Modern discoveries in medicine. History of medical discoveries. Achievements of medical science that will turn the world upside down

Today's world has become very technological. And medicine is trying to keep the brand. New advances are increasingly associated with genetic engineering, clinics and doctors are already using cloud technologies to the fullest, and 3D organ transplantation promises to become common practice soon.

Fighting cancer at the genetic level

Ranked first - medical project from Google. A subsidiary of the company called Google Ventures invested $130 million in the "cloud" project "Flatiron", aimed at combating oncology in medicine. The project collects and analyzes hundreds of thousands of data on cancer cases every day, passing the findings to doctors.

According to the director of Google Ventures, Bill Maris, cancer treatment will soon take place at the genetic level, and chemotherapy in 20 years will become primitive, like a floppy disk or telegraph today.

Wireless technologies in medicine

Health bracelets or "smart watch" is a good example of how modern technologies in medicine help people to be healthy. Through familiar devices, each of us can control heart rate, blood pressure, measure steps and the number of calories lost.

In some models of bracelets, data is transferred “to the cloud” for further analysis by doctors. You can download dozens of health monitoring programs on the Internet, such as Google Fit or HealthKit.

AliveCor went even further and offered a device that syncs with a smartphone and allows you to do EKG at home. The device is a case with special sensors. The image data is sent to the attending physician via the Internet.

Restoration of hearing and vision

Cochlear implant for hearing restoration

In 2014, Australian scientists proposed a genetic treatment for hearing loss. The medical method is based on painlessly introducing into the human body DNA-containing drug, inside which the cochlear implant is “sewn in”. The implant interacts with the cells of the auditory nerve and hearing gradually returns to the patient.

Bionic eye to restore vision

With the help of an implant "bionic eye" scientists have learned to restore vision. The first medical operation took place in the United States back in 2008. In addition to the transplanted artificial retina, patients are given special glasses with a built-in camera. The system allows you to perceive a full picture, distinguish colors and outlines of objects. Today, more than 8,000 people are on the waiting list for such an operation.

Medicine has stepped closer to curing AIDS

Scientists from the Rockefeller University (New York, USA), together with the pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline, conducted clinical trials of a medical a drug but GSK744, which is capable reduce the chance of contracting HIV by more than 90%. The substance is able to inhibit the work of the enzyme, with the help of which HIV modifies the DNA of the cell and then multiplies in the body. The work brought scientists much closer to the creation of a new drug against HIV.

Organs and tissues using 3D printers

3D bioprinting: organs and tissues are printed using a printer

Over the past 2 years, scientists in practice have been able to achieve creating organs and tissues using 3D printers and successfully implant them into the patient's body.

Modern medical technologies make it possible to create prosthetic arms and legs, parts of the spine, ears, nose, internal organs, and even tissue cells.

In the spring of 2014, doctors at the University Medical Center Utrecht (Holland) successfully performed the first 3D-printed cranial bone transplant in the history of medicine.

The history of medicine is inextricably linked with the development of human culture. This science arose and was formed according to the laws that are characteristic of any direction in the study of the surrounding world. But if in a bygone period the doctor followed religious dogmas, then the subsequent development of medical practice took place under the influence of the greatest scientific discoveries. This continues even now - scientists are finding more and more new ways to fight diseases. So, the most famous ancient Greek doctor described in his scientific papers about 200 drugs. Now there are more than 200 thousand of them, and new drugs appear every day.

Human anatomy and physiology

In 1543, Andreas Visalius published a scientific work that examined the human anatomy in detail. In this work, the scientist presented diagrams of the nervous and circulatory systems of the body, which was a real breakthrough in the field of medicine. This work is the basis for the birth of anatomy as a science. The information that Visalia managed to collect became the starting point in the development of neurology, cardiology and other medical areas.

Somewhat later, in 1628, William Harvey established that it was the human heart that was the organ responsible for blood circulation. The results of numerous studies have shown how blood circulates in the body, and also determined the basis for the origin of physiology.

Works by Pasteur, Koch and Roentgen

Beginning in 1875, Louis Pasteur made several significant discoveries in the field of surgery and published his scientific treatise on the germ theory and its application to medicine. Subsequently, this work served as the basis for large-scale research in the field of infectious diseases. Thanks to the study of Pasteur's principles since 1884, the first vaccines were used to prevent rabies and various contagious diseases, and in 1894 immunology was discovered and serotherapy began to be used.

