<h2>A World&#8217;s First</h2>
<p>Since the birth of <a href="https://futurism.com/the-age-of-cloning-all-of-dolly-the-sheeps-clones-are-healthy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dolly the sheep</a> in 1996, scientists across the globe have used the same technique to clone nearly two dozen other animal species, including cats, dogs, rats, and cattle. Primates, however, had proven resistant to the process — until now.</p>
<p>In a new study <a href="http://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(18)30057-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">published in <i>Cell</i></a>, a team of Chinese researchers led by Qiang Sun at the <a href="http://www.ion.ac.cn/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chinese Academy of Sciences Institute of Neuroscience</a> in Shanghai reveal that they&#8217;ve found a way to tweak the Dolly cloning technique to make it work in primates. Their efforts have resulted in the birth of two cloned female macaques: Zhong Zhong and Hua Hua.</p>
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<p>The technique used to clone Dolly, somatic cell nuclear transfer, involves replacing the nucleus in a donor egg with a nucleus taken from a cell from another animal. After scientists use an electric current to make the egg believe it has been fertilized, it will start to develop into an embryo that can then be implanted into a surrogate for gestation. The animal that results from the pregnancy will be a genetic copy of whatever animal donated the nucleus.</p>
<p>In primates, the process has traditionally failed at the blastocyst stage of embryonic development. To get past this hurdle, Sun&#8217;s team added two new elements to the usual collection of nutrients and growth factors that are typically introduced to embryos prior to surrogate implantation. Those new elements, a compound called trichostatin A and messenger RNA, helped direct the DNA to grow properly by prodding hundreds of genes necessary for successful embryonic development into action.</p>
<p>The team then tested their technique using cells from both adult and fetal macaques. Although attempts using cells from adult macaques did produce two live animals, neither survived long after birth, and one&#8217;s body didn&#8217;t develop properly, so the researchers decided to try using cells from fetal macaques. They implanted 79 of those embryos into 21 surrogates. Six of the surrogates became pregnant, and Zhong Zhong and Hua Hua were the only two successful live births.</p>
<p>True, those numbers don&#8217;t sound too impressive, but it&#8217;s remarkable progress.</p>
<h2>The Future of Research</h2>
<p>While the Chinese team isn&#8217;t the first to clone a primate, they are the first to do so using a modified version of the Dolly method. This has long been a goal of researchers because it offers a big advantage over the previous method, which involved splitting an embryo after fertilization. While that technique could only produce a maximum of four cloned animals, the Dolly method could theoretically lead to an unlimited number of clones.</p>
<p>The ability to create sets of genetically identical macaques will likely be extremely valuable for medical research.</p>
<p>Macaques are closer to humans genetically than mice, so insights gleaned from testing on them is far more likely to translate to humans. Using cloned animals instead of ones that are simply related also adds a level of precision to the testing by creating a true &#8220;control.&#8221;</p>
<p>Entire groups of macaques with genes linked to Alzheimer&#8217;s, Parkinson&#8217;s disease, or cancer could be developed in the lab, and doctors could test different treatments on the animals to get an accurate idea of how they&#8217;d respond. They could also make minor tweaks to the genes of one animal to see how it developed differently from the rest of the population.</p>
<p>Some may be concerned that the successful cloning of macaques puts us one step closer to <a href="https://futurism.com/how-close-are-we-to-successfully-cloning-the-first-human/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cloning humans</a>. However, study co-author Mu-Ming Poo <a href="https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2018/01/monkey-clones-dolly-sheep-china-medicine-science/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told </a><i><a href="https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2018/01/monkey-clones-dolly-sheep-china-medicine-science/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">National Geographic</a></i> that the team has no intention of applying their method to humans. They don&#8217;t really have any incentive to do so, either, according to Peter Andrews, a professor in the University of Sheffield&#8217;s department of biomedical science.</p>
<p>“It could be a step towards human cloning, but why would you do it?” Andrews <a href="https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg23731623-600-scientists-have-cloned-monkeys-and-it-could-help-treat-cancer/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told <i>New Scientist</i></a>. “In terms of human biology, it’s illegal to clone a human in Britain and many other countries, and I don’t think anyone would rationally want to do it.”</p>
<p>Given the low rate of success for the Chinese team&#8217;s technique, we aren&#8217;t yet at the point when researchers can easily create armies of cloned primates in the lab. However, if the group is able to perfect the procedure, the names Zhong Zhong and Hua Hua could become as synonymous with cloning achievements in the future as Dolly is right now.</p>
<p>But here&#8217;s the thing to remember: we have broken the technical barrier to cloning humans, and there&#8217;s no going back. While national and international regulations prevent human cloning, not everyone abides by the law. Something that we must realize is that scientific advancements aren’t always determined by what we <em>should</em> do but simply what we <em>can</em> do. We can ban whatever science we want, but we can’t stop it.</p>
<p>Perhaps it’s time to ask ourselves whether it might be time to consider regulation instead of prohibition?</p>


It's time to ask ourselves tough questions.

Scientists just cloned monkeys. Humans could be next.

Hard Science

A team of Chinese researchers successful produce two cloned monkeys using a modified version of the technique used to clone Dolly.

Scientists Just Cloned Monkeys. Humans Could Be Next.

Though human cloning may still be a ways off, there's no going back. 

