Replacing body parts like changing tires, performing surgery without incisions, listening to heartbeats through clothing, treating cancer with ultra-small pills, and rapid gene analysis… are revolutionary technologies in healthcare, according to a selection by the French weekly Marianne.
Changing Human Body Parts Like… Changing Tires
The dream of replacing damaged body parts with new ones has been a long-standing aspiration for humanity. In reality, medicine has achieved this through organ transplants (from humans and neighboring animals) or by implanting artificial parts.
However, the idea of transplanting a completely new copy that is genetically compatible with the patient’s own cells was once thought impossible. This may soon become a reality as Genzyme Company in Cambridge, Massachusetts, has successfully replaced damaged cartilage in the knee with completely new cartilage. This year, Tengion Company in Pennsylvania plans to transplant blood vessels for cardiovascular patients using vessels “grown” in the laboratory from the patients’ own cells. Thus, once inside the body, the transplanted blood vessels are no longer at risk of rejection.
Killing Cancer Cells with Ultra-Small Pills
This method is proposed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). It involves using a pill that is 200 nanometers (one billionth of a meter) in size, which is injected into the tumor to destroy cancer cells. The pill has a slow-dissolving outer layer that releases a substance to destroy blood vessels once it enters the tumor. Once the cancer cells are deprived of their blood supply, they can be killed by a toxin released from the pill. This method is very safe and effective.
Surgery Without Incisions
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A doctor at Hoàn Mỹ Hospital performing a laparoscopic surgery (Photo: VNN) |
Currently, this technology exists under the name “laparoscopic surgery.” In the near future, it will advance even further: through the endoscope, stem cells will be introduced into internal organs to generate new cells that replace damaged ones. At present, this method can be applied in cardiology through the Da Vinci robotic surgery method. By drilling three small holes the size of a pea in the chest, one can replace heart valves without opening the chest cavity.
Rapid Gene Analysis
Gene analysis currently requires substantial effort and time. This will be revolutionized by a DNA bug that can analyze thousands of DNA segments in an extremely short period. Its applications are diverse: detecting disease-causing genes, identifying relatives…
This technology is entirely feasible, as in 2005, Affymetrix released the FoodExpert-ID bug, which helps distinguish traces of 32 different types of animal meats in foods such as beef, chicken, lamb, goat, fish…
Clothing that “Listens” to Heartbeats
Currently, some patients with arrhythmias must wear bulky defibrillators or pacemakers, which can be cumbersome and difficult to install. In the near future, these individuals will only need to wear a shirt made of smart fabric that can “listen” to their heartbeats; when necessary, the shirt will automatically “correct” any abnormalities. This European project is called MyHeart (My Heart).
