TOP 10 SCIENTIFIC DRUG DISCOVERY BREAKTHROUGHS FOR DEADLY DISEASES
In the last few years, the evolution of science has moved at an exponential rate. Presently, medical research has become so profound and widespread that there is now an array of treatments for even the most lethal diseases in the world. Only a few years back, cures for these diseases were unimaginable.
In the 20th century, the average life expectancy according to the US Census Bureau was 47.3 years. Only one hundred years later, this number has rocketed to 77.85 years due in large part to the incredible scientific developments with novel treatments and vaccinations for deadly diseases. It should be noted that treatments and vaccines are only effective if they are administered to the patient, which is dominantly the reason why these diseases are still prevalent in developing and impoverished nations.
Here are the top ten recent scientific drug discovery breakthroughs in the last decade for the treatment of deadly diseases, which could perhaps save millions of lives.
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New Drugs to Eliminate Malaria
Researchers from the Burnet Institute, Monash University, and Deakin University in Australia were able to cut down the supply of proteins to the Malaria parasite essential for its survival. Since the Malaria parasite lives inside the RBC, the immune system is not able to detect it. Tania de Koning-Ward, co-author of the paper and an eminent member of Deakin’s Medical School, published her findings in Nature. She said that the research had shown that the proteins could get access to the RBC through a single entrance, which eventually provided a path to get into the RBC so that it could survive and multiply. The scientists managed to change the function of this entry point so that the proteins could not get into the RBC, and then starve and kill the parasite.
The research targets the single gateway for drug treatments considering the fact that it is used by the parasite to obtain the proteins.
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Breakthrough in the Treatment of Cancer
Gleevec, which is also known as Imatinib, is greatly considered a miracle drug to many. It was initially given an approval in 2001 by the US Food and Drug Administration to cure Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (CML). The drug has had a phenomenal success rate, with Complete Hematologic Responses (CHR) being observed in 53 out of 54 patients, according to oncologist, Biran Duker. Each patient was given a regular dosage of 300 mg and the response was evident within the first four weeks following therapy.
Recently, the results of a follow-up study which lasted for five years were outstanding. In this study, researchers found that after five years of therapy with Gleevec, 98% of patients exhibited a CHR. Furthermore, the overall survival rate after five years was 89% and the relapse rate was a mere 17%. All of these findings have proved the impressive nature of Gleevec.
https://www.chemdiv.com/top-10-scientific-drug-discovery-breakthroughs-deadly-diseases/