In 1882, Robert Koch discovered the causative agent of tuberculosis, and later the results of his scientific research became fundamental in bacteriology. In 1885, a German physicist, who is still used in a slightly modified form to this day in order to identify hidden pathologies, in particular, fractures, ruptures internal organs, the presence of foreign bodies in the body, etc.

Anesthesia, vitamins and penicillin

The results of medical experiments obtained between 1842 and 1846 present scientists with a considerable surprise - it becomes clear that some chemical compounds can be quite successfully used as. IN late XIX century, thanks to the research of the scientist F. Hopkins, a number of substances were isolated, which were later called, the lack of which in the human body causes certain diseases.

In the period from 1920 to 1930, A. Fleming almost accidentally discovered fungal microorganisms, which became the basis of antibiotic therapy. This fungus, the action of which was confirmed by laboratory testing, was named.

One can talk almost endlessly about the discoveries made in medicine from the very beginning of its development to the present day. But it should be noted that research in this area continues to give mankind one or another opportunity to get rid of or reduce the destructive impact of a wide variety of diseases.

Modern medicine has not yet responded to the most terrible challenges of the 20th century, such as cancer, HIV, adaptive bacteria and hybrid viruses, but the horizons of ongoing research give hope that a panacea is achievable. Today, scientific research intersects with the dreams of psychotherapy for the drug correction of human behavior, reaches devices that replace pharmaceutical chemistry, and rests on the treasury of the gene, where recipes for incurable ailments are encoded in DNA molecules. For the foreseeable future, it will be possible to give injections without needles, take pills for racism, relieve headaches at the touch of a button, and treat Down syndrome at the embryonic level. The following is a list of breakthroughs in modern medicine that promise to make our lives, if not better, then definitely completely different.

Contraceptives for men

Scientists from the Dana-Faber Cancer Institute in Boston (USA) have managed to develop a drug that can make a real revolution in the field of non-hormonal contraception for men. Its active substance is JQ1, a chemical compound that selectively slows down the testis-specific protein bromodomain and blocks spermogenesis. At the same time, the drug does not have a sedative and anxiolytic effect. JQ1 has been tested in mice and shown to be highly effective. At the same time, the reproductive ability of animals was quickly restored after the effect of the drug ended. Experts estimate that about ⅓ of couples in the world prefer to use condoms, avoiding birth control pills and other contraceptives for women. It is believed that most of the cases of unplanned pregnancies occur precisely in such unions.

Cure for bad memories

Scientists from the University of Montreal (Canada) managed to find a drug that reduces a person's need to access difficult memories. This is not Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind yet, but already a significant step towards correcting the work of human memory. A drug called metyrapone has actually been around for a long time, used to treat adrenal insufficiency. However, experts have found that the effect of metyrapone on stress levels may be much more beneficial. The drug reduces the production of cortisol, a hormone that is produced by the adrenal glands in stressful situations. Studies have shown that medically reducing cortisol levels in such situations reduces painful memories and creates a positive outlook on events. During the tests, the participants in the experiment were told stories in which there were neutral and negative elements of the plot. The people who had previously taken metyrapone were able to remember the former in much greater detail than the latter four days later, while the participants in the study who received the placebo instead of the drug remembered both neutral and negative details perfectly.

Neurostimulator against migraines and cluster headaches

ATI specialists presented to the public a neurostimulator that helps relieve cluster headaches and migraines. An almond-sized device is placed through a small incision in the gum into the region of the sphenopalatine ganglion, a limited cluster of neurons located along one of the cranial nerves in the region of the bridge of the nose. The neurostimulator is activated using an external remote control: if necessary, the patient simply brings it to the cheek. The device turns on, blocks the main palatine ganglion, and the pain subsides or weakens. According to studies in Europe, 68% of patients responded well to therapy: they had a decrease in the intensity or frequency of pain, and sometimes both. The use of a neurostimulator against cluster headaches in the EU has already begun. IN USA public administration food quality control and medicines so far allowed to use it only for research purposes.

