04.01.2022

THE HEALTH DISCOVERIES OF THE PAST YEAR

The past year has been full of scientific discoveries, even excluding all those associated with the coronavirus, the Hina news agency reported.

In 2021, scientists have made great strides in the treatment of many diseases and some of their discoveries are revolutionary. Here are the six most interesting scientific discoveries.

Mental health solutions

In recent years, drugs with psychedelic effects have yielded promising results in the treatment of several mental illnesses, and two studies conducted in 2021 only further confirmed their effectiveness in combination with therapy.

For people suffering from PTSD, MDMA or ectasia, this can make everyday life easier. In the third phase of the clinical trial, the results of which were published in the journal Nature Medicine, 67% of MDMA patients receiving speech therapy had such an improvement that they no longer met the conditions for diagnosis two months after treatment.

Psilocybin, the active ingredient in "magic" mushrooms, has also been studied. This study shows that hallucinogen therapy significantly reduces the symptoms of depression, which is otherwise resistant to treatment.

In a previous study of psilocybin as an antidepressant (April to November), two sessions of psychedelics worked "at least as well" as the daily dose of the antidepressant escitalopram.

Blood test for 50 cancers

Newly discovered technology can detect more than 50 cancers at an early stage based on a single blood draw. This method is called Test Gallery and was developed by biotech giant Illumina. The method looks for fragments of DNA in the blood that could signal the presence of cancer. These fragments can also locate the tumor with high accuracy, giving the patient a great advantage in diagnosis and treatment.

In a clinical study involving people who had already been diagnosed with cancer, the Gallery test identified 51.9 percent of cancers, regardless of stage. This test can be extremely useful in detecting cancers that have not been diagnosed with regular checkups.

Doctors say that this and similar tests should improve sensitivity levels, but once that happens, they will be of great benefit to people, as they could avoid the effects of chemotherapy on the body.

First treatment for progeria

Progeria is a genetic disease that causes premature aging in approximately 400 children worldwide. There is currently no treatment to slow the disease, which is mostly fatal after the age of 13.

A new drug developed in 2021 could prolong the lives of children born with this condition by about two and a half years. This is the first and only FDA-approved treatment for Hutchison-Guilford progeria syndrome. It works by preventing the accumulation of mutated proteins. These defective proteins are called progerins and cause cell death and damage to the heart and bones. Children with this diagnosis usually die of heart failure or stroke.

Anterior lumbar ligament healing implant

The anterior cruciate ligament is the most common source of knee injury, according to a 2016 report in the Journal of Clinical Orthopedics and Trauma. Although this is a common injury, it can be very difficult to repair and repairing a torn anterior cruciate ligament may require multiple surgeries or even a complete reconstruction. This in turn requires the removal of a healthy tendon for transplantation and long-term recovery.

A newly developed knee implant, recently approved by the FDA, can stimulate the healing of the anterior cruciate ligament. This is what Dr. Martha Murray, chief orthopedic surgeon at Boston Children's Hospital.

The revolutionary implant is made of bovine collagen and drops of the patient's blood and connects the torn parts of the anterior cruciate ligament. The placement procedure is minimally time consuming and healing is faster than reconstruction.

Tablet against fungal infection

The antifungal pill is the first new antifungal drug in 20 years. Stops the growth of Candida, the fungus that causes vaginal fungal infections.

The treatment of fungal infections can sometimes take a long time. The new drug provides a step forward from existing antifungal drugs.

Formula for artificial milk, similar to breast milk

Two scientists have developed the first laboratory-made breast milk. It is made from cells with nutrients and those of breast milk. It consists of mammary cells located in the mammary glands.

The milk is called Biomilq and is nutritionally more complex than previous formulas. However, the scientists behind this discovery do not claim that it is a perfect substitute for breast milk because it does not reflect the mother's nutrition and does not transmit immune protection from mother to child.

This product must be available to parents within three years.

Source: BGNES