5 ms·

'Man on the Moon' moment – the year's big breakthroughs in medicine

102 points by sdumi 7y ago

xiphias2 7y ago
In my opinion the most important medical advance that happened was reversing methylation based age indicator for the first time in a human. It's a bit sad to not see something so important on this list.
- rococode 7y ago
  For anyone curious, I believe this is the relevant paper: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6826138/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6826138/ And a blog post about it: https://www.activemotif.com/blog-reversing-epigenetic-age https://www.activemotif.com/blog-reversing-epigenetic-age
- ekianjo 7y ago
  N=10 though... And needs to be reproduced ideally.
ggm 7y ago
Mentions phage therapy as a one liner. Kept alive on life support (metaphorically) by Soviet scientists across the life of the antibiotics era which increasingly feels like it too is on life support.
- perl4ever 7y ago
  I heard about that many years ago, but isn't it something that fundamentally has to be customized rather than mass produced? Of course, there are other therapies these days that are as well.
  - TomMarius 7y ago
    Customized to the bacteria it should kill, not the patient.
mister_hn 7y ago
The biggest breakthrough for me would also be free medicines and Universal healthcare for everyone.
- mikeyouse 7y ago
  It's much less sexy than some of these technologies but universal access to Canadian-quality & cost healthcare worldwide (including in the US) would save so many more lives than some esoteric phage treatment that will surely cost $1M/patient.
- iso947 7y ago
  We have that. Next?
est31 7y ago
> But doctors at Great Ormond Street Hospital attempted an untested "phage therapy", which uses viruses to infect and kill bacteria. Phage-therapy never became mainstream medicine and the field was eclipsed by the discovery of antibiotics, which are much easier to use. Yes, phage therapy quickly disappeared after antibiotics were discovered. At the time, antibiotics were more convenient as they usually help against a wide range of bacteria while with phages you need to specifically test which phage works best for the strand you want to fight. It takes days with phages vs minutes with antibiotics. The co-discoverer of phages went to georgia and helped establish phage research at a medical institue [1]. The institute survived through the horrible times of stalin and later it became of strategic importance as the west didn't share antibiotics with the soviet union. Due to the strategic importance, samples had to be sent to the institute from all over the soviet union and now the institute has one of the largest phage collections in the world. It has continued giving phage therapies to patients for decades, up until this day. Definitely not mainstream but don't call it untested! [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Eliava_Institute https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Eliava_Institute
- varjag 7y ago
  > The institute survived through the horrible times of stalin and later it became of strategic importance as the west didn't share antibiotics with the soviet union. Penicillin and Streptocide were shipped to USSR under Lend-Lease in industrial quantities and saved many hundreds of thousands lives.
  - Retric 7y ago
    That’s true, but Lend-Lease ended well before Stalin’s death.
    - otabdeveloper2 7y ago
      You're nuts if you think the USSR didn't have penicillin and other antibiotics.
      - 7y ago
rosybox 7y ago
I know this is supposed to be good news and we should feel good about this, but as a generally healthy person all my life reading this I'm just shocked by the horrible diseases and illnesses that happen to good people just trying to live their lives. Through no fault of their own people end up with pain or disease and their quality of life, their hopes, their dreams, their daily life is affected. There's not a lot I can do to help any one dealing with pain and illness, but I want the best things for those of you who are. It's not your fault, and it doesn't matter if it is, nobody deserves a life of pain and suffering and other bullshit. We need to do the best we can for those affected, including making sure everyone has access to quality medical care.
- solids 7y ago
  When you think about it for a while is not only illness that can happen, actually everything could truncate your life in a second. So try to enjoy every second you have, I think it’s the best advice.
intricatedetail 7y ago
If they find anything that works it will be heavily regulated and too expensive for everyday Joe. Modern medicine is all about power, suffering and money.
- Broken_Hippo 7y ago
  Some things should be heavily regulated. Antibiotics, for example: not only do we have issues with antibiotic resistance, the "everyday Joe" does no have the tools to know if they have a virus or bacteria nor if they are taking the right type of antibiotic for the sort of infection they have. Different antibiotics and different forms (pill, drops, cremes) are better for different things. Too expensive? Perhaps fix the health care system. Some things are understandably expensive - autoimmune drugs, for instance. And someone needs to pay for R&D (but not ads). This doesn't mean that the poor sap who lost the genetic lottery should bear the brunt of it all. Not everywhere makes "everyday Joe" pay for all of it. Some things don't need to be so expensive: Insulins, for example, even after the R&D costs. Epi-pens. And so on. Regulation helps some of this. Power? Do you think these folks have power everywhere? Everyone needs to make a living, so yeah, like everything it is partially about money. Most folks involved in medicine, however, aren't going down that route. The CNA at the nursing home doesn't get paid much. The nurse gets paid more, but generally is stressed. And so on. I don't know what makes you think it is all about suffering. The issues in the US healthcare system really boils down to lawmakers not being willing to change things - again, most the folks in health care don't want folks to suffer.
elric 7y ago
It's a shame that there's no mention of the migraine related breakthroughs. Two new types of drugs that target CGRP (Calcitonin gene-related peptide) were approved and brought to market. One type is sold as injections and is used to prevent migraines, the other type is a tablet that's used to stop an acute migraine. About a billion (!) people are affected by migraines, so any new treatment has the potential to be very beneficial.
dekhn 7y ago
Just once I'd love to see an article that instead of breathlessly promoting ultra-expensive, risky, and unlikely to scale technologies, emphasizes how inexpensive and straightforward processes and procedures are far more effective for global health increase with reduced costs. While some of the concepts in this article may go on to be successful, they will mostly just increase the total cost of care.
- DenisM 7y ago
  Would you really want to read it? It’s going to be boring... - wash you hands often and don’t touch your face unless you just did - stay out of midday sun, over 45 degree elevation - no alcohol, simple carbs, or other addictive substances - no prolonged seating; walk some distance a few times a day. - modest stretch and exercise (like hipster yoga) - 8 hours of sleep; observe sleep hygiene. - prioritize reducing stress over “making a difference” and such - prioritize fulfilling social interaction - prefer a job that doesn’t torture you but gives a modest sense of accomplishment - if you are a doctor follow checklists - if you’re not a doctor follow checklists anyway EDIT: - plan vacations as far in advance as you can and generally sprinkle in your life something unconditional to look forward to - try dog or cat sitting for your friends; I’ve found that a good cat is a permanent +4 boost to mood every day for $100 per month
  - bananabreakfast 7y ago
    wtf is hipster yoga? Leave out the cynicism please
- yostrovs 7y ago
  Here's something you may like https://www.medgadget.com/2019/12/medgadgets-best-medical-technologies-of-2019.html https://www.medgadget.com/2019/12/medgadgets-best-medical-te...:

