BBC called this claim “dubious” stating that several doubts have emerged post the Chinese researcher’s claims. Many scientists and researchers claimed that the reports of the genetically edited babies was “unverified,” calling the claim “monstrous”.

Altering DNA before or at the time of conception is highly controversial because the changes can be inherited and might harm other genes. It is banned in some countries including the United States except for lab research. The World Health Organization (WHO) has said it is creating a panel to study the implications of gene editing.

This shows us that while we’re moving at a rapid pace to better lives, we have to be wary of unregulated and premature developments which can have far-reaching implications.

(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)

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Topics:  Healthcare   Treatment   Cure 

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