The cure for hypertension and racism

According to scientists from Oxford University (UK), a drug called propanolol, which doctors prescribe for coronary disease heart, hypertension and other diseases, can also reduce the level of racism. The study, which was conducted by specialists, involved 36 people. Half of them took propanolol and the other half took placebo pills. According to the results of a psychological test, which was then conducted by scientists, it turned out that the first group showed a significantly lower level of subconscious aggression in relation to representatives of other peoples and races. The reason is that the active substances of propanolol reduce the activity of neurons and, as a side effect, affect the intensity of subconscious fears, including those associated with foreigners. One of the co-authors of the study, Julian Savulescu, a professor in the Department of Philosophy at the University of Oxford, said: “Such studies confirm that our unconscious attitude to something can be modeled using pills. Such possibilities require careful ethical analysis. Biological research, which aimed to make people better, dark story. And propranolol is not a pill for racism. But given the fact that a huge number of patients are already taking drugs that have "moral" side effects we at least need to understand what they are.”

Chromosome Therapy

Scientists from the University of Massachusetts (USA) managed to “turn off” an extra copy of the 21st chromosome, which is responsible for the development of Down syndrome in humans. Despite the fact that the experiments were carried out in vitro, this study is of great practical importance. In the future, it will help develop chromosome therapy for unborn children with trisomy (Down syndrome, Patau syndrome, Edwards syndrome) or even symptomatic treatment for those who have already been born. As part of the study, experts used stem cells obtained from the skin tissue of a patient with Down syndrome. They introduced a genetic "switch" into the extra copy of the 21st chromosome - the XIST gene. This gene is present in all female mammals and is responsible for the inactivation of one of the two X chromosomes. When XIST is expressed, an RNA molecule is synthesized that covers the surface of the chromosome like a blanket and blocks the expression of all its genes. Scientists managed to regulate the work of XIST with the help of the antibiotic doxycycline. As a result, the problematic copy of chromosome 21 stopped working, and the diseased stem cell turned into a healthy one.

New cure for hangovers and alcoholism

Researchers from the University of California at Los Angeles (USA) managed to isolate a substance that can reduce the negative effects of intoxication, prevent hangovers and reduce cravings for drinking. It turned out to be dihydromyricetin or DHM, which is obtained from the fruits of the Chinese subspecies of the candy tree (Hovenia dulcis). In Chinese medicine, extracts from them have been used against a hangover for about five centuries. During the study, scientists injected experimental rats with a dose of alcohol equivalent to 20 cans of beer drunk by an adult male. Then the “drunk” rodents were turned over on their backs so that they lost their orientation in space. Rats that did not receive dihydromyricetin could not restore coordination of movements for about 70 minutes, while animals that were given an antidote along with alcohol were able to recover after five minutes. The scientists also noted that DHM significantly reduced the craving for alcohol in animals: rats that received it, even after three months of regular intake of “alcohol”, chose sweetened water instead of alcohol. Skeptics, however, doubt that dihydromyricetin will really help people suffering from alcoholism. After all, if the medicine saves from a hangover, dizziness and nausea, the temptation is great to drink more, not less.

Determining the level of sugar in the blood, tests and injections without needles

Newly developed by the American company Echo Therapeutics, the Prelude SkinPrep System and Symphony CGM System devices allow you to inject, take tests, and control blood sugar levels of diabetics without injections. The devices painlessly remove the keratinized layer of the skin (its thickness is about 0.01 mm) and increase its permeability to liquids and electrical conductivity. As a result, it is possible to gain access to tissue fluids without violating the integrity of the skin. The blood sugar monitor is equipped with a wireless transmitter and is attached to the patient's skin like a patch. Every minute, the machine sends data to a monitor that detects changes in the patient's blood sugar levels and sends a visual and audible alarm if the readings become too low or too high. The device is designed primarily for hospitals.

"Targeted" cure for multiple sclerosis

Scientists from Northwestern University (USA) were able to find a way to treat multiple sclerosis without drugs that depress the immune system as a whole. This discovery was preceded by about 30 years of work. Specialists managed to "teach" the body of patients with atherosclerosis to specifically suppress autoreactive T-lymphocytes that attack myelin - a substance that forms an electrically insulating sheath of neurons in the optic nerve, spinal cord and brain. To do this, doctors injected patients with their own white blood cells, into which billions of myelin antigens were added by genetic engineering. As a result, the level of activity immune system in relation to the shell of neurons decreased by 50-75%, which at the same time did not affect its work as a whole. Scientists admit that their first experimental group was too small to draw definitive conclusions. But they hope to soon receive funds for new, larger studies.