102 points by sdumi 7y ago

In my opinion the most important medical advance that happened was reversing methylation based age indicator for the first time in a human. It's a bit sad to not see something so important on this list.

rococode 7y ago
For anyone curious, I believe this is the relevant paper: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6826138/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6826138/ And a blog post about it: https://www.activemotif.com/blog-reversing-epigenetic-age https://www.activemotif.com/blog-reversing-epigenetic-age
ekianjo 7y ago
N=10 though... And needs to be reproduced ideally.

ggm 7y ago

Mentions phage therapy as a one liner. Kept alive on life support (metaphorically) by Soviet scientists across the life of the antibiotics era which increasingly feels like it too is on life support.

perl4ever 7y ago
I heard about that many years ago, but isn't it something that fundamentally has to be customized rather than mass produced? Of course, there are other therapies these days that are as well.
- TomMarius 7y ago
  Customized to the bacteria it should kill, not the patient.

mister_hn 7y ago

The biggest breakthrough for me would also be free medicines and Universal healthcare for everyone.

mikeyouse 7y ago
It's much less sexy than some of these technologies but universal access to Canadian-quality & cost healthcare worldwide (including in the US) would save so many more lives than some esoteric phage treatment that will surely cost $1M/patient.
iso947 7y ago
We have that. Next?

est31 7y ago

> But doctors at Great Ormond Street Hospital attempted an untested "phage therapy", which uses viruses to infect and kill bacteria. Phage-therapy never became mainstream medicine and the field was eclipsed by the discovery of antibiotics, which are much easier to use. Yes, phage therapy quickly disappeared after antibiotics were discovered. At the time, antibiotics were more convenient as they usually help against a wide range of bacteria while with phages you need to specifically test which phage works best for the strand you want to fight. It takes days with phages vs minutes with antibiotics. The co-discoverer of phages went to georgia and helped establish phage research at a medical institue [1]. The institute survived through the horrible times of stalin and later it became of strategic importance as the west didn't share antibiotics with the soviet union. Due to the strategic importance, samples had to be sent to the institute from all over the soviet union and now the institute has one of the largest phage collections in the world. It has continued giving phage therapies to patients for decades, up until this day. Definitely not mainstream but don't call it untested! [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Eliava_Institute https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Eliava_Institute

