Medicine of the future: what technologies will allow people to overcome old age, disease and death? Artificial intelligence and big medical data. Diagnostics of the future - what it will be like

What will medicine be like in the future?

Medicine in the world is rapidly moving forward. Scientists were able to decipher the human genetic code, and not so long ago they learned to do it quickly and almost en masse. This gives access to completely new methods of treating and preventing disease. What will medicine be like in a few years, when latest methods will be available here, and what challenges it will pose to humanity, said Yuri Monchak, director of the laboratory of molecular diagnostics, professor of the Faculty of Medicine of McGill and Montreal Universities (Canada).

How will the medicine of the future work?

“The first thing that will change in treatment thanks to deciphering the genetic code is the emergence of personalized medicine. Having read your genetic code, you can now choose the treatment that will be most effective specifically for your needs and for your physical condition“says Yuri Monchak.

“In our laboratory, in about a year, we will begin to test this personalized approach to the disease. Now it will only be volunteers. We will take samples of them cancer cells, read the genetic code and based on the results obtained, together with pharmaceutical company We will look at what medicines can be applied to a certain disease (out of the 10 or 20,000 types of medicines that are in our library) and select which of them are the most effective. According to the scientist, such a personalized approach will greatly increase the effectiveness of treatment.

Another opportunity new medicine, which has opened up to scientists - growing “spare” cells for treatment. Cells from any tissue (for example, skin) that have these defective genes in their genetic code can be taken from the patient. Scientists differentiate these cells into exact copies of diseased cells. Then it will be possible to replace the defective genes with the correct genes, grow these cells in Petri dishes and transplant them into a sick person.

There are, of course, nuances here - for example, we cannot replace an entire brain. But if it is a heart attack, when part of an organ freezes, such cells can be implanted, and they will heal and treat part of the sick person’s heart.

“Over the last century, even though humanity has only had a primitive knowledge of medicine, middle age human life has increased from 50 years to 75 years. How much will it change? average duration life with the knowledge we have now is difficult to predict,” notes Yuri Monchak.

In developed countries, the latest methods will be used in just a few years

“These newest methods in medicine, at least in the initial phase, will be introduced to the bulk of the population in developed countries within 5-10 years,” says the director of the molecular diagnostics laboratory. There are already companies that offer sequencing (decoding) of part of the genes. And based on this, doctors can determine your susceptibility to about fifty different diseases.

Patients are told whether they are prone to a particular disease. This way, you can consult a doctor who can explain this to you and, if possible, give recommendations to reduce the risks of developing potential diseases. “I think there will soon be many more such firms. However, there is a risk that people may learn some things about themselves that they would rather not know. There are some very serious ones here ethical issues that this science puts forward,” the scientist believes.

According to Yuri Monchak, in America already next year plan to sequence (decipher) complete genome every newborn child. On the one hand, this is a large-scale project, and it is needed. But on the other hand, humanity does not yet have an answer to the questions that will arise at the beginning of the implementation of this project. After all, deciphering the code may show that the child may have a certain disease.

But what if there is no cure yet to treat this disease? How will this affect the future of the child and the attitude of his parents towards him? Will the parents of such a child invest in his education and development?

“It is very easy to read the code, but having the appropriate drugs to treat the diseases that will be indicated after sequencing is much more difficult. So we're a little ahead of our capabilities. Now a lot will depend on lawyers and bioethics, who will be able to give the development of this industry the right direction and determine which diseases parents should be told about and which they should not,” says Professor Yuri Monchak.

Prospects in Russia

Russian medicine still lags behind developed countries by at least 10-15 years, the scientist said. However, this gap can be significantly reduced under favorable circumstances, he believes.

According to him, today science in Russia is “stifled,” but if it is given the opportunity to develop, even with a minimal increase in capabilities, scientists in Russia will immediately, like mushrooms after rain, reveal their potential.