3D mammography for early cancer detection

The Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore (USA) has begun using the Hologic device, which, along with the usual 2D images, allows you to do 3D mammography of the mammary glands. In one session, the device creates 15 images at an angle of 15 degrees, and then displays images of slices with a thickness of 1 mm. This gives doctors the ability to see distortions in breast tissue in much greater detail than conventional 2D mammography and diagnose breast cancer much earlier. “If this disease can be quickly detected and treated before metastases appear, the survival rate over the next five years is more than 98%,” said Susan K. Harvey, director of breast radiology at Johns Hopkins Hospital. - In addition, on early stage requires less surgery and often does not require chemotherapy.” However, the researchers note that there is a risk of missing a calcification with 3D mammography. Preinvasive cancerous tumors (the so-called "cancer in situ", when the tumor does not grow into the underlying tissue, and its cells die at the same rate as they divide), represented by calicifications, are better diagnosed using 2D studies.

A revolutionary drug for the treatment of prostate cancer

In the UK in 2011, a drug appeared, the development of which experts called a real revolution in oncology. A drug called abiraterone in 80% of cases reduces the size of the tumor or stabilizes it even at the final stage of cancer, when metastases occur, and also significantly relieves pain. Abiraterone blocks androgen synthesis by inhibiting the CYP17 enzyme. This leads to a significant decrease in testosterone levels, which is the main "fuel" for the development of prostate cancer. The medicine, unfortunately, is not universal: it cannot help patients with an aggressive form of cancer. However, it is able to increase the life expectancy of such patients, at least twice, and improve its quality.

The past year has been very fruitful for science. Special progress scientists have achieved in the field of medicine. made amazing discoveries, scientific breakthroughs and created many useful medicines that will certainly soon be freely available. We invite you to familiarize yourself with the ten most amazing medical breakthroughs of 2015, which are sure to make a serious contribution to the development of medical services in the very near future.

In 2014, the World Health Organization warned everyone that humanity was entering the so-called post-antibiotic era. And she turned out to be right. Science and medicine have not produced really new types of antibiotics since 1987. However, diseases do not stand still. Every year, new infections appear that are more resistant to existing drugs. It has become a real world problem. However, in 2015, scientists made a discovery that they believe will bring dramatic changes.

Scientists have discovered a new class of antibiotics from 25 antimicrobials, including a very important one called teixobactin. This antibiotic destroys microbes by blocking their ability to produce new cells. In other words, microbes under the influence of this drug cannot develop and develop resistance to the drug over time. Teixobactin has so far proven to be highly effective in the fight against resistant Staphylococcus aureus and several bacteria that cause tuberculosis.

Laboratory tests of teixobactin were carried out on mice. The vast majority of experiments have shown the effectiveness of the drug. Human trials are due to begin in 2017.

Doctors have grown new vocal cords

One of the most interesting and promising areas in medicine is tissue regeneration. In 2015, a new item was added to the list of artificially recreated organs. Doctors from the University of Wisconsin have learned to grow human vocal cords from virtually nothing.

A group of scientists led by Dr. Nathan Welhan bioengineered a tissue that can mimic the work of the mucous membrane of the vocal cords, namely the tissue that is represented by two lobes of the cords, which vibrate to create human speech. Donor cells, from which new ligaments were subsequently grown, were taken from five volunteer patients. In the laboratory, in two weeks, scientists grew the necessary tissue, after which they added it to an artificial model of the larynx.

The sound created by the received vocal cords, scientists describe as metallic and compare it with the sound of a robotic kazoo (a toy wind musical instrument). However, scientists are confident that the vocal cords they have created in real conditions (that is, when implanted into a living organism) will sound almost like real ones.

In one of the latest experiments on lab mice grafted with human immunity, the researchers decided to test whether the body of rodents would reject the new tissue. Fortunately, this did not happen. Dr. Welham is confident that the tissue will not be rejected by the human body either.

Cancer drug could help Parkinson's patients

Tisinga (or nilotinib) is a tested and approved drug commonly used to treat people with signs of leukemia. However, a new study from Georgetown University Medical Center shows that Tasinga's drug may be a very powerful tool for controlling motor symptoms in people with Parkinson's disease, improving their motor function and controlling the non-motor symptoms of the disease.

Fernando Pagan, one of the doctors who conducted this study, believes that nilotinib therapy may be the first of its kind effective method to reduce the degradation of cognitive and motor function in patients with neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease.