<h2>DNA ID</h2>
<p>New software, developed by cooperating teams of researchers from <a href="http://www.engineering.columbia.edu/">Columbia University</a> and the <a href="http://www.nygenome.org/">New York Genome Center</a> (NYGC), will help to quickly and accurately verify identity using DNA. The method involves using the <a href="https://futurism.com/dna-sequencing-anywhere-anytime-oxfords-pocket-sized-tech/">MinION DNA sequencing device</a>, a small, credit card sized device that is capable of sequencing 10-20 GB of data in real-time, along with off-the-shelf technology like what is available commercially through outlets like <a href="https://futurism.com/23andme-is-raising-200-million-to-make-drugs-from-your-dna/">23 &amp; Me</a> or <a href="https://www.ancestry.com/cs/familyhistory?s_kwcid=ancestry+dna&amp;gclid=CjwKCAiA9f7QBRBpEiwApLGUimucOChx53eM_DiECtdMkQiZBOrzAG9zSpbGuQs6m35Kp21VjqH1ABoCuj4QAvD_BwE&amp;o_xid=57465&amp;o_lid=57465&amp;o_sch=Paid+Search+Brand">Ancestry.com</a>.</p>
<p>According to the study&#8217;s senior author Yaniv Erlich who is a professor of Computer Science at Columbia Engineering, an adjunct core member at NYGC, and a member of Columbia&#8217;s Data Science Institute, &#8220;Our method opens up new ways to use off-the-shelf technology to benefit society.&#8221; This research was published in the latest issue of the <a href="https://elifesciences.org/articles/27798">journal <em>eLife</em></a>.</p>
<p>In the two-step process, the researchers were able to take individual variants (unique nucleotides) from DNA sequenced with the MinION and apply a probability algorithm (called a Bayesian algorithm) to compare each unique set of variants with corresponding variants in other genetic profiles in the database. With each cross-reference, the probability of verifying a match increases, narrowing the search. Testing has shown that the system is capable of verifying a match between 60-300 cross-references and it takes only minutes.</p>
<p>The team likens their technique, which they call &#8220;MinION sketching&#8221; to the ability of our brains to identify recognizable images in abstract patterns. The study&#8217;s lead author Sophie Zaaijer, a postdoctoral researcher at Cornell Tech, compares the technique to someone making out a bird from a few features of something like a Picasso painting.</p>
<p><iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/182592328" width="500" height="281" frameborder="0" title="Democratizing DNA Fingerprinting" webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<h2>Game Changer</h2>
<p>This technology has a number of important potential applications. One such application will make it easier for disaster victim identification (DVI) experts to identify bodies after major disasters like plane crashes or earthquakes. Speaking to <i>Vice, </i><a href="https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/3bj8eb/what-is-it-like-to-identify-bodies-in-a-disaster">Richard Bassed</a>, an experienced DVI expert explained that the use of DNA to identify bodies is expensive and takes more time than other methods, like examining dental or medical records. The MinION and this new software may be able to reduce both cost and the amount of time it takes to achieve positive identification.</p>
<p>The technology can also help to mitigate wasted funds and time in important cancer research. Jon Lorsch, director of the <a href="https://www.nigms.nih.gov/Pages/default.aspx">National Institute of General Medical Sciences</a> (NIGMS) wrote a <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5101941/">report in 2014</a> showing how the misidentification and contamination of cell lines in medical research are responsible for potentially more than $9 billion in wasted medical research funding on studies that cannot be replicated.</p>
<p>The new method will allow labs to easily verify cell lines at a relatively cheap price, leading to faster research and better allocation of funds, which will likely amount to better and more frequent breakthroughs.  Neville Sanjana, a core faculty member at NYGC and assistant professor at NYU&#8217;s Department of Biology stated,  &#8220;At the right price, every lab will adopt this.&#8221;</p>
<p>The ability to quickly, easily, and cheaply authenticate DNA has game-changing potential. The ability to identify bodies after a tragedy can help families and friends gain important closure. Eliminating resource waste in medical research can also help to speed along the next big life-saving discovery. The software is <a href="https://github.com/TeamErlich/personal-identification-pipeline">already available</a> for download on GitHub under a GNU General Public License, so your lab can begin changing the world today.</p>


This has applications ranging from natural disasters to cancer research.

Using DNA, new software can verify identity in minutes

Teams of researchers have developed software that utilizes DNA sequenced from a small device to verify identity. The method has some exciting potential.

Using DNA, New Software Can Verify Identity In Minutes

The software works with a small portable DNA sequencer.

