Medical science has made great strides in 2023. These advances include the development of vaccines and new drugs that can be useful for the treatment and prevention of many diseases.
According to reports, these drugs are used even for the most difficult to treat disorders, which is why 2023 is considered a year full of great medical advances.
According to NBC News, the list of the most important medical achievements in 2023 is as follows:
Development of a new vaccine against RSV
After years of efforts, experts have finally succeeded in producing the first vaccine against RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) for all age groups.
It is said that the US Food and Drug Administration has so far approved two vaccines for vulnerable people over the age of 60 to combat RSV. These vaccines are given to people over 60 years old who are vulnerable to RSV due to weak immune system.
Also, another RSV vaccine for pregnant women has been approved by this organization. This vaccine is injected in the last three months of pregnancy so that the baby does not suffer from this respiratory disease in the first six months of his life.
Treatment of anemia through CRISPR gene editing
The US Food and Drug Administration has approved two gene therapies for the treatment of anemia. This institution announced in early December 2023 that two gene therapy methods for the treatment of anemia have been approved by this institution.
The first method of treating this disease is that the fetal hemoglobin gene enters the human body with the help of a virus and prevents blood cells from sticking to each other and blood concentration.
Another method is that the stem cells are gene edited through the CRISPR method to make more fetal hemoglobin.
Production of birth control pills without a doctor’s prescription
In July 2023, the US Food and Drug Administration announced the approval of an over-the-counter birth control pill. According to this organization, this is the first contraceptive pill that can be obtained without a doctor’s prescription.
The name of this pill is Opil and it is said that this medicine consists only of progestin and there is no combination of estrogen in it.
According to experts, drugs that are only made of progestin have far fewer side effects than combined drugs.
Determining the cause of nausea during pregnancy
Research shows that about 80% of women experience nausea in the first trimester of their pregnancy.
American, British and Sri Lankan researchers recently discovered that the cause of nausea during pregnancy can be related to the hormone JDF15. JDF-15 is a hormone that plays a role in the production of the placenta.
They believe that by reducing the amount of this hormone, the complication of nausea during pregnancy, especially morning sickness, can be resolved.
Making the first Alzheimer’s drug
Alzheimer’s disease or forgetfulness is a disease that usually occurs with age. In the past, many drugs were produced to treat this disease, but none of them could appear very successful in treating this disease; Recently, however, the US Food and Drug Administration announced the approval of leqembi for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.
According to reports, this drug can slow down the progress of Alzheimer’s disease, especially in its early stages.
Production of R N A vaccine for the treatment of pancreatic disease
Biontech pharmaceutical company recently succeeded in producing a messenger RNA vaccine for the treatment of pancreatic cancer in collaboration with a research group.
Ibn Daro’s initial experiments showed that the RNA vaccine could prevent cancer cells from suppressing the immune system.
After that, the patients with this complication were injected with 9 doses of this vaccine in a period of several months.
Using artificial intelligence to diagnose breast cancer
Using artificial intelligence, a new tool has recently been developed that can detect breast cancer. It is said that this tool made by artificial intelligence has been able to diagnose this disease more accurately than screening tests.
“Mia” is the name of a tool recently developed by artificial intelligence at Imperial College London, and it is said that this new tool can perform up to 13% better than other methods in diagnosing this disease.
