In today’s modern world, it is common to hear about diseases that you had never heard a decade ago. Some of them are lethal, while others are not. Still, they have been affecting the way people live today. Fortunately, Biotech is improving the odds for millions of patients around the world with life-threatening conditions and helping to combat everyday threats confronting the developing world.
Tremendous progress has been made in developing new vaccines and therapies that dramatically reduce rates of infection, treat and cure serious illnesses. It also creates diagnostics that provide more precise and accurate tools for disease detection. Scientists have made progress in treating illnesses, as well as improving the overall quality of life for patients. The following biotechnology advancements have monumentally changed the human condition.
Here are some serious disease which has been cured by Biotech
Incurable Diseases of our generation can turn into a myth very soon
1. Promising cancer treatment
Leukemia in the tissues creates blood cells that can affect individuals of all ages, even newborn infants. Scientists have engineered cells using gene therapy to combat the disease. This technology is said to be one of the most advanced medical techniques that treat cancer.
Cellectis has engineered a therapy known as transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs).
This treatment is expected to serve as the magic bullet which wipes out cancer. After conducting successful trials on lab specimens, scientists have started testing with over 300 human patients, and it has shown incredible success. Scientists are working continuously to find solutions for human kind’s most pressing health problems. The demand for innovative health solutions is so high that the search for solutions even extends to talented students.
2. Alzheimer’s Treatment
Doctors have access to several medications, which improves cognition and memory in nearly half of the patients affected by Alzheimer’s disease. However, researchers are trying to improve the statistic by evaluating a dozen pharmaceuticals designed for treating the condition. Upon approval, the new treatments may help patients combat Alzheimer’s disease effectively and permanently. The researchers hope to accomplish this by developing drugs that target amino acids known as beta-amyloid plaques that congeal in the human brain. These amino acids are harmful as they impede human thinking and the ability to recall specific memories.
The drugs would perform like a heart surgeon while removing plaque from a clogged artery that is currently impossible to mimic in the human brain. The treatments may represent a long sought after breakthrough for those afflicted with Alzheimer’s disease. In addition to the new drugs, researchers are developing diagnostic tests that can detect early signs of the condition.
3. CRISPR in search for HIV Cure
CRISPR is a revolutionary new medical innovation. The technology enables genetic editing and could eliminate cancer along with many other deadly diseases. Researchers have removed HIV from living cells in a controlled environment. CRISPR technology may hypothetically assist biochemists in creating drugs that could treat currently incurable diseases in humans and other life forms. For example, researchers are currently researching with the technology for improving the ability of food crops to resist diseases and withstand environmental conditions.
While scientists believe CRISPR could increase the intelligence of an embryo, they warn that caution is highly warranted if scientists choose to pursue such a potentially unethical endeavor.
Gene editing has been in research for 40 years. Throughout these trials, researchers have debated over the balance between regulations and permissions. Too much regulation hinders progress, while too much permission might deteriorate ethical standards.
4. Speech Restorer for Parkinson disease
There are some incurable diseases like Parkinson’s disease and cancer where the patient might lose his power of speech. For them uttering simple words may prove difficult and only sound intelligible to caregivers, family members, and friends. However, scientists are working on technologies that will help patients suffering from such conditions.
The Voice Input Voice Output Communication Aid (VIVOCA) helps to translate indistinguishable words by using translation technology. This device is so efficient that, in some instances, it can complete a sentence for users after processing only two words. VIVOCA usually consists of a handheld computer and Bluetooth headset. Patients can customize the device with male and female voices accordingly. This device can also help vocalization of specific commands when users push a button.
Well-know personalities like Ian McMillan and BBC news anchor Christina Ackroyd have provided their voices. Users who suffer from motor neuron disease (also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease) and other speech difficulties might eventually claim their ability to speak and also can record their voices for later use with the device.