<h2>Studying Heart Failure</h2>
<p>A team of researches from the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas <a href="https://www.bcm.edu/news/heart/scientists-reverse-advanced-heart-failure" target="_blank">have discovered a way to reverse severe</a> heart failure, one of the leading causes of death from heart disease. The discovery, which involves &#8220;silencing&#8221; the Hippo pathway in the heart, could lead to better treatments for those at risk of heart failure — potentially ones that could eliminate the condition entirely.</p>
<p>Contrary to its name, heart failure (also known as congestive heart failure) is not a condition in which the heart suddenly stops beating. Instead, it&#8217;s a condition in which the heart is unable to pump enough blood and oxygen to the rest of the body. It&#8217;s most likely to occur in those who have experienced a heart attack, during which blood and oxygen cease to flow to the heart. This lack of oxygen causes part of the heart muscle to die and be replaced by dead scar tissue, known as fibroblasts. Over time, the heart weakens to the point of being completely unable to support the body.</p>
<p>To study the condition, the team from Baylor College started by creating a mouse model that could be substituted for a human heart suffering from heart failure. <a href="https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms?cdrid=43996" target="_blank">Animals models</a> are often used to study the same/similar diseases and conditions that can affect people. In the case of heart failure, the hearts of mice and humans are incredibly alike, making the former perfect for studying the heart and testing potential treatments.</p>
<p>“One of the interests of my lab is to develop ways to heal heart muscle by studying pathways involved in heart development and regeneration,” explained <a href="https://www.bcm.edu/people/view/james-martin-m-d-ph-d/baylor-college-of-medicine-faculty-faculty-m-r-graduate-program-in-developmental-biology/b18a4d39-ffed-11e2-be68-080027880ca6/5654b106-2904-4ef2-855c-21680a591328" target="_blank">Dr. James Martin</a>, Vivian L. Smith Chair in Regenerative Medicine at Baylor and corresponding author of the research. “In this study, we investigated the Hippo pathway, which is known from my lab’s previous studies to prevent adult heart muscle cell proliferation and regeneration.”</p>
<p><iframe width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ruM4Xxhx32U?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<h2>Improving the Heart</h2>
<p>The decision to hamper the Hippo pathway came as a result of the increased activity that occurs within it during heart failure. According to <a href="https://www.bcm.edu/people/view/john-leach/b1f682ee-ffed-11e2-be68-080027880ca6" target="_blank">John Leach</a>, primary author and graduate student of molecular physiology and biophysics at Baylor College, the team believed if they could turn it off, the heart may improve. Turns out they were right.</p>
<p>“Once we reproduced a severe stage of injury in the mouse heart, we inhibited the Hippo pathway,&#8221; said Leach. &#8220;After six weeks we observed that the injured hearts had recovered their pumping function to the level of the control, healthy hearts.”</p>
<p>The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/dhdsp/data_statistics/fact_sheets/fs_heart_failure.htm" target="_blank">over 5.7 million people in the U.S. live with heart failure</a>, with about 50 percent of people diagnosed expected to die within five years. While Dr. Martin and Leach&#8217;s research yields favorable results, there is more work that needs to be done with regards to hindering the Hippo pathway.</p>
<p>Specifically, turning off the Hippo pathway has two effects: one is increased muscle cells capable of surviving inside the damaged heart, while the second is the altered fibrosis. Fibrosis plays a key role in the dead scar tissue that forms during a heart attack. Before any test can be done on people, the team will need to ascertain a better understanding of the changes in fibrosis. Hopefully that leads to a positive discovery that can save more people sooner, rather than later.</p>


According to the CDC, over 5.7 million people in the U.S. live with heart failure.

Scientists have successfully reversed advanced heart failure in mice

X-ray of lung with heart attack

Health & Medicine

While the study involved reversing heart failure in mice, the hearts of mice and humans are very similar — meaning the same treatment could work in people.

Scientists Have Successfully Reversed Advanced Heart Failure in Mice

The researchers are studying the pathways involved in heart development and regeneration to improve treatments.

<h2>Exploring the Human Brain</h2>
<p>The human brain is a <a href="https://futurism.com/videos/neuroplasticity-after-watching-this-your-brain-will-not-be-the-same/" target="_blank">complicated organ that&#8217;s difficult to understand</a>, so it&#8217;s only natural that we always have more to learn. But recently, researchers at the U.S. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke <a href="https://elifesciences.org/articles/29738" target="_blank">published images</a> of <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2017/10/scientists-somehow-just-discovered-a-new-system-of-vessels-in-our-brains/542037/" target="_blank">a previously undocumented system of vessels</a> that are part of the lymphatic system in the brain. That&#8217;s right, up until this very moment many weren&#8217;t even positive that these vessels, which transport fluids critical to metabolic and inflammatory processing, existed at all.</p>
<p>Up until the present, not only were these deep-purple vessels largely unheard of, most doctors have been taught that the skull contains no lymphatic vessels. This previous notion however existed in complete contradiction with how the rest of the body works. <a href="https://futurism.com/could-our-immune-system-be-controlling-our-behavior/" target="_blank">The lymphatic system both collects and drains fluids,</a> removing waste, facilitating infection response and inflammation, and so much more. In-the-know about the necessity of the lymphatic system of the human brain, it feels like an absurdity in retrospect to think that somehow our brains would not work with the lymphatic system.</p>
<figure id="attachment_105497" style="width: 1076px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img class="size-full wp-image-105497" src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2017/10/vessels.jpg" alt="" width="1076" height="807" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">3D rendering of human dural lymphatics. Image Credit: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke</figcaption></figure>
<h2>Undiscovered Human Biology</h2>
<p>About this finding, Senior Investigator Daniel Reich stated that “The discovery of the central-nervous-system lymphatic system may call for a reassessment of basic assumptions in neuroimmunology.” In other words, while this is a major discovery, it could lead to other, greater discoveries in the exploration of our own biology.</p>
<p>In 2015, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4636982/" target="_blank">researchers discovered the “glymphatic system,&#8221;</a> or fluids that were found in the brains of both humans and mice that could transport things like glucose and lipids. But at the time, they didn&#8217;t know how these fluids might connect and communicate with the rest of the body. This most recent discovery bridges that knowledge gap.</p>
<p>Because these vessels were so unknown, the initial reaction to this discovery varied, from, in Reich&#8217;s words, “No way, it’s not true,” to “Yeah, we’ve known that.”</p>
<p>But <a href="https://elifesciences.org/articles/29738" target="_blank">this discovery doesn&#8217;t just identify this system of vessels</a>, it explores how it operates and just how complex and intricate it is. “The study shows that these vessels exist. We haven’t shown that they’re involved in any disease process,” Reich carefully worded, “but it’s reasonable to think that they might be.”</p>
<p>As we explore the far reaches of the Universe and stretch our knowledge far beyond our modest, planet-bound selves, it&#8217;s surprising to learn that we still have so much to learn about our own bodies. With this discovery, it is possible that there &#8220;is a connection between [the] two systems, glymphatic and lymphatic,” according to Reich. When a discovery this major is made, it creates a well of new questions about the human condition that no one ever suspected await our attention.</p>