The scientists gave increased doses of nilotinib to 12 volunteer patients for six months. All 12 patients who completed this trial of the drug to the end, there was an improvement in motor functions. 10 of them showed significant improvement.

The main objective of this study was to test the safety and harmlessness of nilotinib in humans. The dose of the drug used was much less than that dose that is usually given to patients with leukemia. Despite the fact that the drug showed its effectiveness, the study was still conducted on a small group of people without involving control groups. Therefore, before Tasinga will be used as a therapy for Parkinson's disease, several more trials and scientific studies will have to be done.

The world's first 3D printed chest

In the past few years, 3D printing technology has made its way into many areas, leading to amazing discoveries, developments, and new production methods. In 2015, doctors from the Salamanca University Hospital in Spain performed the world's first surgery to replace a patient's damaged chest with a new 3D printed prosthesis.

The man suffered from a rare type of sarcoma, and the doctors had no other choice. To avoid spreading the tumor further throughout the body, experts removed almost the entire sternum from a person and replaced the bones with a titanium implant.

As a rule, implants for large parts of the skeleton are made from a wide variety of materials that can wear out over time. In addition, the replacement of such a complex articulation of bones as the sternum bones, which are usually unique in each individual case, required doctors to carefully scan a person's sternum in order to design an implant of the right size.

It was decided to use as a material for a new sternum. After performing high-precision 3D CT scans, scientists used a $1.3 million Arcam printer to create a new titanium chest. The operation to install a new sternum for the patient was successful, and the person has already completed a full course of rehabilitation.

From skin cells to brain cells

Scientists from the Salk Institute of California in La Jolla devoted the past year to research on the human brain. They have developed a method for transforming skin cells into brain cells and have already found several useful applications for the new technology.

It should be noted that scientists have found a way to turn skin cells into old brain cells, which simplifies their further use, for example, in research on Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases and their relationship with the effects of aging. Historically, animal brain cells have been used for such research, but scientists in this case were limited in their capabilities.

More recently, scientists have been able to turn stem cells into brain cells that can be used for research. However, this is a rather laborious process, and the result is cells that are not able to imitate the work of the brain of an elderly person.

Once the researchers developed a way to artificially create brain cells, they turned their efforts to creating neurons that would have the ability to produce serotonin. And although the resulting cells have only a tiny fraction of the capabilities of the human brain, they are actively helping scientists in research and finding cures for diseases and disorders such as autism, schizophrenia and depression.

Contraceptive pills for men

Japanese scientists at the Microbial Disease Research Institute in Osaka have published a new scientific paper, according to which, in the not too distant future, we will be able to produce real-life contraceptive pills for men. In their work, scientists describe studies of the drugs "Tacrolimus" and "Cyxlosporin A".

Typically, these drugs are used after organ transplants to suppress the body's immune system so that it does not reject the new tissue. The blockade occurs due to inhibition of the production of the calcineurin enzyme, which contains the PPP3R2 and PPP3CC proteins normally found in male semen.

In their study on laboratory mice, the scientists found that as soon as the PPP3CC protein is not produced in the organisms of rodents, their reproductive functions are sharply reduced. This prompted the researchers to conclude that an insufficient amount of this protein can lead to sterility. After more careful study, experts concluded that this protein gives the sperm cells the flexibility and the necessary strength and energy to penetrate the membrane of the egg.

Testing on healthy mice only confirmed their discovery. Just five days of using the drugs "Tacrolimus" and "Cyxlosporin A" led to complete infertility of mice. However, their reproductive function fully recovered just a week after they stopped giving these drugs. It is important to note that calcineurin is not a hormone, so the use of drugs in no way reduces sexual desire and excitability of the body.

Despite the promising results, it will take several years to create real male birth control pills. About 80 percent of mouse studies are not applicable to human cases. However, scientists still hope for success, as the effectiveness of the drugs has been proven. In addition, similar drugs have already passed human clinical trials and are widely used.

DNA seal

3D printing technologies have created a unique new industry - printing and selling DNA. True, the term “printing” here is more likely to be used specifically for commercial purposes, and does not necessarily describe what is actually happening in this area.

