This topic emerged through a screening of emerging issues in science, technology and society in the context of the FET CSA OBSERVE.

http://www.horizon-observatory.eu/radar-en/index.php

The big picture

The following items of the OBSERVE findings refer to novel or unconventional therapies.

Prevent/repair heart attack

Heart disease is the leading cause of death across the globe. Research is underway for preventing or repairing heart-attacks with new technologies like biodegradable micro structures to repair heart tissue and injection of exosomes from stem cells to induce self-repair. Source: Science Daily, Gizmag;

Nano needles in regenerative medicine

In a trial with mice described in Nature Materials nanoneedles prompted parts of the body to generate new blood vessels; idea: help damaged organs and nerves repair themselves and help transplanted organs thrive. The nanoneedles are tiny porous structures that act as a sponge to load significantly more nucleic acids than solid structures. This makes them more effective at delivering their payload. They can penetrate the cell, bypassing its outer membrane, to deliver nucleic acids without harming or killing the cell. The nanoneedles are made from biodegradable silicon, meaning that they can be left in the body without leaving a toxic residue behind. The silicon degrades in about two days, leaving behind only a negligible amount of a harmless substance. Source: Kurzweil Accelerating Intelligence;

New methods for drug delivery inside the body

New ways to deliver drugs inside the body are being researched:

•           Capsuled microneedle patches travel to the intestines via the stomach.

•           Selfrepairing hydrogel carrying drugs can be injected through needles.

•           From fine coils of silicone tubes inserted into the body drugs are forced out through osmosis. Source:The Economist Technology Quarterly;

Spontaneous regression

After a few cases of unexpected regression of tumours scientists are looking to the underlying biology of so-called “spontaneous regression” to hunt for clues that could make these rare cases of self-healing more common. One line of research for replicate spontaneous remission in a cure is infecting patients with dengue fever. Source: BBC Futures;

Treating phantom pain with a mirror

Mirror therapy helps to cure phantom pain of amputees. It works by providing visual feedback to the brain about a functional arm rather than a missing limb, and this changes the central maladaptive reorganisation back to normal. In neuroscience the phenomenon is little understood. Source: BBC Futures;

Rising interest in traditional medicine

There is rising interest from science, society and companies in investigating traditional medicines such as recipes from monasteries. Source: Aggregation from several;

Self-tracking pill

A new drug-device was accepted for review by the Food and Drug Administration.  Buried inside the pill is a sand-sized metal grain. When the pill reaches your stomach, your stomach acids form a circuit with the metal, powering up a microchip. Soon, the entire contraption will dissolve, but in the five minutes before that happens, the chip taps out a steady rhythm of electrical pulses, barely audible over the body's background hum. The company says it's the first in a new generation of smart drugs, a new source of data for patients and doctors alike. But bioethicists worry that the same data could be used to control patients, infringing on the intensely personal right to refuse medication and giving insurers new power over patients’ lives. Source: The Verge;

Self-Propelled particles

Researchers at the University of British Columbia have created the first self-propelled particles capable of delivering coagulants against the flow of blood to treat severe bleeding, a potentially huge advancement in trauma care. Source: Futuristech Info;

Emerging research front: Control and treatment of schistosomiasis in Africa using the drug praziquantel

Schistosomiasis is a chronic parasitic disease caused by parasitic flatworms called schistosomes, which is prevalent in tropical and subtropical areas with poor sanitation, especially in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Studies address treatment mainly of Afri-can children with the drug praziquantel. Source: Thomson Reuters Research Fronts 2014;

Research front: Newly emerging psychoactive substances (new designer drugs)

New psychoactive substances (new designer drugs) such as herbal marijuana alternatives, like K2 or Spice and synthetic cathiones (“bath salts”) have been emerging in many countries. These drugs often have adverse effects, which range from minimal to life-threatening that are little known by health care providers and the public. In biological sciences the investigation of these substances in particular their effects and detection methods has become a hot research front. Source: Thomson Reuters Research Fronts 2014;