Up until now not only were these deep-purple vessels largely unheard of, most doctors have been taught that the skull contains no lymphatic vessels.

New system in the human brain discovered

Recently, researchers published images of a previously undocumented system of vessels that are part of the lymphatic system in the brain.

Researchers discover new vessel system in the human brain

Our study of the brain is a never-ending story.

Researchers Discover New Vessel System in the Human Brain

<h2>Budget Cuts</h2>
<p>On Tuesday, President Donald Trump proposed an immediate $1.2 billion cut to the National Institutes of Health&#8217;s (NIH) budget for this year. The measure seems to be part of Trump&#8217;s plan to work without an approved budget; as it stands, the president is working within the framework of a continuing resolution, which was assigned by Congress for the 2017 budget year (ending in October).</p>
<figure style="width: 360px" class="wp-caption alignright"><a href="https://futurism.com/images/the-story-of-how-vaccines-changed-the-world/"><img src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2016/04/HomeThumb.jpg" alt="The Story of How Vaccines Changed the World" ></a><figcaption class="wp-caption-text center"><strong><a href="https://futurism.com/images/the-story-of-how-vaccines-changed-the-world/" target="_blank">Click to View Full Infographic</a></figcaption></strong></figure>
<p>The president has already proposed a vague budget plan for 2018 which outlines slashing funds for various<a href="https://futurism.com/trumps-skinny-budget-slashes-funding-for-health-energy-and-environmental-agencies/" target="_blank"> science and health agencies</a> — including <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/03/trumps-budget-cuts-nih-funding-by-20-percent/519771/" target="_blank">a 20 percent cut on NIH funds</a>. Congress&#8217; December 2016 continuing resolution left the NIH with a $31.6 billion budget.</p>
<p>The NIH isn&#8217;t the only agency that might suffer from an immediate budget cut: the proposal also includes cutting <a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/trump-proposes-slashing-medical-research-year-too-n739761" target="_blank">a$350 million</a> from the National Science Foundation&#8217;s $6.9 billion budget, cutting the Environmental Protection Agency&#8217;s research and development budget by $48 million, a $37 million cut to the Department of Energy&#8217;s science programs budget, and slashing the $101 million budget of the Teen Pregnancy Prevention program.</p>
<h2>The Importance of Research</h2>
<p>While approving an actual budget is up to Congress, the president is responsible for setting up a plan to be reviewed and approved by the House and Senate. Charles Kieffer, Democratic staff director on the Senate Appropriations Committee,<a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/trump-proposes-slashing-medical-research-year-too-n739761" target="_blank"> told a panel at the Bipartisan Policy Center</a> that Trump&#8217;s &#8220;focus is on cutting science programs. They are forcing these rob-Peter-to-pay-Paul decisions that will have consequences for a generation.&#8221;</p>
<p>One of the foremost responsibilities of the NIH is medical research. A 20 percent decrease — roughly $6 billion — in the NIH&#8217;s 2018 budget &#8220;would set the agency’s budget back 15 years, below its 2003 level,&#8221; <a href="https://psmag.com/this-is-how-trumps-budget-cut-would-harm-medical-research-1e09669357a9" target="_blank">wrote Michael White</a>, a genetics professor at the Washington University in St. Louis. &#8220;Such a drastic cut would not just reduce the amount of science done by U.S. scientists — it would harm our scientific workforce and infrastructure in ways that would take years, if not decades, to recover from.&#8221;</p>
<p>Other experts agree: Clifford Hudis, CEO of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, thinks that &#8220;Cutting the funding in this way will have devastating and generation-long effects.&#8221; <a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/trump-budget-cuts-scientific-medical-research-will-have-devastating-effect-n734401" target="_blank">Speaking to </a><i><a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/trump-budget-cuts-scientific-medical-research-will-have-devastating-effect-n734401" target="_blank">NBC News</a></i>, Hudis explained that &#8220;[medical research] is a fundamental driver of American economic strength and it is being compromised here. It&#8217;s a jobs program.&#8221;</p>
<p>That being said, there are many members of Congress in support of medical research. <a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/trump-budget-cuts-scientific-medical-research-will-have-devastating-effect-n734401" target="_blank">David Arons, CEO of the National Brain Tumor Society, said</a> that they&#8217;re &#8220;grateful and encouraged&#8221; by the opposition of members of Congress to Trump&#8217;s 2018 budget plan. &#8220;It would be a tremendous disappointment if we backed away now from all the gains that have been made and all those that are within reach.&#8221;</p>


President Donald Trump proposed immediate budget cuts for several science and health agencies, including a $1.2 billion cut from the NIH's budget.