“Two key changes are needed in Russia: to stabilize the political situation and to fight corruption,” says Yuri Monchak. According to him, low level Scientists' salaries make our country very attractive to potential investors - pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies who would be willing to invest money in institutes. In Russia, even very talented scientists are willing to work for minimal pay. If you invest a little more money in this area, motivation will increase, many students will see that they can successfully implement themselves in it, and this will be a significant impetus for the development of science. But today, potential investors are not sure where this money will end up and where the inventions will then be used.

In addition, it is important to reform science in Russia and give laboratories more autonomy, and, consequently, the opportunity to develop. “So that small laboratories do not expect that all permits and instructions must come down from above, from some institutions - the government or the ministry,” says Yuri Monchak.

Enormous opportunities and bioethics

“14 human embryos have already been cloned. Some of them came from dead child. The child died in a car accident. His blood was transferred to the laboratory, and this child was cloned, says Yuri Monchak. “Now, as far as we know, each of those embryos was rejected, that is, there is no cloned person on Earth yet.”

However, if such a child is born, many questions arise, for example: how will this child feel about the fact that he is a copy of another creature.

Today, the scientist who did these human cloning experiments has moved his laboratory from America, where laws prohibit cloning, to Lebanon and continues his work there. “He, by the way, carried out experiments on combining the genetic apparatus of humans and cows, simply to explore whether the cow embryo could add some factors that would allow the human embryo to survive. A scientist can do this. But should he do this? - asks Yuri Monchak.

“In addition, scientists can now take any cell from your body and return it to a stem state. From this state, scientists can differentiate it into any other cell in the body. You can take one cell from two men. Differentiate one cell into a sperm, the other into an oocyte, cross this sperm with an oocyte, and a child will be born who will have two biological parents. How will this affect the child psychologically? He won't have a mother? Do we have the right to do such things? That's the question.

Revolutionary changes are taking place today in various fields. Medicine is also trying to keep up in this regard, despite its traditional conservatism. New drugs, new treatment methods, new technologies are being introduced into medicine. Most outdated treatment methods cannot be done without radical changes.

What we could only see a couple of years ago in science fiction books is now being vigorously discussed at medical conferences dedicated to innovation. Great emphasis is placed on lately on computer technologies that are being introduced into surgery and are used for therapeutic and diagnostic purposes.

In the medicine of the future important role are not devoted to the treatment of diseases, but to their prevention and early prognosis. Implementation is gaining great momentum diagnostic devices. Predicting the disease makes it possible to save on treating the patient.

Thanks to the Internet, consultations can be carried out remotely, which saves time not only for the patient, but also for the doctor.

Personal electronic medical record

One of the stages of improvement modern medicine is the personalization of data and increased communication between doctors. Easy access to the medical history, allows you to prescribe timely effective treatment.

Maintaining medical records can gradually move online. Cloud software is used to store large amounts of information on the Internet. Thanks to the Internet, doctors from different clinics have access to patient data. Electronic medical records make it possible to timely learn about the patient’s health and prescribe effective treatment. Linking the equipment of a medical institution into a single network will make it possible to receive examination data on doctors’ portable devices. In the United States of America, some clinics already operate on this principle. Doctors have tablets that contain information about the patient: what medications are prescribed, test results, etc.

The introduction of Internet technologies saves time for the patient and the doctor. There is no need to get to the clinic; you just need to turn on the computer and you can contact a medical institution. Some doctors in Russia are already practicing consultations via Skype. Video calls make it possible not only to conduct a survey, but also to general examination, which is often enough for general idea about human health. If you still need to see a doctor, you can also make an appointment online. Such a service can already be found today in some clinics, including in Moscow.

How will diseases be diagnosed in the future?

Development medical technologies is moving towards ensuring that people can take care of their health on their own. Today in every home you can see tonometers. Diabetic patients use portable glucometers.

Pressure measuring devices, scales and other portable equipment are equipped with wireless transmitters that allow you to immediately transfer data to a computer and keep track of your health.

To the list of publications

The process of medical development is accelerating every year, and 2017 is full of technologies that open up new prospects for treating people. “Futurist” has compiled a selection of the most relevant and significant of them.

