I’m sure you’ll agree that the world is looking more and more like a Sci-fi movie with each passing day. We’re getting closer and closer to seeing driverless cars on our roads, smart home technology is gaining more traction in various circles, and Amazon is getting set to start delivering things via drone. One particularly exciting niche where we’re seeing a lot of developments is health. Here are some of the medical technologies which make the future seem bright.
Lab-Grown Organs
New technologies are in the works which may one day be able to restore the function of failing human organs, or even replace them entirely! Sophisticated nano filters which can function as artificial kidneys may be able to replace dialysis machines in the near future, for example. However, many experts believe stem cell research is set to be the answer for the long waiting lists for organ transplants. A team of scientists from Harvard Medical School recently showed that beating human hearts can be grown using stem cells. Though this may sound a little uncanny and Frankenstein-esque, it has the potential to save lives in the long run.
Genome Editing Tech
Many of you reading this would have lived through the dawn of modern genome science, through the Human, and later the Personal Genome projects. Today, the Precision Medicine initiative has shown scientists a way of grouping together all these disjointed efforts, and pushing them in the right direction. A revolutionary new genome editing tech, known as CRISPR, is steadily working to change the way everyone thinks about genomics. This technological niche has the potential to remove harmful elements from our DNA, and could ultimately lead to the end of diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Huntington’s and Dementia, along with genetic predispositions to certain cancers. It may also be applied to add new features to the DNA of livestock, crops and even humans. Yes, this is probably the very start of the backstory behind Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World. If you rub out the specter of eugenics though, genome tech can do a lot of good for a lot of people!
High-Tech Home Diagnostics
For centuries, certain medical technologies and equipment have only been accessible at a clinic or hospital. However, we’re now looking towards a future where you’ll be able to use a lot of these from the comfort of your own home. Companies are developing ECG devices and ultrasound machines which are intended to be sold to the general public, and bring reliable diagnostics into your own home. For most of us, all this means is reduced medical bills, and no more online diagnoses which tell you that a headache is a brain tumor! However, there are far more serious applications that could come out of this niche. People will be able to monitor their own heart’s physiology from home, and airline staff will be able to perform quick ECGs on planes if a passenger shows signs of a heart attack.