Trump Calls for an Immediate $1.2 Billion Cut to the National Institue of Health’s Budget

Both jobs and lives are put at risk if this funding is pulled.

<h2>The Superpowers of Supercomputers</h2>
<p>With great computing power comes great possibilities. That&#8217;s what supercomputers offer society, according to Jean-Christophe Desplat, director of the <a href="https://www.ichec.ie/" target="_blank">Irish Centre for High-End Computing </a>(ICHEC), Ireland&#8217;s supercomputing headquarters. In fact, supercomputers could improve medical research and practice by such an impressive degree that it could boost human life expectancy by five to 10 years.</p>
<p>Think of the best general-purpose computer you know — maybe something you use for gaming or video editing. Now, imagine that computer multiplied several times and put together as one collective computer. That&#8217;s essentially <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supercomputer" target="_blank">what a supercomputer is</a>. Instead of operating on million instructions per second (MIPS) like ordinary computers do, a supercomputer&#8217;s performance is measured in<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Floating-point_arithmetic" target="_blank"> floating-point operations per second (FLOPS)</a>. It&#8217;s capable of fast and high-level computing performance, which enables it to do complex computing tasks, like <a href="http://www.computerhope.com/jargon/s/supercom.htm" target="_blank">nuclear research</a> or weather pattern forecasting — which is what one <a href="https://futurism.com/next-level-monsoon-predictions-thanks-to-indias-new-supercomputer/" target="_blank">supercomputer in India</a> is doing.</p>
<p>Supercomputers have been around for a while; the world&#8217;s  first supercomputer was developed in the 1960s, and the technology has only evolved since. Presently, the world&#8217;s fastest supercomputer is <a href="https://futurism.com/china-builds-the-worlds-fastest-supercomputer-93-petaflops/" target="_blank">the Sunway TaihuLight in China</a>. It&#8217;s packed with 10.65 million linked processors — or cores — which makes it able to do about 100 petaFLOPS (one thousand million million FLOPS). In Iceland, the fastest supercomputer is called <a href="https://www.ichec.ie/infrastructure/fionn" target="_blank">Fionn</a>. It has about 8,200 processor cores, giving it a performance capacity of 147 million million FLOPS.</p>
<p><iframe width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/35p5wGevzVY?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<h2>Improving Research</h2>
<p>With these capabilities, supercomputers can do a lot for research. For Desplat, they are and will continue to be, particularly useful in medicine. Supercomputers can run &#8220;deep <span class="wp-glossary wpg-tooltip" data-termid="53162" data-content="full" data-qtipstyle="dark">artificial intelligence </span>learning,&#8221; capable of improving personalized medical care that uses advances in genetics. Examples of these AI systems contributing to medical research include <a href="https://futurism.com/ibms-watson-ai-recommends-same-treatment-as-doctors-in-99-of-cancer-cases/" target="_blank">IBM&#8217;s Watson</a> and <a href="https://futurism.com/googles-ai-for-healthcare-is-making-strides-in-the-london-nhs/" target="_blank">Google&#8217;s DeepMind</a>. Though, many of  these systems are using <a href="https://futurism.com/artificial-intelligence-is-leading-a-revolution-in-medicine/" target="_blank">conventional computing</a>, and could be significantly improved by supercomputers in a not too distant future, according to Desplat. These improvements would allow them to deliver faster and more accurate diagnoses.</p>
<p>Indeed, supercomputers can be used in other fields of academic research, too: “We see the impact on the ground,” <a href="http://www.irishtimes.com/news/science/supercomputers-may-boost-life-expectancy-by-10-years-1.3000987" target="_blank">said ICHEC data analyst and public sector liaison Emma Hogan</a>. One particularly useful application is climate modeling. Predicting weather patterns more accurately aids in preparation for potential disasters, but also in the development of infrastructure. In Ireland&#8217;s case, for example, its helped identify areas that are at risk for flooding, and also assisted in identify the best areas for wind turbine installation.</p>
<p>Supercomputers aren&#8217;t the only advanced computational tools available for research. Pretty soon, <a href="https://futurism.com/ibm-aims-build-the-first-commercial-quantum-computer-in-the-next-few-years/" target="_blank">quantum computers</a> will be contributing their own fair share. If supercomputers are considered highly capable than quantum computers operate on a completely different level. Either way, research — medical, climate-related or otherwise, will gladly take any computational help it can get.</p>


Robots & Machines

Supercomputers eclipse the power of conventional computers and have revolutionized everything from nuclear testing to weather forecasting.

Supercomputers Could Help Extend Human Life Expectancy By a Decade

Faster processing will lead to longer lifespans.

