Medical technology innovations encompass new developments and discoveries that focus on improving the diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and management of diseases. Some of the medical technology innovations that are revolutionizing global healthcare are:
This is a novel technology that uses messenger RNA (mRNA) molecules to deliver genetic instructions to the cells of the body, triggering an immune response against a specific disease. mRNA vaccines are faster, cheaper, and easier to produce than traditional vaccines, and can be adapted to new variants of viruses. mRNA vaccines operate through the delivery of mRNA fragments encoding viral proteins, typically targeting a specific portion of a protein located on the surface of the virus. Presented below is a sequential delineation of each stage:
Memory: The immune system also has a memory, suggesting that it will remember its responses to antigens should a future intrusion by these antigens occur.
The mRNA vaccines have demonstrated their effectiveness in managing the COVID-19 pandemic. These vaccines hold promise for combating a wide range of contagious health challenges beyond just COVID-19. What makes these vaccines even more remarkable is their versatility, as they hold the potential to be harnessed for the management and prevention of various other infectious diseases. Diseases such as Zika (a rare disease), known for their devastating effects, could potentially be mitigated with the use of mRNA vaccines. Moreover, the persistence of HIV, a virus with a profound global impact, may become a target for mRNA-based vaccine strategies. Even cancer, a complex and multifaceted disease, may one day see novel treatment approaches through the utilization of mRNA vaccines. RNA-personalized cancer vaccines could train your immune system to attack cancerous cells.
In addition, mRNA vaccines are being developed to combat various other diseases, including Epstein-Barr virus, cytomegalovirus, seasonal flu, respiratory syncytial virus, Herpes simplex virus, and multiple sclerosis.
This is a new approach for detecting and treating prostate cancer, which is the most common cancer among men in the US. PSMA-targeted therapy uses a radioactive tracer that binds to prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA), a protein that is overexpressed on the surface of prostate cancer cells. The tracer can be used to visualize the location and extent of the cancer with PET imaging and can also deliver radiation therapy directly to the tumor cells, sparing the surrounding healthy tissue. PSMA-targeted therapy has shown improved accuracy and efficacy compared to conventional imaging and treatment methods.
This is a novel therapy that lowers the levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, also known as “bad” cholesterol, in the blood. High LDL cholesterol is a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, such as heart attack and stroke. The new treatment is an injectable drug called inclisiran, which works by silencing a gene that regulates the production of LDL cholesterol in the liver. Inclisiran can reduce LDL cholesterol by up to 50% with only two doses per year and has fewer side effects than existing cholesterol-lowering drugs, such as statins.
This is a groundbreaking technology that uses a tool called CRISPR-Cas9 to edit the DNA of the cells that produce hemoglobin, the protein that carries oxygen in the blood. Sickle cell disease is a genetic disorder that causes the hemoglobin to form abnormal shapes, leading to chronic pain, organ damage, and premature death. Gene editing can correct the mutation that causes sickle cell disease, restore the normal function of hemoglobin, and cure the disease. Gene editing has been successfully used to treat several patients with sickle cell disease, and could potentially be applied to other genetic diseases, such as cystic fibrosis, hemophilia and muscular dystrophy.
Digital health passports:
This is a digital platform that stores and verifies the health status of individuals, such as their vaccination records, test results, travel history and exposure risk. Digital health passports can facilitate the safe and efficient movement of people across borders, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Digital health passports can also enable access to health services, such as telemedicine, online prescriptions, and remote monitoring. Digital health passports can enhance the security, privacy, and interoperability of health data and empower individuals to manage their own health information.
3D Printing:
3D bioprinting is a technology that can produce three-dimensional structures of living cells and biomaterials, mimicking the architecture and function of native tissues. Some of the latest advances in 3D bioprinting are:
Organ and Tissue Printing: Researchers were making progress in bioprinting entire organs and tissues. This includes the development of functional miniature organs-on-a-chip for drug testing and the exploration of bioprinted tissues for transplantation.
Vascularization: One of the challenges in bioprinting larger and more complex tissues is ensuring proper blood supply. Scientists were working on bioprinting vascular networks to supply nutrients and oxygen to the printed tissues.
Multi-material Printing: Advances in multi-material and multi-nozzle bioprinters allowed for the simultaneous printing of different types of cells, hydrogels, and support structures, enabling the creation of complex tissue structures.
Bioinks: The development of advanced bioinks with improved compatibility and properties for different cell types and tissues is ongoing. Some bioinks were designed to be biodegradable, allowing for the gradual replacement of the printed structure by natural tissue.
Drug Testing and Disease Modeling: 3D bioprinting is increasingly being used to create realistic tissue models for drug testing and disease research, enabling more accurate predictions of drug responses and disease progression.
Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing:
This testing method can detect certain genetic disorders in a fetus without invasive procedures. Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing (NIPT) represents a groundbreaking advancement in prenatal care, offering a means to detect genetic disorders in a fetus without the need for invasive procedures such as amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling (CVS). Traditionally, these invasive procedures carried some risk to both the fetus and the mother, including the potential for miscarriage. NIPT, however, utilizes simple blood drawn from the pregnant individual, typically around the 10th week of pregnancy or later, to analyze fetal DNA that circulates in the maternal bloodstream.
The process involves isolating and analyzing cell-free fetal DNA (cffDNA) present in the mother's blood. Fetal DNA is shed into the maternal bloodstream through the placenta, providing a non-invasive means of accessing genetic information about the fetus. This fetal DNA can be screened for various genetic abnormalities, including chromosomal disorders such as Down syndrome (Trisomy 21), Edwards syndrome (Trisomy 18), and Patau syndrome (Trisomy 13), as well as other conditions such as sex chromosome abnormalities and certain microdeletion syndromes.
NIPT is highly accurate, with detection rates typically exceeding 99% for common chromosomal abnormalities. This high level of accuracy can provide expectant parents with valuable information about their baby's health early in pregnancy, allowing them to make informed decisions about further diagnostic testing or potential treatment options.
Medical technology innovations represent significant advancements aimed at enhancing the diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and management of diseases. The emergence of mRNA vaccinology, exemplified by the development of mRNA vaccines, showcases a promising avenue for addressing various infectious diseases with agility and efficacy. Moreover, PSMA-targeted therapy in prostate cancer, novel treatments for reducing LDL cholesterol, gene editing for sickle cell disease, digital health passports, 3D bioprinting, non-invasive prenatal testing, neurovascular stent retrievers, cancer detection through protein biomarkers, neural sensor feedback for artificial limbs, and non-invasive remote glucose monitoring for diabetics collectively underscore the diverse and transformative nature of contemporary medical technology. These innovations not only offer new avenues for disease management but also hold the potential to significantly improve patient outcomes and healthcare delivery on a global scale. As technology advances, new and novel discoveries will be made, which will enhance the overall well-being of humanity.
Written By: Lawrence D. Jones, Ph.D.