Robotics and automation are gradually transforming the way doctors perform both surgery and therapeutic treatment. New systems take advantage of advances in software, miniaturization and robotics, allowing for minimal invasive operations on the most delicate parts of the human anatomy. Every year, robots perform increasingly complex tasks with precision impossible for humans.

New da Vinci X surgical system

Successfully implemented models of da Vinci surgical robots continue to be improved. The new member of the line will provide surgeons and hospitals with access to advanced technologies robotic surgery at a lower cost. Intuitive Surgical, a robotic company and a global leader in robotic minimally invasive surgery, announced that its new da Vinci X surgical system has already received CE Mark certification in Europe.

“Over the past 21 years, Intuitive Surgical has become a pioneer in robotic surgery, and we continue to lead the way in developing and bringing to market innovative technologies results-oriented,” said Dr. Gary Guthart ( Gary Guthart) general manager Intuitive Surgical. “Our surgeons, hospitals and clients around the world have shared that robotic-assisted surgery makes a huge difference to their patients, highlighting the importance of providing choice from a clinical, technological and cost perspective.”

da Vinci robotic systems are designed to help surgeons perform minimal invasive surgery. However, they are not programmed to independent conduct surgical operations. All procedures are performed by a surgeon who controls the system, while Da Vinci provides high-definition 3D images, robotic and computer assistance.

Robot surgeon capable of performing brain surgery 50 times faster than a human

Brain surgery requires extreme precision; one mistake can lead to the death of the patient. Even in one of the most skilled professions in the world, human error can cause a fatal error. Researchers at the University of Utah hope to reduce the impact of human error: they believe that their operating surgeon is able to perform complex operations on the brain, reducing the time required to cut open the skull from two hours to two and a half minutes. Thus, the robot will reduce the time required for a complex procedure by 50 times.

The device moves around vulnerable areas of the skull according to data obtained from a computed tomography scan and transmitted to the robot's software. Computed tomography shows the programmer the location of nerves or veins that the robot should avoid.

Besides obvious advantages machine mechanism, it can also save money in the long run due to shorter operation times. An additional advantage is the reduction in the time the patient remains under anesthesia, which also makes the procedure safer.

Therapeutic nanomaterials

Nanomaterials are devices that are so small that they can only be measured on a molecular scale. These microscopic machines are different forms and can be made from a variety of materials, from gold to synthetic polymers, depending on their intended functions. In fact, more than 50 nanoparticle-based drugs are already approved by the Food and Drug Administration, such as Abraxane for breast cancer and Doxil for ovarian cancer. These machines are now being used to selectively deliver toxic chemotherapy directly to cancer tumors, helping to reduce the doses needed to kill them and the risk of serious illness. side effects for the patient. In the future, nanotherapeutics could be developed to kill cancer cells themselves.

To this end, the researchers have developed a new platform for non-invasive imaging of the effect of nanoparticles on cancer in mice (in real time), which will help researchers improve them before testing in humans.

"This important step forward in this area,” said the principal investigator Alexander Steg (Alexander Stegh). “The nanotechnology field lacks the careful optimization that we see in conventional drug development, and we would like to change that. The system we've developed here really allows us to support those efforts.”

Steg's team used a new platform to test therapeutic nanomaterials they were developing, spherical nucleic acids (SNAs). They can kill a currently untreatable type of brain cancer by targeting a specific gene. The imaging system helped establish that nanoparticles have the greatest effect between 24 and 48 hours after administration, and therefore determine best time to administer additional chemotherapy.

Artificial intelligence

Another under-the-radar technological innovation in medicine involves the use of artificial intelligence (AI). IBM Watson, IBM's supercomputer, has already demonstrated a keen diagnostic eye, and machine learning and deep learning programs have been used to predict everything from when a patient is expected to die to the next major disease outbreak.

We can expect that the use of AI in medicine will only continue to grow. Especially this year, when the need to select and assimilate huge amounts of medical data - on an individual or large scale, public basis- will become critical. Meanwhile, the fear that potentially flawed machine learning programs will displace human resources will also become more real.

Gene editing

The revolutionary gene editing technology CRISPR/Cas-9 has become a unique breakthrough in the field of biology. She proposes transforming it from a slow, imprecise science into something closer to physical sciences. The future of gene editing technology is open to the most incredible guesses, despite legal bans in many countries and ethical questions associated with it.