<h2>Living Long</h2>
<p>Modern society has been quite the double-edged sword. While it has created the conditions that have made living longer, healthier lives difficult, it has also seen the growth of technological advances that are making it possible to <a href="https://futurism.com/embargoed-for-release-19-dec-2016-1600-et-breakthrough-treatment-proven-to-prolong-life/">extend our lives</a>. Advances in <a href="https://futurism.com/a-new-aging-discovery-could-allow-humans-to-extend-their-lifespan/">medical research</a>, specifically in the fields of <a href="https://futurism.com/immortality-researchers-find-that-human-lifespan-has-a-max-limit/">genetics and biotechnology</a>, have led to better healthcare and treatment.</p>
<p>One <a href="https://futurism.com/the-telomere-effect-teaches-lessons-on-anti-aging/">Nobel Prize winner</a> claims to have found the key to stop aging all together, while a new anti-aging technique just made it to <a href="https://futurism.com/new-anti-aging-technique-goes-to-clinical-trials/">clinical trials</a>. Further, there is more support in the scientific community for categorizing <a href="https://futurism.com/more-scientists-are-pushing-to-have-aging-classified-as-a-disease/">aging as a disease</a>, presenting opportunities to treat symptoms to extend life.</p>
<p>Certainly, this longevity will affect the way society works. In fact, in some parts of the world, it already has. For a while now, Japan has been experiencing a new trend in their workforce. There are fewer people who belong to the working age bracket, and even fewer expected in the years to come – the younger generations are no longer having children at the rate of previous generations.</p>
<p>&#8220;The ratio of people aged 65 or older is the highest ever recorded,” <a href="http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2016/06/29/national/japan-census-report-shows-surge-elderly-population-many-living-alone/#.WHzQ87Z962x" target="_blank">said a ministry official</a>. “This is because many baby boomers have entered this age category over the past five years.”</p>
<p>There are more and more people who belong to the elderly populations. Japanese institutions — and the elderly themselves — think that it&#8217;s time to do something about this imbalance, and they&#8217;ll start by redefining aging.</p>
<h2>And Prospering</h2>
<p>According to the 2015 census, 26.7 percent of Japanese people are 65 years or older. It&#8217;s a figure that&#8217;s expected to rise to 33 percent by 2035 and 40 percent by 2060.  A group of medical doctors and university professors called the Japanese Gerontological Society think this increased longevity shows that it&#8217;s time to reconsider what it means to be considered a senior citizen.</p>
<figure style="width: 800px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2017/01/n-census-a-20160630-870x577.jpg" alt="Credits: KYODO" width="800" height="531" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Credits: <i>KYODO</i></figcaption></figure>
<p>Normally, people retire by 65 years old. The group is suggesting, according to a report by <i><a href="https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20170105_25/" target="_blank">NHK World</a></i>, that this threshold be moved to 75 years old. It would seem that the elderly themselves agree with it, especially since many of them continue to work past 65. In fact, the <i><a href="http://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2017/01/10/editorials/redefining-elderly-age/#.WHzSrLZ962x" target="_blank">Japan Times</a></i> reports that a survey of people age 60 or older showed that 70 percent of the respondents want to continue working even after turning 65.</p>
<p>With more than 11 percent of Japan&#8217;s working population made up of seniors, which is roughly 7.3 million, redefining aging seems to be a step in the right direction for Japan. Of course, it&#8217;s not going to be that easy, or even safe for the elderly. &#8220;The question is whether the changes will be matched by systematic reforms to enable those elderly people who are willing to continue working to do so,&#8221; according to an editorial in <i><a href="http://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2017/01/10/editorials/redefining-elderly-age/#.WHzSrLZ962x" target="_blank">Japan Times</a>.  </i>Needless to say, provisions for retirement at 75 have to be made clear, and even allowing for exemptions in cases when the elderly may no longer be fit to work.</p>


According to a 2015 census, 26.7 percent of Japanese people are 65 years or older – a figure that is expected to rise to 33 percent by 2035 and 40 percent by 2060.
Normally, people retire by 65 years old, but now, a group of doctors is suggesting that this threshold be moved to 75 years old as our lifespans are extended. 

Advances in Longevity Are Forcing Nations to Redefine “Elderly”

Would you be willing to wait until 75 to retire?

