The medical advancements which the world witnessed in 2013 were inspiring and promising. Some of the biggest medical breakthrough moments during the last one year will, without a doubt, influence the lives of generations to come. Here are some of the medical discoveries and successes that took place in 2013.
Baby with HIV Successfully Cured
Many people did not believe the news. Even the pediatrician behind the breakthrough Dr. Hannah Gay had a hard time accepting it. The toddler was born to a mother infected with HIV. With a mixture of three anti-HIV medications, the child became functionally cured of HIV. The virus remained isolated even after the baby stopped taking the drugs. However, scientists are not ready to celebrate this success. The reason is that nearly 60% of HIV remain dormant.
Innovation in Cholesterol Treatment
It is a general knowledge that high cholesterol levels may have fatal effects on the human body. However, doctors have found that cholesterols is not the only thing that can lead to heart disease. As a result, scientists now rely on a brand new calculator that can predict the chance of a stroke or other heart conditions. It relies on various factors like gender diabetes, smoking history and cholesterol levels, of course.
Advanced Pregnancy Tests
New pregnancy tests may soon flood the market. They do not simply detect a pregnancy, but they can also estimate the week of the pregnancy. That is possible by measuring the levels of the very same hormone that reveals the pregnancy.
Human Cloning
17 years after the Dolly the sheep, stem cell scientists managed to clone human cells. Don’t worry, the experiment did not involve the cloning of entire human being. Instead it consisted of cloning only skin cells through which scientists managed to create embryonic stem cells. Namely these cells are important for the treatment of conditions like diabetes, Alzheimer’s and heart disease.
Immunization with Just One Dose is Now Enough
The human papillomavirus vaccine is among the most effective ways for protections against different diseases. Until recently, it was believed that pre-teenage boys and girls need to take three separate doses for a complete immunization. However, this year it was discovered that one dose of the vaccine was able to produce 24 times more antibodies. Well, scientists are yet to discover whether a single dose is enough to protect us from infections and cancer. Despite that, this discovery shows that sometimes less is more.
Every new medical breakthrough opens the door to at least three more. Therefore, 2014 may be even more eventful when it comes to findings in this field.