Wider use of the technology in humans is already inevitable. Perhaps 2017 will be the year when this happens for the first time. Gene editing is most likely to be widely tested in the fight against cancer diseases, or using CRISPR to eradicate pathogenic human DNA viruses such as HIV or herpes.

But passive measures are also expected, such as simply studying the progress of Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative diseases or even non-medical agricultural and industrial applications this technology. Understanding how DNA sequences work will allow scientists to solve problems in all areas of biology, from treating human diseases to understanding why certain species go extinct.

Monitoring insulin-producing cells on a smartphone

For people with diabetes, insulin injections are an integral part of life. However, a new device created by Chinese researchers and tested on mice may eliminate the need for constant injections. The team implanted insulin-producing cells into diabetic mice and then used a smartphone app to “turn on” the cells. After two hours, the device, which its creators call HydrogeLED, stabilized the mice's blood sugar levels. Hydrogel capsule the size of a coin. It is implanted under the skin of animals and consists of insulin-producing cells and LED lamps. Cells produce insulin only when the LEDs are turned on.

Blood sugar levels can be monitored using a separate Bluetooth glucose meter, which alerts the app when it gets too high. The app then turns on the LEDs, triggering the release of insulin. The user can manually control the brightness of the LEDs and the duration of their operation, thus regulating how much insulin enters the blood.

However, using the application on humans is not yet possible due to some problems. The mice on which the device was tested are enclosed in a coil electromagnetic field, which is very similar to a smart home hub - this way the application can communicate with the server. LEDs are powered by the electromagnetic field itself, which means the entire system will not be able to work outside the coil. In addition, on at the moment Blood sugar levels are still checked with a needle.

Future versions of HydrogeLED will address these issues. Author of the study Haifeng Ye plans to launch 24-hour blood sugar monitoring with a built-in glucometer that can automatically trigger LEDs when needed.

What lies ahead? What goals do scientists and doctors set for themselves, and will we witness a real revolution in medicine?

The era of the 2000s was marked by a big breakthrough in information technology. Humanity has stepped far forward in matters relating to informatization and robotization of almost all spheres of human life. In particular, big changes are expected in medicine, and some fundamental innovations have already been introduced and have successfully proven themselves. For example, for recent years Laser technologies and telemedicine have become more and more actively introduced, when a doctor can consult his patients while being several thousand kilometers away. All this is available today, but what is the forecast for tomorrow?

Nanobots instead of surgeons

Lately about nanotechnology Only the lazy don't speak. In the world of science and medicine, nanotechnology is perhaps the most popular topic. And this popularity is not accidental. After all, nanoparticles have such fantastic properties that the entire scientific world can’t wait for nanostructures to be thoroughly introduced into our lives. In particular, in the future they predict the appearance of miniature robots (nanobots) that will “repair” the entire organism. The scheme will look something like this: the patient drinks a certain mixture with nanobots, and they are absorbed into the bloodstream. Or nanorobots will be administered intravenously. By traveling through the smallest blood vessels, nanobots will fix all problems. There are even plans to interfere with DNA. With the help of these nanoparticles it will be possible to correct sequences and prevent mutations that lead to diseases.

Organ growing

The population of our mother planet has already exceeded 7 billion. As the population grows, so does the number of diseases. If we also take into account environmental factors, then the morbidity rate of the population is growing in percentage terms. Often in the terminal stages of the disease, when the organ can no longer be saved, doctors resort to transplantation. However, there are not enough donors for everyone, and besides, the process of transplanting a “living” organ is a very labor-intensive and expensive process. Here the bet is on stem cells. Today, individual tissues are successfully grown in laboratories, and according to authoritative scientists, the time is not far when a person will be able to replace a diseased organ with a newly grown one from his own selected cells at a reasonable price.

Cyborg Man

If medicine still fails to grow organs efficiently, then there is a second option - human cyborgization. For example, a person’s stopped heart can be replaced with a more wear-resistant analogue. It is worth noting that in 2011, one of the American patients had his heart completely removed and replaced with two rotors pumping blood.