<p>The transition from one year to the next is always a little uncertain – an uneasy blend of anxiety and optimism, it’s also a time of retrospection, introspection, and even a little tentative prognostication. And since the latter is our stock-in-trade at <i>Futurism</i>, we believe now is the perfect time to look ahead at what 2017 has in store for us.</p>
<p>Last year was a remarkable year in medicine. We saw continued development and refinements of <a href="https://futurism.com/crispr-tested-on-a-person/">CRISPR/Cas-9 gene-editing technology</a>, <a href="https://futurism.com/a-brain-in-a-dish-3d-mini-brains-prove-to-be-remarkably-accurate/">lab-grown “mini-brains” were created</a> to study the neurological effects of Zika and other disorders, a <a href="https://futurism.com/doctors-perform-first-successful-womb-transplant-in-the-us/">successful womb transplant was performed in the US</a>, and the <a href="https://futurism.com/a-cyborg-society-the-fda-has-approved-the-first-artificial-pancreas/">FDA approved the first artificial pancreas</a>. Pretty remarkable advances—but 2017 promises to usher in more of the same.</p>
<p>Here’s our list of some of the many wonderful advances in medicine we can look forward to in 2017.</p>
<h2><b>Techno-Medicine</b></h2>
<p>Sophisticated technologies have always had an important role to play in medicine, with each year adding extraordinary new tools to the physician’s medicine bag—2017 will be no exception.</p>
<p>We can, for instance, expect further improvements in the technology of robotic surgery. In addition to the currently available <a href="http://www.intuitivesurgical.com/products/davinci_surgical_system/">da Vinci Surgical System</a>, look to see competition from the new surgical robot system developed by <a href="https://futurism.com/googles-life-sciences-introduced-verb-surgical-company-focused-robot-technology/">the partnership of Google and Johnson &amp; Johnson</a>. These new systems will parlay advances in software, miniaturization, and robotics to allow for minimally invasive surgeries on the most delicate elements of human anatomy.</p>
<figure id="attachment_66512" style="width: 1080px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img class="wp-image-66512 size-full" src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2017/01/health-article-image.png" alt="health article image" width="1080" height="800" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">The robotic da Vinci Surgical System. (Credit: Intuitive Surgical)</figcaption></figure>
<p>Another untapped (or very minimally tapped) technological frontier in medicine involves the use of artificial intelligence (AI)—which seems to touch upon just about every field nowadays. <a href="https://futurism.com/ibms-watson-ai-recommends-same-treatment-as-doctors-in-99-of-cancer-cases/">IBM’s Watson has already displayed a keen diagnostic eye</a>, and machine learning and deep learning programs have been used to predict everything from <a href="https://futurism.com/computer-program-knows-youll-die-new-project-aims-predict-longevity/">when a patient will die</a> to <a href="https://futurism.com/new-ai-can-predict-where-the-next-disease-outbreak-may-be/">where the next major disease outbreak will occur</a>.</p>
<p>We can expect the application of AI to medicine to only increase in the coming year, when the need to cull through and assimilate enormous quantities of medical data—whether on an individual or large-scale, societal basis—will become critical. Meanwhile, the danger that potentially flawed machine learning programs will <i>supplant</i> rather than merely supplement human medical judgment will also become much more than just an abstruse, academic question for medical ethicists.</p>
<h2><b>A Pharmacological Revolution</b></h2>
<p>But 2017 won’t be just about robots and artificial intelligence. It’s likely that some of the less visually spectacular medical technologies will yield the most astonishing medical breakthroughs. Drug research, for instance, is poised to take off in 2017—especially with immunotherapeutic treatments for cancer.</p>
<p>According to Stanley Marks, chairman of the <a href="http://www.upmccancercenter.com">UPMC CancerCenter</a>, it is these treatments—which marshal the body’s immune system to attack and destroy cancerous cells—that represent the single most promising new front in the war on cancer. Using checkpoint inhibitor drugs and CAR (chimeric antigen receptor) T-cell therapies, it’s become possible to mobilize the body’s own immune system to fight the cancer.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/research/car-t-cells">The method</a> involves extracting T-cells from the patient’s own blood, and genetically engineering them to recognize, attach to, and neutralize tumorous cells. It’s already had promising results in fighting some leukemias, so we can look forward to more research on these remarkable “living drugs” in 2017.</p>
<p><video class="lazy ll-init ll-loadstarted ll-loaded" src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2017/01/CAR-T-Cell-Therapy-How-It-Works.mp4" poster="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2017/01/CAR-T-Cell-Therapy-How-It-Works.mp4" autoplay="autoplay" loop="loop" muted="" width="300" height="150"></video></p>
<p>Further drug advances to look out for in the coming year include: <a href="https://futurism.com/a-revolutionary-hiv-vaccine-is-going-to-be-tested-on-600-people-next-year/">a vaccine for HIV beginning Phase II trials</a>, the use of the <a href="https://consultqd.clevelandclinic.org/2016/12/no-7-medical-innovation-2017-ketamine-treatment-resistant-depression-video/">dissociative anesthetic ketamine</a> to target treatment-resistant depression, new drugs and therapies based on the microbiome, and even <a href="http://www.techtimes.com/articles/184519/20161101/palatin-drug-that-boosts-sexual-desire-in-women-succeeds-in-trials.htm">a new female libido booster that&#8217;s up for approval</a>.</p>
<h2><b>Gene-Editing Comes of Age</b></h2>
<p>The revolutionary CRISPR/Cas-9 gene-editing technology has disrupted biology like nothing else—and bids fair to transform it from a slow, imprecise science to something approaching the precision of the physical sciences. What 2017 holds for gene-editing technology is anyone’s guess—<a href="http://www.nature.com/news/crispr-gene-editing-tested-in-a-person-for-the-first-time-1.20988?utm_source=MIT+TR+Newsletters&amp;utm_campaign=bb7ed13a73-newsletters-the-download&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_term=0_997ed6f472-bb7ed13a73-153692513&amp;goal=0_997ed6f472-bb7ed13a73-153692513&amp;mc_cid=bb7ed13a73&amp;mc_eid=18013ac57b">it’s even possible that the Chinese</a>, or some other nation with laxer standards than are currently permitted in the U.S., might begin a more widespread use of the technique in human subjects.</p>
<p>Despite the reasonable ethical qualms, it’s inevitable that the CRISPR/Cas-9 method will be extended to human use, and 2017 will very likely be the year we see this happen. Look for active measures, such as more extensive <a href="http://www.nature.com/news/first-crispr-clinical-trial-gets-green-light-from-us-panel-1.20137">trials in the cancer-fighting uses of the technology</a> (for example, in the CAR T-cell therapies we mentioned above), or scientists using it <a href="https://sites.duke.edu/cullenlaboratory/current-research/crisprcas-2/">to eradicate pathogenic human DNA viruses like HIV or herpes</a>.</p>
<p>But expect passive measures, too, such as simply learning how Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases progress, or even non-medical agricultural and industrial uses for the technology. <a href="http://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2017/1/3/14093794/crispr-gene-editing-designer-babies">As Nicola Patron of the Earlham Institute sagely observes</a>, “Understanding what DNA sequences do is what enables us to solve problems in every field of biology from curing human diseases, to growing enough healthy food, to discovering and making new medicines, to understanding why some species are going extinct.”</p>
<p>The bottom line: 2017 is looking to be an exciting year, in all avenues of research and discovery, but particularly in medicine.  And if all the above wasn’t exciting enough for you—you can look forward to capping it off with what might be <a href="https://futurism.com/worlds-first-human-head-transplant-will-take-place-in-2017/">the world’s first head transplant</a>.</p>
<p>Disembodied heads or not, you can read all about the latest developments here at <i>Futurism</i>.</p>
<h2>Read the rest of our series on the science and tech of 2017:</h2>
<p><a href="https://futurism.com/predicting-2017-a-look-at-humanitys-future-in-space/">The Future of Space</a><br />
<a href="https://futurism.com/predicting-2017-the-rise-of-synthetic-intelligence/">The Future of AI</a><br />
<a href="https://futurism.com/predicting-2017-how-future-energy-will-change-our-lives/">The Future of Energy</a></p>


