From Pixels to Diagnosis: AI in Dermatology for Comprehensive Skin Health Analysis

3 November 2024

From Pixels to Diagnosis: AI in Dermatology for Comprehensive Skin Health Analysis

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Introduction

Skin, our body’s largest organ, plays a vital role in protecting us from the environment and regulating temperature. Maintaining healthy skin is crucial for overall well-being. However, diagnosing skin conditions can be time-consuming and challenging, especially in remote areas. This is where Artificial Intelligence (AI) steps in, revolutionizing the field of dermatology and offering exciting prospects for the future of skin health analysis

The Rise of AI in Dermatology

Artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing the field of dermatology, offering innovative solutions for accurate and efficient skin health analysis. By leveraging advanced algorithms and machine learning techniques, AI-powered tools can analyze vast amounts of dermatological data, including images and patient records, to identify patterns and make informed diagnoses. This technological advancement holds the potential to transform traditional dermatological practices and improve patient care.

AI-Powered Skin Cancer Detection

One of the most significant applications of AI in dermatology is the early detection of skin cancer, particularly melanoma. AI algorithms can analyze skin lesions and identify suspicious features, such as asymmetry, border irregularity, color variation, diameter, and evolving characteristics, with high accuracy. By automating the diagnostic process, AI can help dermatologists detect skin cancer at its earliest stages, increasing the chances of successful treatment.

Teledermatology and Remote Skin Consultations

AI-powered teledermatology platforms enable remote skin consultations, making dermatological care accessible to a wider population, especially in underserved areas. Patients can capture images of their skin lesions using smartphones and upload them to these platforms, where AI algorithms analyze the images and provide preliminary diagnoses. This technology can help triage patients, prioritize cases, and reduce the burden on dermatologists, leading to more efficient and timely care.

Future Directions and Ethical Considerations

The future of AI in dermatology is brimming with potential, with ongoing research exploring innovative applications and advancements. As AI technologies continue to mature, it’s imperative to address ethical considerations, such as data privacy, algorithmic bias, and the potential impact on the doctor-patient relationship. By prioritizing transparency, accountability, and responsible AI development, we can unlock the full potential of this technology to improve skin health outcomes for patients worldwide.

Conclusion

AI is rapidly transforming the landscape of dermatology. By leveraging its powerful capabilities, we can achieve earlier diagnoses, improve access to specialized care, and ultimately promote healthier skin for everyone. As technology continues to advance, AI will undoubtedly play an even more significant role in the future of dermatology. By ensuring responsible development and addressing ethical concerns, we can harness the power of AI to optimize skin health globally.

Generative AI tool used: Gemini

Resources:

The Use of Artificial Intelligence for Skin Disease Diagnosis in Primary Care Settings: A Systematic Review – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7640800/
Principles, applications, and future of artificial intelligence in dermatology – https://www.ajmc.com/view/ai-dermatology-mobile-apps-have-critical-efficacy-safety-gaps-review-says
DERM performance – Skin Analytics – https://skin-analytics.com/
The suitability of AI in dermatology for enhanced skin care – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7640800/AI in Health and
Care Award: Skin Analytics evaluation – https://skin-analytics.com/news/funding/nhsx-award/

Tagged AI, Dermatology, healthcare

6 December 2023

4 Comments

AI, Business, Software

Artificial Intelligence in the Fight Against Cancer

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AstraZeneca, the renowned Anglo-Swedish drugmaker, has recently partnered with US-based Absci Corporation in a groundbreaking deal worth up to $247 million. The collaboration aims to leverage Absci’s artificial intelligence (AI) technology for large-scale protein analysis in the quest for an effective oncology therapy.

The use of AI in drug discovery has gained significant attention in recent years, as pharmaceutical companies seek innovative approaches to expedite the development of novel disease treatments while reducing costs. AstraZeneca’s collaboration with Absci is the latest in a series of partnerships between major industry players and emerging AI-focused enterprises.

Absci, headquartered in Washington state with an AI research lab in New York, employs its proprietary AI model to generate invaluable data through the measurement of millions of protein interactions. This data is then utilized to train the AI model, ultimately enabling the design and validation of viable antibodies – proteins that selectively target foreign substances in the body. By harnessing the power of AI, Absci aims to revolutionize the traditional drug discovery process.

The deal struck between AstraZeneca and Absci encompasses various components, including an upfront fee, research and development funding, milestone payments, and royalties on any product sales. The specifics of the targeted cancer type have not been disclosed at this time. However, this collaboration aligns with AstraZeneca’s broader objective of developing a new generation of targeted drugs to replace conventional chemotherapy.

Sean McClain, Absci’s founder and CEO, highlighted the potential advantages of applying engineering principles to drug discovery. McClain emphasized that such an approach enhances the likelihood of success while reducing the time required for development. This sentiment was echoed by Puja Sapra, Senior Vice President of AstraZeneca, who leads biologics engineering research and development. Sapra expressed excitement about the collaboration with Absci, emphasizing that AI not only accelerates the biologics discovery process but also enhances the diversity of the biologics discovered.

Collaborations between leading pharmaceutical companies and cutting-edge AI research firms have become increasingly prevalent in the pursuit of effective anti-tumor drugs. In September, US-based Moderna entered into a potentially lucrative agreement exceeding $1.7 billion with Germany’s Immatics for the development of cancer vaccines and therapies. Immatics utilizes T-cell receptor technology to target cancer-associated proteins.

AstraZeneca’s collaboration with Absci represents a significant advancement in the integration of AI technology into the drug discovery process. By combining their expertise, both companies aim to harness the power of AI to identify promising targets and design antibodies that could potentially transform cancer treatment. With the growing interest and investment in AI-driven drug discovery, we can anticipate further breakthroughs and advancements in the fight against cancer.