Artificial stimulators have been placed on the heart for a relatively long time, and the main problem with such devices was that they had to be changed every few years. Today, Israeli scientists have developed stimulants (and not only stimulants, but also other artificial devices) that feed on biocurrents human body arising from muscle contraction.

Diagnosis of the future

Diagnostics, or more precisely, occupies a special place in medicine. early diagnosis. Today, incurable forms of many diseases, in particular cancer, develop due to the patient’s late visit to the doctor, or due to the imperfection of modern diagnostic equipment.

The world may be deprived of future geniuses

As The Guardian writes, citing a new book by British author Graham Farmello, new details of the life of the great British physicist Paul Dirac have become known. It is suspected that he had autism. Many doctors, particularly in

It is planned to create special miniature sensors that will be sewn into human clothing or implanted under the skin. Such biosensory mechanisms will constantly reflect blood sugar levels, pressure, heart rate, blood biochemistry, hormone levels and many other parameters by which a doctor may suspect the onset of a particular disorder. Data will be transferred to medical institution, and if your attending physician does not like your tests, he will call you for an appointment. Thus, there will be no need for mandatory medical routine examinations. Special devices will constantly monitor the human body, preventing the disease from getting worse.

Difficulties

Ideally, medicine sets itself a very ambitious goal: to defeat all diseases. However, so far her achievements in this regard are very modest, and it is too early to talk about any dates in the future. The difficulty is that scientists have not yet discovered the “essence” of living things. Initially, scientists will have to create theoretical biology in order to be able to predict the “behavior” of life, as well as accurately calculate all its parameters. For example, thanks to theoretical physics, even a schoolchild can calculate the places where a steel ball of a certain mass thrown with a certain force will land. Unfortunately, how will a living organism behave under the same conditions? external conditions, unknown to anyone. One can only guess approximately, but this approach is not acceptable in treating patients.

Mikhail Khetsuriani

A lot of amazing things happen brief overview the most important ideas and developments would give an opportunity to look into tomorrow.

We offer you the top 10 medical technologies of the future.

1. Augmented reality

Google Patented Digital contact lenses are able to measure blood glucose levels through tear fluid. While this technology is preparing a revolution in monitoring and treatment diabetes mellitus, Microsoft engineers have created something amazing - glasses that change the way you perceive the world.

Hololens technology, which has been being tested by developers since 2016, could change medical education and clinical practice in general.

Back in 2013, the Fraunhofer Institute in Germany began experimenting with an augmented reality app for the iPad while remote cancerous tumors. During the operation, surgeons can see through the patient's body, guiding the instrument to the tumors with pinpoint precision.

2. Artificial intelligence in medicine

We are entering an era when computers will not only perform tests, but also make clinical decisions alongside (or instead of) doctors. Artificial intelligence, using IBM Watson as an example, is already helping to avoid human error by remembering and analyzing thousands clinical trials and protocols.

The said supercomputer can read and remember about 40 million in 15 seconds medical documents, choosing the most suitable solution for the doctor. Load 40 years into it clinical practice, and we will become redundant...

A doctor is a living person, and the human factor sometimes becomes the cause of fatal mistakes. Thus, in UK hospitals, 1 in 10 inpatients experience the consequences of human error in one way or another. According to experts, artificial intelligence will help avoid most of them.

Google's Deepmind Health project is used to mine medical data. Together with the UK's Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS, the system is working to automate and speed up clinical decision making.

3. Cyborgs among us

Our readers have probably heard about people who have already received electronic components in place of lost body parts - be it a hand or even a tongue.

In fact, the era of cyborgs began many decades ago, when people crossed the line between living and inanimate nature. First implantable pacemaker in 1958, first artificial heart in 1969...

The current era of cybernetic hype in the West has been embraced by a new generation of hipsters who are ready to implant iron body parts for the sake of a “cool” look.

Advances in medicine today are seen not only as an opportunity to overcome illness and compensate for physical defects, but also as an amazing way to expand the capabilities of the human body. Eagle eye, hearing bat, the speed of a cheetah and the grip of a terminator - it no longer seems crazy.

