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The world has faced bacterial resistance against antibiotics which requires further research to treat infections. Teixobactin is a new class of antibiotics which combats multidrug-resistant bacterial pathogens.

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At the turn of the 21st century, we learned that living cells can be created using inkjet printers. Today, various types of cells are combined with polymers and successfully form living, functional tissues. Many organs have already been printed like this. The first studies were conducted on mice, they were implanted with different parts of the body. 3d implantation gives great opportunities to modern medicine.

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In 1980s laparoscopic surgery was developed. This way of surgery is done by making small incisions, using small tubes, tiny cameras and instruments. From advantages, laparoscopic surgery is less painful, you won’t spend a lot of time for recovery in a hospital. Also it doesn’t lead to serious complications and leaves small scars. This way of surgery helps people, who can’t withstand a conventional procedure and it is the best way for them to obtain a cure.

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Over the past 10 years heart diseases went down because of the development of the area of cardiovascular health.

The faster a person having a heart attack  attends the hospital, the more likely that he will be treated by busting the blockage preventing the blood from circulating.

Thanks to the use of a stent it is possible to open plaque in the blood vessels.Then the damaged artery is replaced with a new vessel

These breakthroughs helped heart patients to live more

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open a new wave of treating patients used for tumors (with high doses of radiation - without incisions)
+ less downtime
+ less infections

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Nowadays, there are some methods in Cancer Treatment. But unlike chemotherapy and radiation, targeted cancer therapies target the cancerous cells and attack them. However. healthy cells are left by them alone.
Scientists are focused on targeted therapies, so FDA approved more than 25 drugs for their researches.

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Artificial organs are important transplants which can continue a life. Organ donation is a hard way because it's difficult to find a living donor or a donor who has died. By the way, it is really emotionally draining practice because new organ can be rejected.

Nowadays, people grow organs in lab and there are 7 types of organs that can be grown:

1) Eyes
2) Hearts
3) Skin
4) Bones
5) Muscles
6) Brains
7) Liver

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It helps to target areas of infection or different diseases. The advantage of such method is that it doesn't harm surrounding tissue.  It can help to cure many illnesses.  So, nanomedicine has a large progress.

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Earlier, it was really hard for people to cope with HIV because of huge number of medications and side effects. HIV could mutate and was becoming immune to the treatments very fast.

There is the evolution of 3 antiretroviral drugs. They combined a lot of medications into one dose.
1) Stribild
2) Juluca
3) Dovato

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People, who have lost parts of their bodies, or were born without them can subsitude them by special bionic devices, which can be controlled by an app, installed on computer or iPad.
Such great breakthrow makes people happier

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Wouldn't it be a wonderful world if no one had to fear a cancer diagnosis? What about knowing that a loved one wouldn't have to be put on a waiting list for an organ donation?

Every day, scientists and doctors are working hard to make medical advancements. The 21st century is only 19 years old, and we have already had some pretty amazing breakthroughs.

From the completion of the human genome draft to cutting-edge cancer treatments, there are some incredible medical breakthroughs that are changing the way conditions and diseases are treated.
‍ These advancements are in no particular order as each one is important in its own right.

Medical Breakthrough #1: Artificial Organs

Because of accidents, diseases, and birth defects, there's a constant need for organ transplants to continue a life. Currently, our only option is organ donation. While this is a great way to correct a problem, it takes either a living donor or a donor who has died to make this possible.

The emotional baggage that comes with accepting an organ from another person is tremendous - not to mention the worrying that takes place wondering if the new organ will be accepted or rejected.

Endless amounts of time and resources are being devoted to growing artificial organs in labs. Progress is being made, although it's a slow, painstaking process as organs are so complex.

According to Science Museums, there are 6 organs currently being grown in labs with some success:

Liver: using stem cells, scientists have grown liver cells that when transplanted into mice, have actually formed their own blood supply and matured into adult liver cells. When tested, these livers showed some normal liver functions. Hopes are that eventually, doctors can transplant fully-functioning lab-grown livers in humans.

Medical Breakthrough #2: HIV Treatments

HIV, or AIDS, treatments have come a long way since the inception of the disease in the 1980s. Originally, treatment consisted of a single regimen that was ineffective because there were many medications taken individually. It was hard for patients to stay on schedule taking so many medications, and the side effects were numerous.

