It’s been a good year for medical advances, from new drugs for Alzheimer’s disease to new applications of artificial intelligence, such as reading cancer scans.
Looking ahead to 2024, I expect to have a lot more fascinating research to report – so here’s where Mystic Mike pulls out his crystal ball and makes predictions about stories that will make headlines in the coming year…
Weight loss drugs to treat drinking problems
Perhaps the biggest story this year was when a new generation of obesity drugs, led by semaglutide (brand names Ozempic or Wegovy), entered the mainstream. Many celebrities, even Boris Johnson, have said they have used or will use the drug to lose excess pounds.
In his column for the Mail, Boris said he injected himself in the hope it would end his habit of “raiding the fridge at 10.30pm for cheddar and chorizo washed down with wine”. Then he started having side effects and stopped taking the injections.
Mystic Mike takes out his crystal ball and makes predictions about stories that will make headlines next year
Semaglutide mimics the effects of a hormone called glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1), which among other things reduces appetite.
These drugs will undoubtedly remain with us and be cheaper and easier to administer (for example, we will soon be taking pills instead of injecting ourselves). But I think we’ll hear more about its use in treating other addictive behaviors like smoking and excessive drinking in the coming years. This is because some people using semaglutide have reported that it has curbed their cravings for cigarettes.
A small study published in November in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry was the first to show that semaglutide reduces alcohol dependence. But other studies are underway, including one at the University of North Carolina, where 48 heavy drinkers received the drug or a placebo for eight weeks. This study will be completed in April 2024.
GENEDICTION CAN HELP CANCER PATIENTS
The idea of being able to treat someone with an inherited genetic disease by replacing defective genes with well-functioning genes has been a promise made to us for years – and last November the UK became the first country to allow gene editing. a possible cure for two inherited blood disorders: sickle cell anemia and thalassemia.
In both cases, genetic defects lead to abnormal red blood cells, which in turn can lead to severe anemia, organ damage, and premature death. Researchers at Imperial College London have managed to collect stem cells from the bone marrow of patients with these diseases, cut out the bad genes, replace them with good ones, and then inject those cells back into the patients – in the hope that the stem cells will restart The cells will then produce normal, healthy red blood cells.
Last November, Britain became the first country to approve gene editing as a possible cure for two inherited blood diseases: sickle cell anemia and thalassemia.
In recent clinical studies, researchers have shown that this was exactly the case in the majority of patients.
In the future, we can expect to see more patients with these diseases treated with gene editing – and I expect that this technique will also be widely used in cancer (where doctors insert genes into the white blood cells of the immune system and make them. ). cancer attack). and kill the cancer). For example, there is a clinical trial looking at this approach to treat adults with breast, colon or lung cancer. The results are expected next year.
In the future, gene editing could potentially be used to treat more of the other 6,000 diseases caused by a single genetic “mistake.”
MEN start taking birth control pills
Another medical advance that has been a long time coming, but may finally take off soon, is the male contraceptive pill. Quotient Sciences, a Nottingham-based drug development company, has announced that a group of British men will be the first in the world to try a new hormone-free male contraceptive pill. Results are expected in 2024.
Quotient Sciences has announced that a group of British men will be the first in the world to try a new hormone-free male contraceptive pill
The pill with the unsexy name YCT-529 prevents sperm-producing cells from getting vitamin A.
We’ve known since the 1930s that vitamin A deficiency causes infertility in animals, but it took nearly 90 years and rigorous science to develop a drug that the manufacturer says is 99 percent effective at blocking sperm production and 100 percent reversible, without either side. effects. Previous attempts to introduce a male birth control pill failed because they targeted the male hormone testosterone, leading to problems such as weight gain, acne and decreased sex drive.
Poop pills for a longer life
One quest that has recently shifted from science fiction to fact is how to reverse the aging process. And thanks to a deluge of money flowing into research, we’ll see some big discoveries in 2024.
However, a simple way to slow down aging is to stimulate your microbiome (gut microbes). A 2018 study from the University of East Anglia showed that transplanting the faecal microbiota (ie feces) of young mice into old mice via a stomach tube could reverse the signs of aging in the gut, eyes and brain.
A simple way to slow down aging is to stimulate your microbiome (gut microbes).
And now a number of companies are having success with “crapsules,” pills that contain different strains of specially grown bacteria extracted from human feces, eliminating the whole messy problem of fecal transplants. Trials are currently underway to treat all types of diseases, from obesity to liver disease. Look for it in 2024.
But until then, I wish you all a happy and healthy 2024!
As the Mail recently reported, everyone suffers eye injuries on New Year’s Eve from corks flying out of champagne, sometimes at speeds of 50 miles per hour. It gives you less than 0.05 seconds to react and can cause blindness.
To prevent this, the American Academy of Ophthalmology recommends that sparkling wine and champagne cool thoroughly before opening. This traps more of the carbon dioxide gas that causes the bubbles in the wine and reduces the force of the explosion when the cork is removed.
Of course, point the bottle away from yourself and others. Rotate the bottle while holding the cork, not the other way around. And hold on to it when it comes out.
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Crystal Leahy is an author and health journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a background in health and wellness, Crystal has a passion for helping people live their best lives through healthy habits and lifestyles.