4. Medical 3D printing

Weapons and spare parts for military equipment can now be freely printed, and the biotechnology industry is actively working on 3D printing of living cells and tissue scaffolds.

Should we be surprised by printed drugs?

This will reshape the entire pharmaceutical world.

The technology of personal 3D printing of drugs, on the one hand, will complicate quality control. But, on the other hand, it will make billions of people independent of the murky business of Big Pharma.

It is possible that in 20 years you will be able to print citramone tablets in your own kitchen. It will be as simple as a cup of morning coffee. The prospects for transplantology and joint replacement look simply amazing. Doctors will be able to create bionic ears and components hip joints“at the patient’s bed”, based on photographs and personal measurements.

Already today, thanks to the e-NABLING the Future project, caring doctors and volunteers are distributing medical 3D printing, publishing video tutorials and developing new technical documentation on prosthetics.

Thanks to them, children and adults from Chile, Ghana, and Indonesia received new artificial hands, not available with “template” technologies.

5. Genomics

The famous Human Genome Project, aimed at completely mapping and deciphering human genes, ushered in the era of personalized medicine - each person is entitled to his own medicine and his own dose.

According to the Coalition for Personalized Medicine, there are hundreds of evidence-based applications for genomics-based clinical decisions in 2017. With them, doctors can select the optimal treatment based on the results genetic tests specific patient.

Thanks to rapid genetic sequencing, Stephen Kingsmore and his team saved a terminally ill child in 2013, and that was just the beginning.

Genomics is an amazing medical tool for preventing and treating disease when used wisely and responsibly.

6. Optogenetics

This is a technology based on the use of light to control living cells.

Its essence lies in the fact that scientists modify the genetic material of cells, teaching it to respond to light of a certain spectrum. Then the operation of the organs can be controlled using a “switch” - an ordinary light bulb. Science previously reported that optogeneticists have learned to induce false memories in mice by exposing the brain to light.

The perfect propaganda tool right after the evening news!

All jokes aside, optogenetics can offer fantastic treatment options chronic diseases. How about replacing pills with a magic button?

7. Robot assistants

WITH rapid development technologies, robots are gradually moving from the screens of science fiction films into the world of healthcare. The growing number of elderly people makes the emergence of robotic assistants, nurses and carers virtually inevitable.

The TUG robot is a reliable "horse" capable of carrying multiple medical loads with a total weight of up to 1,000 pounds (453 kg). This little helper roams the corridors of clinics, helping deliver instruments, medications and even sensitive laboratory samples.

Its Japanese counterpart, Robear, is shaped like a giant bear with a cartoonish head. The Japanese can lift and put patients into bed, help get out of wheelchairs and turn bedridden patients to prevent bedsores.

At the next stage of development, robots will perform simple medical manipulations and take biomaterial for laboratory analysis.

8. Multifunctional radiology

Radiology is one of the fastest growing fields of medicine. This is where we expect to see our greatest achievements.

There has already been a transition from antediluvian X-ray machines to multifunctional digital machines that simultaneously see hundreds medical problems and biomarkers. Imagine a scanner that can count the number of cancer cells inside your body in a second!

9. Testing drugs without living creatures

Preclinical and clinical trials of new drugs require the mandatory participation of living beings - animals or humans, respectively. The transition from ethically questionable, time-consuming and expensive tests to automated in silico tests is a revolution in pharmacology and medicine.

Modern microchips with cell cultures allow you to simulate real organs and whole physiological systems, giving clear advantages over many years of testing on volunteers.

Organs-on-Chips technology uses stem cells to mimic a living organism using computing devices.

Many experts believe that this technology could completely replace preclinical animal testing and improve cancer treatment.

10. Wearable electronics

Modern man wears a Xiaomi mi Band, but the future lies in sensors that are more convenient and suitable for everyday wear. Biometric tattoos like eSkin VivaLNK can hide discreetly under clothing and transmit your medical information to your doctor 24/7.

Konstantin Mokanov