The speed of change is fascinating

As we head into the 2020s, tech developers and medical scientists are working hard to ensure that we stay healthy and well-cared for, for as long as possible. Here are some of the big healthcare innovations making waves at the moment.

Artificial blood has been proposed for a number of years, but it is only recently that it has gained any sort of traction in medical circles. The science behind it is simple to understand while no doubt actually being incredibly complex. Artificial blood does not seek to replace blood entirely but instead to supplement red blood cells in the body, to carry oxygen where it needs to be delivered.

These blood cells are called artificial as they are generated in a lab environment instead of a human body and are grown from stem cells. Researchers typically use hematopoietic stem cells taken from bone marrow for growing such cells. With blood donation dropping, this could be a timely solution to support healthcare professionals alongside blood donation drives.

Blindness is a massive issue no matter where you live on the planet. In particular, corneal blindness is the fourth most common blindness in the world. However, there is now a solution that is cheap and easy to deliver, and that could make a massive difference to many people.

Many are now coming forward to support medical staff in their endeavours in this sector. Tej and Wendy Kohli are key voices in creating help here. Following other charitable givers like Bill and Melissa Gates and Warren Buffett, it is clear that input from top figures like this is crucial in supporting a cause and seeing it develop into a system that could genuinely make a difference.

The ability to use genetic information to come up with a treatment plan for a patient is a precise art. However, research into the world of genomics is making this a much more viable method of treatment than it has previously.

The scope for this is massive. So much of our response to certain treatments can be bound up in our genetics and research here could change medicine forever. With setbacks like organ transplant rejection and gene mutation still having a major impact on medicine as a whole, it is incredibly important that researchers work to find a solution that works around these issues. Comprehensive and detailed genomics might be it.

All three of these areas have seen some massive leaps forward in the past month. No matter what, focus needs to be kept on these key areas in the future. Only then will we see some massive improvements that could shape our healthcare for the better. These developments could lead to the complex becoming the norm in worldwide healthcare.

Developments made today might one day be celebrated as pioneering breakthroughs that helped to transform healthcare and the lives of humanity.

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Healthcare innovations making waves in 2020 - Crawley Observer