These Are the Most Exciting Medical Advances Planned for 2017

The transition from one year to the next is always a little uncertain – an uneasy blend of anxiety and optimism, it’s also a time of retrospection, introspection, and even a little tentative prognostication. And since the latter is our stock-in-trade at Futurism, we believe now is the perfect time to look ahead at what […]

Future Health: 2017’s Most Exciting Medical Advances

What does the next year have in store for the human body? 

<h2>Take that Naysayers!</h2>
<p>Back in the summer of 2014, your Facebook feed was overflowing with countless videos of friends, relatives, and even <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPDK84UlBXE">celebrities</a> participating in the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/jul/26/ice-bucket-challenge-als-charity-gene-discovery">&#8216;Ice Bucket Challenge.&#8217;</a> These clips showed the likes of Sir Patrick Stewart, Bill Gates, Will Smith, along with, probably, your Great Aunt Betty dumping buckets full of ice water on their heads all in hopes to raise awareness for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig&#8217;s Disease.</p>
<p>ALS is a, currently, incurable neurological condition that causes the death of motor neurons. The condition could be either inherited or sporadic. According to the <a href="http://www.alsa.org/about-als/facts-you-should-know.html?referrer=https://www.google.com/">ALS Association</a>, the disease progresses, &#8220;eventually taking away the ability to walk, dress, write, speak, swallow, and breathe and shortening the life span.&#8221; Fifteen new cases are diagnosed each day in the US, alone.</p>
<p>Despite all of the <a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/future_tense/2014/08/12/icebucketchallenge_you_don_t_need_an_ice_bucket_to_donate_to_als_research.html">negative think-pieces</a><span style="line-height: 25.7143px;"> </span>the trend generated, the videos had a direct hand in raising over $100m in just 30 days!</p>
<figure style="width: 783px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2016/07/160727_gma_ice_bucket_16x9_992.jpg" width="783" height="380" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Photo Credit: ABC News</figcaption></figure>
<p>Finally, the world is seeing the fruits of their chilly labor. One of the beneficiaries of the generosity fueled by the challenge, Project MinE, reports a newly discovered gene present in both inherited and sporadic cases of ALS.</p>
<h2>New Info May Lead to New Treatment</h2>
<p>The Guardian reports Project MinE as &#8220;a large data-driven initiative funded by the ALS Association through ice bucket challenge donations&#8230;&#8221; The project involved sequencing the genomes of 15,000 ALS sufferers. Their findings were published on Monday in the journal <i><a href="http://www.nature.com/ng/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/ng.3626.html">Nature Genetics</a>. </i></p>
<p>One of the study&#8217;s co-authors, John Landers, directly attributes dollars gained during the proliferation of the challenge. &#8220;It is a prime example of the success that can come from the combined efforts of so many people, all dedicated to finding the causes of ALS. This kind of collaborative study is, more and more, where the field is headed,&#8221; he proclaimed.</p>
<p>The discovery was a truly international effort. Some 80+ researchers from 11 countries collaborated on the discovery. The gene, NEK1, has only been associated with about 3% of all cases. However, finding the gene in both inherited and sporadic cases could lead to researchers having new avenues of treatment open to pursue.</p>
<p><a href="https://gma.yahoo.com/als-ice-bucket-challenge-funding-leads-genetic-findings-160314430--abc-news-wellness.html">Lucie Brujin</a>, the chief scientist for the ALS Association, stated &#8220;The discovery of NEK1 highlights the value of ‘big data’ in ALS research. The sophisticated gene analysis that led to this finding was only possible because of the large number of ALS samples available.&#8221;</p>
<p>This discovery is not the first development attributed to the stunt. The summer of 2015 also brought some new findings. Researchers from Johns Hopkins found a previously unknown accumulation of a specific protein to be an indicator of the disease.</p>


Contributions gained by ALS research groups from 2014's 'Ice Bucket Challenge' continue to lead to new, promising discoveries.

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