The monotherapies (single drug treatments) also allowed HIV to change or mutate into a form that eventually stopped responding to the individual drugs. In other words, the disease was becoming immune to the treatments available.

In 2006, the FDA approved Atripla which combined three antiretroviral drugs into one which improved the treatment for AIDS. With three drugs being compiled into one, it was easier to stay on schedule, and the side effects were decreased.

Stribild, a medication approved for HIV patients in 2013, combined four HIV antiretroviral medications into one dose, which was even more effective in controlling the symptoms for these patients.

November of 2017 saw a big breakthrough in treating HIV. According to the FDA, Juluca was approved and was the first two-drug single-dose treatment for AIDS patients that were already on an antiretroviral treatment regimen. This was great for those patients, but patients that were not on an antiretroviral treatment already were still out of luck.

In April of 2019, Dovato, a two-drug single-dose treatment for HIV was approved for people who have not been on antiretroviral therapy. This breakthrough now makes it possible for all HIV patients to be on an effective single-dose therapy.

Medical Breakthrough #3: Functional MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging)

Functional MRIs, or fMRIs, are making it possible for doctors and scientists to virtually read minds.

Regular MRIs allow doctors to see how the brain looks, whereas fMRIs allow them to see what the brain does.

Doctors can actually track changes in the brain cells, oxygen levels, blood circulation, and how the neurons function, showing which parts of the brain are involved in specific activities.

By looking at normal, diseased, and injured brains, researchers can assess the brain and spinal cord without invasive procedures or using painful drug injections.

Medical Breakthrough #4: Controlling Heart Disease

Thanks to advancements in the area of cardiovascular health, deaths due to heart disease have dropped significantly over the past 10 years.

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If attended to quickly, a person having a heart attack can be successfully treated by busting the blockage that prevents the blood from circulating with t-PA, a genetically engineered tissue plasminogen activator.

Plaque in the blood vessels can then be opened by the use of a stent which is put into the artery. The damaged artery is then replaced with a new vessel through a procedure referred to as bypass surgery.

These advancements have dramatically increased the survival rate of heart patients.

Medical Breakthrough #5: Targeted Therapy in Cancer Treatment

Until recently, chemotherapy and radiation therapy were the only choices for treating cancer patients. These therapies not only attack cancerous cells, but they also attack the healthy cells which causes a new set of problems.

When given the option of these types of treatment or none at all, the chance of killing the cancer usually outweighs the result of having the cancer, so the side effects are expected and are dealt with as they come.

1. Interfere with the spread of cancer by blocking the cells that are involved in the tumor growth

2. Identifying and killing the deadly cancer cells

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Within the past 10 years, targeted cancer therapies have been developed that will work in one of two ways:

Either way, they target the cancerous cells and attack them but leave the healthy cells alone.

Researchers are focusing their energy on targeted therapies, and more than 25 drugs have been approved by the FDA for this purpose.

These targeted therapy drugs will allow treatments to be individualized based on each individual's tumor molecular makeup. This type of treatment does away with the side effects caused by chemo and radiation, which is great news for those affected by this disease.

Medical Breakthrough #6: Cyberknife

The cyberknife has opened up a whole new wave of treating patients. Surgeries that are not possible through conventional methods might be possible with the cyberknife because of the minimally invasive techniques it employs.

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The cyberknife uses a combination of robotics and imaging to attack cancerous and non-cancerous tumors. Using intense precision, it kills tumors with high doses of radiation.

No incisions

Minimally invasive

Less downtime after surgery

Less opportunity for infection

More effective than conventional surgery

Benefits of cyberknife technology include:

Medical Breakthrough #7: Bionic Prosthetics
Bionic limbs such as hands, arms, feet, and legs can be positioned through the use of an app on the iPad or a computer.

People who have lost limbs or are born without them now have the opportunity to replace that missing piece of their body with a fully functional device.

3-D computer models use socket designs to make these limbs useful and feel as real as possible.

Imagine the happiness a little boy feels when he gets to run again with the use of a bionic leg, or the joy a young girl feels when she does her own make-up and hair for prom with the use of her bionic hand.