varjag 7y ago
> The institute survived through the horrible times of stalin and later it became of strategic importance as the west didn't share antibiotics with the soviet union. Penicillin and Streptocide were shipped to USSR under Lend-Lease in industrial quantities and saved many hundreds of thousands lives.
- Retric 7y ago
  That’s true, but Lend-Lease ended well before Stalin’s death.
  - otabdeveloper2 7y ago
    You're nuts if you think the USSR didn't have penicillin and other antibiotics.
    - 7y ago

rosybox 7y ago

I know this is supposed to be good news and we should feel good about this, but as a generally healthy person all my life reading this I'm just shocked by the horrible diseases and illnesses that happen to good people just trying to live their lives. Through no fault of their own people end up with pain or disease and their quality of life, their hopes, their dreams, their daily life is affected. There's not a lot I can do to help any one dealing with pain and illness, but I want the best things for those of you who are. It's not your fault, and it doesn't matter if it is, nobody deserves a life of pain and suffering and other bullshit. We need to do the best we can for those affected, including making sure everyone has access to quality medical care.

solids 7y ago
When you think about it for a while is not only illness that can happen, actually everything could truncate your life in a second. So try to enjoy every second you have, I think it’s the best advice.

intricatedetail 7y ago

If they find anything that works it will be heavily regulated and too expensive for everyday Joe. Modern medicine is all about power, suffering and money.

Broken_Hippo 7y ago
Some things should be heavily regulated. Antibiotics, for example: not only do we have issues with antibiotic resistance, the "everyday Joe" does no have the tools to know if they have a virus or bacteria nor if they are taking the right type of antibiotic for the sort of infection they have. Different antibiotics and different forms (pill, drops, cremes) are better for different things. Too expensive? Perhaps fix the health care system. Some things are understandably expensive - autoimmune drugs, for instance. And someone needs to pay for R&D (but not ads). This doesn't mean that the poor sap who lost the genetic lottery should bear the brunt of it all. Not everywhere makes "everyday Joe" pay for all of it. Some things don't need to be so expensive: Insulins, for example, even after the R&D costs. Epi-pens. And so on. Regulation helps some of this. Power? Do you think these folks have power everywhere? Everyone needs to make a living, so yeah, like everything it is partially about money. Most folks involved in medicine, however, aren't going down that route. The CNA at the nursing home doesn't get paid much. The nurse gets paid more, but generally is stressed. And so on. I don't know what makes you think it is all about suffering. The issues in the US healthcare system really boils down to lawmakers not being willing to change things - again, most the folks in health care don't want folks to suffer.

elric 7y ago

It's a shame that there's no mention of the migraine related breakthroughs. Two new types of drugs that target CGRP (Calcitonin gene-related peptide) were approved and brought to market. One type is sold as injections and is used to prevent migraines, the other type is a tablet that's used to stop an acute migraine. About a billion (!) people are affected by migraines, so any new treatment has the potential to be very beneficial.

dekhn 7y ago

Just once I'd love to see an article that instead of breathlessly promoting ultra-expensive, risky, and unlikely to scale technologies, emphasizes how inexpensive and straightforward processes and procedures are far more effective for global health increase with reduced costs. While some of the concepts in this article may go on to be successful, they will mostly just increase the total cost of care.

DenisM 7y ago
Would you really want to read it? It’s going to be boring... - wash you hands often and don’t touch your face unless you just did - stay out of midday sun, over 45 degree elevation - no alcohol, simple carbs, or other addictive substances - no prolonged seating; walk some distance a few times a day. - modest stretch and exercise (like hipster yoga) - 8 hours of sleep; observe sleep hygiene. - prioritize reducing stress over “making a difference” and such - prioritize fulfilling social interaction - prefer a job that doesn’t torture you but gives a modest sense of accomplishment - if you are a doctor follow checklists - if you’re not a doctor follow checklists anyway EDIT: - plan vacations as far in advance as you can and generally sprinkle in your life something unconditional to look forward to - try dog or cat sitting for your friends; I’ve found that a good cat is a permanent +4 boost to mood every day for $100 per month
- bananabreakfast 7y ago
  wtf is hipster yoga? Leave out the cynicism please
yostrovs 7y ago
Here's something you may like https://www.medgadget.com/2019/12/medgadgets-best-medical-technologies-of-2019.html https://www.medgadget.com/2019/12/medgadgets-best-medical-te...: