In your opinion what are the most interesting topics in medicine today?
September 17, 2013 8:33 PM Subscribe
My original proposed topic for a publication I'm writing in was about printing organs and bone marrow but it may be rejected because someone else proposed the same idea. I'm currently brainstorming ideas before tomorrow. Currently I'm thinking of writing of genetically engineered humans. Any other ideas?
Fecal transplants.
posted by bq at 8:42 PM on September 17, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by bq at 8:42 PM on September 17, 2013 [2 favorites]
Phages might be old news by now but I still think they are pretty cool
posted by rmless at 8:51 PM on September 17, 2013
posted by rmless at 8:51 PM on September 17, 2013
Antibiotic resistance, prospects for next gen antibiotics, superbugs, etc. are highly topical with the new CDC report coming out.
posted by LobsterMitten at 8:56 PM on September 17, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by LobsterMitten at 8:56 PM on September 17, 2013 [1 favorite]
Look at things being done to encourage or discourage the immune system. Most of the things that kill us right now have a link to some facet of the immune system (heart disease is strongly linked to inflammation, if more tumors were recognized as "not self" there would be a lot less cancer, etc.).
Genetic modification of whole humans is pretty much going to be stamped "unethical" for the foreseeable future, which is going to make engineered humans a bit of a non starter in terms of putting together a decent essay. Modified and implanted cells, and phage gene therapy are more likely.
posted by Kid Charlemagne at 10:15 PM on September 17, 2013
Genetic modification of whole humans is pretty much going to be stamped "unethical" for the foreseeable future, which is going to make engineered humans a bit of a non starter in terms of putting together a decent essay. Modified and implanted cells, and phage gene therapy are more likely.
posted by Kid Charlemagne at 10:15 PM on September 17, 2013
The relationship between Borreliosis (late-stage Lyme) and autoimmune diseases - nice tie-in to biofilm too.
posted by heigh-hothederryo at 10:16 PM on September 17, 2013
posted by heigh-hothederryo at 10:16 PM on September 17, 2013
Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cell Therapy. Basically they re-infusing a patient's own t-cells that have been genetically recoded to attack cancer cells. The vehicle they use to do this is a modified HIV vector.
posted by sarahnade at 10:19 PM on September 17, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by sarahnade at 10:19 PM on September 17, 2013 [1 favorite]
Controlling bacterial quorum sensing seems all kinds of cool.
posted by jason_steakums at 10:56 PM on September 17, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by jason_steakums at 10:56 PM on September 17, 2013 [2 favorites]
Human brain controlled by another human via the internet.
Brain-controlled exoskeleton for a paralyzed teen to debut at the World Cup.
posted by FiveSecondRule at 12:23 AM on September 18, 2013
Brain-controlled exoskeleton for a paralyzed teen to debut at the World Cup.
posted by FiveSecondRule at 12:23 AM on September 18, 2013
Induced pluripotent stem cells and the potential for personalized treatment.
posted by clearly at 12:35 AM on September 18, 2013
posted by clearly at 12:35 AM on September 18, 2013
Nanotech drug delivery. Not bleeding edge, but still leading edge.
posted by MuffinMan at 4:15 AM on September 18, 2013
posted by MuffinMan at 4:15 AM on September 18, 2013
Gut bacteria: role in obesity, role in mood (anxiety, depression), effect on immunity.
posted by PickeringPete at 6:25 AM on September 18, 2013
posted by PickeringPete at 6:25 AM on September 18, 2013
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by XMLicious at 8:42 PM on September 17, 2013