The chief executive of Cambrian Genomics explains that the process is best described by the phrase "error checking" rather than "printing." Millions of pieces of DNA are placed on tiny metal substrates and scanned by a computer, which selects the strands that will eventually make up the entire DNA strand. After that, the necessary links are carefully cut out with a laser and placed in a new chain, pre-ordered by the client.

Companies like Cambrian believe that in the future, people will be able to use special computing equipment and software create new organisms just for fun. Of course, such assumptions will immediately cause the righteous anger of people who doubt the ethical correctness and practical usefulness of these studies and opportunities, but sooner or later, no matter how we want it or not, we will come to this.

Now, DNA printing is showing little promise in the medical field. Drug makers and research companies are among the first customers of companies like Cambrian.

Researchers at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden have gone one step further and have begun to create various figurines from DNA strands. DNA origami, as they call it, may at first glance seem like ordinary pampering, but this technology also has practical potential for use. For example, it can be used in the delivery of drugs to the body.

Nanobots in a living organism

In early 2015, the field of robotics won a big victory when a group of researchers from the University of California, San Diego announced that they had conducted the first successful tests using nanobots that performed their task from inside a living organism.

In this case, laboratory mice acted as a living organism. After placing the nanobots inside the animals, the micromachines went to the stomachs of the rodents and delivered the cargo placed on them, which was microscopic particles of gold. By the end of the procedure, the scientists did not notice any damage to the internal organs of mice and thus confirmed the usefulness, safety and effectiveness of nanobots.

Further tests showed that the particles of gold delivered by the nanobots remained in the stomachs more than those that were simply introduced there with the meal. This prompted scientists to think that nanobots in the future will be able to deliver the necessary drugs into the body much more efficiently than with more traditional methods their introductions.

The motor chain of the tiny robots is made of zinc. When it comes into contact with the body's acid-base environment, a chemical reaction occurs that produces hydrogen bubbles that propel the nanobots inside. After some time, the nanobots simply dissolve in the acidic environment of the stomach.

Although the technology has been in development for nearly a decade, it wasn't until 2015 that scientists were able to actually test it in a living environment, rather than in conventional petri dishes, as had been done so many times before. In the future, nanobots can be used to detect and even treat various diseases of the internal organs by influencing individual cells with the right drugs.

Injectable brain nanoimplant

A team of Harvard scientists has developed an implant that promises to treat a number of neurodegenerative disorders that lead to paralysis. The implant is an electronic device consisting of a universal frame (mesh), to which various nanodevices can later be connected after it has been inserted into the patient's brain. Thanks to the implant, it will be possible to monitor the neural activity of the brain, stimulate the work of certain tissues, and also accelerate the regeneration of neurons.

The electronic grid consists of conductive polymer filaments, transistors, or nanoelectrodes that connect intersections. Almost the entire area of ​​the mesh is made up of holes, which allows living cells to form new connections around it.

By early 2016, a team of scientists from Harvard is still testing the safety of using such an implant. For example, two mice were implanted in the brain with a device consisting of 16 electrical components. Devices have been successfully used to monitor and stimulate specific neurons.

Artificial production of tetrahydrocannabinol

For many years, marijuana has been used medicinally as a pain reliever and, in particular, to improve the condition of patients with cancer and AIDS. In medicine, a synthetic substitute for marijuana, or rather its main psychoactive component, tetrahydrocannabinol (or THC), is also actively used.

However, biochemists at the Technical University of Dortmund have announced the creation of a new species of yeast that produces THC. What's more, unpublished data indicate that the same scientists created another type of yeast that produces cannabidiol, another psychoactive ingredient in marijuana.

Marijuana contains several molecular compounds that are of interest to researchers. Therefore, the discovery of an effective artificial way to create these components in large quantities could bring medicine great benefit. However, the method of conventional cultivation of plants and the subsequent extraction of the necessary molecular compounds is now the most effective way. Within 30 percent of the dry weight of modern marijuana can contain the right THC component.

Despite this, Dortmund scientists are confident that they will be able to find a more effective and fast way THC mining in the future. To date, the created yeast is re-growth on molecules of the same fungus instead of the preferred alternative in the form of simple saccharides. All this leads to the fact that with each new batch of yeast, the amount of free THC component also decreases.

In the future, scientists promise to optimize the process, maximize THC production and scale up to industrial needs, which will ultimately meet the needs of medical research and European regulators who are looking for new ways production of tetrahydrocannabinol without growing marijuana itself.