Medical Breakthrough #8: Nanomedicine

The application of nanotechnology in medicine is an innovative use of nanomaterials. These nano (tiny) biosensors and nanoparticles make it possible to perform a corrective procedure right in the affected molecules.

Progress in this area has been quick with almost 130 drugs developed around the world.

When using nanomedicine, it is possible to target areas of infection or diseased areas without harming the surrounding tissue.

Medical Breakthrough #9: 3-D Printed Body Parts

Originating at the turn of the 21st century, it was found that living cells could be sprayed through inkjet printers without being harmed in any way.

Today, different cell types are combined with polymers and sprayed through various printheads. According to Reader's Digest, the polymers help the cell structure keep its shape making it possible to spray layers upon layers that bind together and grow into living, functional tissues.

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Body parts that have been successfully printed include:

Scientists have taken printed muscles and ears and planted them into animals which unified with their hosts. They have actually implanted printed ovaries into mice who conceived and gave birth with these artificial organs.

It is exciting to think of the possibilities that 3-D printing can offer for the human race.

Medical Breakthrough #10: Laparoscopic Surgery

Less pain

Shorter hospital stays

Fewer complications

Shorter recovery time

Smaller scars

Laparoscopic surgery has become as much of a normal procedure as conventional surgery. This minimally invasive surgery is done through one or more small incisions using small tubes and tiny cameras and instruments.

Benefits of laparoscopic surgery include:

Although this procedure was developed in the 1980s, it wasn't until the 21st century that it was perfected and began being used in many surgical specialities.

The use of laparoscopic surgery has opened the door to minimally invasive surgeries allowing patients that might not be able to withstand a conventional procedure the opportunity to obtain a cure.

Medical Breakthrough #11: New Class of Antibiotics

We are facing a major global health threat with the large increase in bacterial resistance against our current antibiotics.

It has been 30 years since a new class of antibiotics has been discovered. As we grow and evolve, we tend to develop a resistance to what we have been given over the years.

Teixobactin is a new class of antibiotics that is being developed to combat multidrug-resistant bacterial pathogens that are currently being used.

Teixobactin is a natural compound that can help us wipe out the superbugs that are invading our culture. Scientists are making great progress towards developing a version of teixobactin that can be prescribed to humans.

They are hopeful that this new class of antibiotics will aid in killing serious infections such as septicaemia and tuberculosis.

Medical Breakthrough #12: Completion of the Human Genome Draft

The human genome is all the genes that make up our DNA. In 2013, scientists completed the first ever draft that sequenced the human genome.

Information from DNA is used to develop new ways to treat, cure, or even prevent thousands of diseases affecting humankind.

Gene sequencing has already helped researchers identify single genes that cause diseases, enabling them to create treatments. This gene therapy is a huge step toward biomedical advancements.

The hope held by the medical community and the public is that the human genome draft sequencing will allow scientists and researchers to develop treatments or even cures for all diseases.

Medical Advancements Will Continue!

Throughout times, scientists have spent immeasurable hours and resources hunting for medical advancements that will save the lives of the people. When they encounter breakthroughs like the ones of the 21st century, we can see how important their work is for everyone.

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Scientific research is a slow but necessary process. Although some of these breakthroughs aren't immediately usable, we can see where they will become relevant as scientists and researchers continue their work.

Treating and even curing diseases through scientific breakthroughs in order to improve the quality of life is on the rise; what a great time to be alive!

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12 of the Biggest 21st Century Medical Advancements

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Wouldn't it be a wonderful world if no one had to fear a cancer diagnosis? What about knowing that a loved one wouldn't have to be put on a waiting list for an organ donation? Every day, scientists and doctors are working hard to make medical advancements.

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#12: Completion of the Human Genome Draft

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#12: Completion of the Human Genome Draft

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Scientists have finished the first genome draft which as a result enables people to diagnose and treat conditions people are genetically predisposed to. Also, it will
allow gene editing and will prompt the appearance of new treatments.

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Doctors from the USA discovered a way of treating burns completely. It allows the skin to heal evenly and conpletely. They use a thin layer of stem cells taken from the patient and spray them onto the wound.
To alleviate the need of grafts doctors duplicate the stem cells. It can prevent developing serious infections.