11 Medical Breakthroughs That Will Make Us All Healthier Human Beings In The Near Future

Even as tech companies look to make faster and more efficient devices to make our lives easier, medical researchers are trying to do the same for our bodies.

And over the past couple of years, their efforts have been rewarded with some truly spectacular breakthroughs.

1. Reversing signs of aging

Researchers from the University of Alabama at Birmingham pinpointed that a decline in mitochondrial DNA content and mitochondrial function is what seems to cause signs of aging like wrinkles and hair loss. Using gene editing, they were then able to reverse the process in mice, restoring them to their pre-aged conditions. And not just making you look younger, it could be used to treat age-related conditions like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, neurological disorders, and certain cancers.

2. Touch-sensitive prosthetics

Back in 2017 A Glasgow Univerisity engineering team, led by Dr Ravinder Dahiya, developed a type of polymer they could use in conjunction with prosthetic arms to give wearers a sense of touch. The "skin" can be layered on any prosthetic arm, and relays back information about an object's texture and temperature to the brain. Additionally, since it's layered over micro solar panels, it even powers itself.

3. AI drug design

Developing a new medical drug can waste a lot of time and money, as the researchers use trial and error to figure out which chemical combination works as intended. On top of that, doing everything right can still result in an unstable, unusable molecule. Instead, the guys at MIT trained an AI on hundreds of thousands of molecule structures. Now, it's capable of looking at complex chemical combinations and building stable molecules much faster, speeding up the whole process greatly

4. Llama antibodies

Researchers have managed to weaponise flu antibodies from llamas to improve protection against seasonal flu. The way they've been synthesised means that you don't even need an injection. Instead, an intra-nasal administration at the start of the year would be enough to keep you hale and hearty for the rest of the year.

5. VR pain management

Through a number of tests, researchers at the Plymouth University have determined that engaging a patient in a virtual reality experience during a dentist visit actually decreased the pain they felt. The benefit was so great that its uses are also being explored for treating patients after major injuries and those with PTSD.

6. HPV Cure

The Human papillomavirus (or HPV) is incredibly common across the world and has over 100 variants, at least 14 of which can cause cervical cancer. Now, after 20 years of painstaking work, one Mexican doctor has uncovered a 100 percent cure for the virus, with absolutely no other side effects.

7. Speedy scanner

Two UC Davis scientists have built a full-body scanner that uses a combination of a PET scan and CT scan to render a 3D image of a patient's entire body, including their internals. Furthermore, it's capable of doing all of this in just a second, meaning it greatly speeds up diagnostics, tracking drug effectiveness and disease progression, and researching the effects and efficiency of new medical therapies.

8. 10-minute cancer test

Scientists at the University of Queensland, have developed a universal cancer test that uses a simple colour-changing fluid to reveal the presence of malignant cells anywhere in the body. All it takes is a patient's blood, meaning it's much less invasive than other cancer tests, and it's 90 percent accurate. Best of all though, is that you can see the results in just 10 minutes.

9. Micro health sensors

A product of Iota Biosciences, these are tiny sensors the size of a grain of rice. The sensors themselves are self-powered, and could reside permanently within your body. Additionally, they have wireless connectivity, so your doctor can download your health data with very little hassle.

10. Eat without getting fat

Our bodies are still geared towards our living situation millenia ago, when food was scarce and not reliably available. Scientists therefore have figured out the gene responsible for dealing with this by storing body fat from nutrition in case of emergency. And by turning that gene off, you could eat as much as you want and your body would be able to just slough it off. Within reason of course.

11. Artificial night vision

Chinese researchers conducting experiments on mice added nanoparticles to their retinas, successfully giving them the ability to see infrared light. Effectively, these super mice had night vision for a few days after the treatment, which is something humanity could find really handy.