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Medicine has not always been the way we are used to seeing it. A couple of hundred years ago, pneumonia or appendicitis was a verdict, and surgeons had no idea that they needed to wash their hands before the operation, and did not pay attention to the heart-rending cries of patients (after all, anesthesia did not exist then). But there were geniuses who, despite the ridicule of colleagues, made incredible discoveries.

website will tell you about the greatest medical breakthroughs that saved millions of lives and changed the old ideas about the world.

1. Anesthesia

Before the invention of anesthesia, all operations were either terribly painful or very fast. The Russian surgeon Nikolai Pirogov carried out the amputation in 3 minutes, otherwise the patients died from pain shock.

The lack of adequate anesthesia hindered the development of surgery - there was no question of abdominal operations. Of course, doctors experimented with infusions of poppy, mandrake, and even put tobacco enemas. However, these drugs could not completely get rid of pain, and they were also dangerous to the patient's health.

Everything changed when American dentist William Morton decided to use diethyl ether for pain relief. And Morton was pushed to the discovery by a banal lack of money: because of the fear of painful procedures, patients preferred to bypass the dentist. The doctor responsibly approached the development of a treatment method: he experimented on animals, treated close friends and, having convinced himself of the safety of the drug, presented it to the general public.

October 16, 1846 can be considered the official birthday of anesthesia. With a huge crowd of people, Morton underwent an operation to remove a jaw tumor. During the procedure, the patient slept peacefully, and this was a triumph for the doctor.

2. Aseptic and antiseptic

Until the 19th century, surgeons did not even think that it would be a good idea to wash their hands before an operation or childbirth. Disinfection? No, we haven't. Using one surgical instrument for a dozen patients was par for the course. As a result, most operations ended in suppuration and gangrene, and childbirth ended in blood poisoning. Mortality after the intervention of surgeons was simply enormous.

Before the discovery of X-rays, surgeons had to re-break the malunion of patients' limbs. Such operations were painful and often did not lead to a full recovery.

A world without antibiotics was terribly dangerous - any infection threatened life. Infection with tuberculosis, whooping cough or pneumonia was tantamount to a death sentence.

The idea that some microbes can be fought with the help of others existed as early as the 19th century. However, in fact, the first antibiotic was discovered by the Scottish researcher Alexander Fleming in 1928. Despite the fact that Fleming was known as a brilliant scientist, he made the main discovery of his life thanks to the disorder in his laboratory. In a petri dish he forgot with staphylococcus, mold fungi settled, which destroyed pathogenic bacteria.

For his discovery, Alexander Fleming received the Nobel Prize, and humanity was able to successfully fight tuberculosis, pneumonia, malaria and other diseases that were previously considered incurable.

5. Insulin

Organs affected by diabetes.

The treatment of oncological diseases at all times was very dangerous and often did not end with a victory over the disease. Malignant tumors are very difficult to defeat, because cancer cells are constantly mutating and creating new clones.

Until the 19th century, millions of people died every year from the smallpox epidemic in Europe, and the survivors often became disabled. Smallpox did not spare anyone - monarchs and ordinary people became its victims, and the mortality rate reached 80%.

The idea that people can be infected with an infection so that they do not get sick with it later was born back in the 10th century. Chinese doctors inoculated healthy people with liquid from the vesicles of smallpox patients. True, such methods were very dangerous - the percentage of death was high.

The first person who was able to invent a working and relatively safe method was James Lind. Seen business - this strange man offered to treat sailors suffering from scurvy, with the help of lemons and limes. True, time showed that Lind was right: scurvy arose from an acute deficiency of vitamin C.

Dozens of scientists from different countries fought over the riddle useful substances, but the English doctor Frederick Hopkins and the Dutchman Christian Eikman received the Nobel Prize. They finally managed to explain to mankind what vitamins are. The discovery of vitamins made it possible to prevent and cure many diseases. About some of them modern people didn't even hear.

Bonus: false memories

Scientists at the University of Massachusetts implanted false memories into the brains of mice. Neuroscientists have introduced fictitious information into those areas of the brain that are responsible for information about the past, and literally replaced good memories with bad ones.

A few years ago, such a discovery was considered incredible. About the same as painless operations in the 19th century. Today, however, operations under anesthesia are considered a routine. Perhaps someday memory transplantation will become a reality. And our life will be much cooler than Hollywood films.