The medical sector is benefiting from many achievements in 2018. Here are 10 that are sure to reshape the industry at large soon and in the future.

1. A DISCOVERY OF THE GENES THAT MAKE CANCER METASTASIZE

Researchers at the University of Alberta have identified 11 genes responsible for cancer’s spread. They propose that by inhibiting the identified gene targets, it’s possible to prevent more than 99.5 percent of metastasis.

2. A DNA TEST THAT PREDICTS THE LIKELIHOOD OF DRUG-BASED SIDE EFFECTS

The potential side effects of some drugs can be as severe as the ailments they treat. However, researchers at Japan’s Tohoku University developed a DNA test for East Asian patients taking thiopurine drugs, which suppress abnormal immune system activities.

Scientists say the DNA test is simple and particularly useful for the East Asian population since people from that group tend to have more severe side effects than Caucasians, even when taking smaller doses.

3. A SIMULATOR TO AID IN SUCCESSFUL CARDIAC SURGERIES

Surgeons depend on healthcare technology to help them plan interventions and know what to expect when their patients are on operating tables. The Super Beat training simulator mimics a beating heart with extraordinary accuracy by using an artificial muscle wired to electricity.

Although surgeons have already used this simulator in workshops, the companies involved plan to bring Super Beat to the market in 2019.

4. AN INEXPENSIVE WAY TO DIAGNOSE HEPATITIS B

Methods of diagnosing Hepatitis B can cost as much as $500, making them too costly for people in developing nations

Researchers have made strides in reducing the cost by engineering a $20 test that takes two blood-based screenings to provide people with an accurate diagnostic score for the disease. This new method, called TREAT-B, identifies patients who need treatment for Hepatitis B with 85 percent accuracy.

5. PROGRESS WITH ARTIFICIAL OVARIES

Women who are at risk for becoming infertile from treatments like chemotherapy often choose to remove their ovaries completely or partially, then frozen and transplanted back later. However, that method carries the chance of the transplant containing cancerous cells and reintroducing cancer after the procedure.

Danish scientists have relied upon healthcare technology to grow ovarian follicles on an engineered section of tissue that only contains protein and collagen and has had the cancer cells removed. They’ve successfully transplanted the artificial ovaries into mice and hope to test them with humans in the next three to four years.

6. CHANGING BRAIN CHEMICAL IMBALANCES IN DRUG ADDICTS

Scientists know habitual drug users find it difficult to stop taking substances, despite negative consequences, and say that’s because the drugs cause changes to brain chemistry.

Now, researchers have announced they’ve developed an intervention called a serotonin 2C receptor therapeutic that restores the weakened signals in the brain drug use causes. As a result, people getting this treatment may engage in fewer drug-seeking behaviors, making recovery a more attainable goal. It’s proven effective in mice so far.

7. MORE USER-FRIENDLY AND SPECIALIZED APPS

Healthcare technology has spurred the development of numerous lifesaving apps, such as those that remind people to take their medication, teach them best practices for first aid or give them access to doctors who see patients via telemedicine.

There’s a pre-screening app for autism that lets parents assess their kids without medical assistance, too. It’s called Autism & Beyond and involves gauging a child’s reaction to integrated stimuli. However, it’s not meant to replace a physician’s guidance.

8. USING COMMON BACTERIA FOR MEDICAL IMAGING PURPOSES

Scientists at the California Institute of Technology created genetically engineered versions of the salmonella and E. coli bacteria for sound waves to bounce off and be sent back using an ultrasound. This advancement in healthcare technology means doctors could potentially see things happening in parts of the body that were previously not suitable for visual monitoring during efforts to fight diseases and track how they spread.

9. MARIJUANA-BASED EPILEPSY DRUG EARNS FDA APPROVAL

An epilepsy-treating medication called Epidiolex is derived from cannabis and has the distinction of being the first drug of its kind to get approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). It treats two rare forms of childhood epilepsy and notably does not contain THC, the psychoactive component of marijuana that makes people high.

10. THE CONTINUED WIDESPREAD ADOPTION OF ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORDS

Electronic health records (EHR) is one of the many healthcare technologies that benefit both patients and doctors alike. Web-based EHR systems offer various advantages, such as increased efficiency and better quality of care.

The most competitive EHR companies in the marketplace regularly release offerings that cater to hospitals and doctors offices’ that need quick, secure and reliable access to patient records. A report published in June 2018 indicates that by 2025, the overall electronic health records market will be worth more than $38 billion.