Sources:

AstraZeneca partners with Absci to design AI-generated cancer antibody – Copy.ai

AstraZeneca ties up with AI biologics company to develop cancer drug (ft.com)

AstraZeneca – Wikipedia, wolna encyklopedia

AstraZeneca, AI Biologics Firm Absci Tie up on Cancer Drug (usnews.com)

About Us | Absci

Tagged AI, Cancer, healthcare

7 November 2023

1 Comment

THE POWER OF AI IN MEDICINE: TRANSFORMING HEALTHCARE FOR A BETTER FUTURE

Reading Time: 3 minutes

In the evolving landscape of healthcare, Artificial Intelligence is an innovation, reshaping the industry and redefining patient care. The integration of AI technologies has ushered in a new era, promising improved outcomes, enhanced diagnostics, and a patient experience like never before. Let’s explore the remarkable impact AI is making in various areas of medicine while delving into its benefits and acknowledging the challenges it presents.

AI IN MEDICINE: REVOLUTIONIZING PATIENT CARE

DIAGNOSIS

AI-driven diagnostic tools are the vanguard of medical innovation, analyzing vast amounts of medical data swiftly and accurately. These tools enhance the speed and precision of disease identification, providing healthcare professionals with valuable insights for prompt intervention and treatment.

An example of such innovation is AlphaMissense, a new model from Google, which analyzes the effects of DNA mutations and will accelerate research into rare diseases. The model can predict the likelihood of them causing a disease with 90 percent accuracy. AlphaMissense helps researchers accelerate the slow process of matching genetic mutations to diseases.

DRUG DISCOVERY AND DEVELOPMENT

The traditional approach is complex and time-consuming. It typically commences with the identification of a biological target, often a disease-causing protein. The processes can involve thousands of iterations and years of effort before a candidate is even ready for human testing. Furthermore, many of these candidates may fail due to their interactions with the entire human body.

AI provides an enticing shortcut. By processing vast volumes of data such as the effectiveness of existing drugs, generative AI models can create drugs that are precisely designed for the intended purpose. The designed drug molecules can then be synthesized according to specifications.

Companies like Atomwise leverage AI to repurpose existing drugs, demonstrating its potential in addressing urgent medical needs, such as treating Ebola.

TELEMEDICINE

The rise of AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants has revolutionized patient engagement. These virtual healthcare companions provide patients with vital health information, schedule appointments, and offer continuous support, enhancing accessibility to medical advice and services. AI can also help monitor a patient, provide feedback to them and alert to early warning signs of disease progression.

MEDICAL IMAGING

AI’s prowess in medical imaging has reached unprecedented heights. Algorithms developed by Google’s DeepMind, for instance, can detect diabetic retinopathy from retinal scans, preventing blindness in diabetic patients. Such breakthroughs exemplify the transformative potential of AI in the field of medical imaging.

BENEFITS OF AI IN HEALTHCARE

ENHANCED DIAGNOSTICS

It enables healthcare professionals to make diagnoses with unprecedented accuracy, offering several benefits, including improved patient outcomes and increased survival rates. AI-based diagnostic tools use advanced algorithms to analyze complex medical data quickly and effectively. For example, in the field of medical imaging, AI has demonstrated exceptional prowess in identifying and characterizing abnormalities in radiological scans.

EFFICIENCY

By automating administrative tasks, AI enables healthcare professionals to focus on what truly matters – patient care. This streamlined approach reduces administrative problems, enabling a more efficient healthcare system.

DRAWBACKS AND CHALLENGES

DATA PRIVACY

The utilization of sensitive patient data raises valid concerns about data privacy and security breaches. To fully harness the advantages of telemedicine technology, healthcare providers must first establish a secure platform for sharing personal health information. Healthcare institutions are prime targets for cyberattacks due to the wealth of valuable data stored in their networks.

ETHICAL DILEMMAS

AI algorithms, while powerful, must navigate complex ethical questions, especially concerning life-altering decisions about patient care and treatment. Striking the right balance between human judgment and AI-driven recommendations is crucial.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, AI in medicine is more than just a technological advancement; it represents a pivotal shift in healthcare that has the potential to improve patient outcomes, enhance efficiency, and redefine patient care. As the healthcare landscape continues to evolve, harnessing the full potential of AI will require addressing its challenges proactively while upholding the principles of patient-centered and ethical care. The future of healthcare, with AI at its core, holds the promise of a healthier and more accessible tomorrow.

SOURCES

https://www.wired.co.uk/article/deepmind-ai-alphamissense-genetics-rare-diseases

https://www.wired.co.uk/bc/article/generative-ai-will-transform-medicine-hsbc-global-private-banking

https://www.techtarget.com/searchenterpriseai/feature/How-AI-has-cemented-its-role-in-telemedicine

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1120179721001733#b0060

https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2020/11/risks-and-benefits-of-an-ai-revolution-in-medicine/

CHAT GPT 3.5

Tagged AI, healthcare, medicine, new technology

21 October 2023

The Rise and Reality of AR and VR in Education, Healthcare, and Training

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Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) are immersive technologies that create realistic simulations of real or imagined environments. They have been increasingly used in various fields, such as entertainment, gaming, tourism, and education. However, one of the most promising and impactful applications of AR and VR is in healthcare, where they can enhance medical training, diagnosis, treatment, and patient care. In this article, we will explore the benefits and challenges of using AR and VR in healthcare education and training, and present some examples of how they are being implemented in different settings.

Benefits of AR and VR in Healthcare:

AR and VR offer several advantages for healthcare education and training, such as:

They provide a risk-free, controlled, and personalised environment, that is also engaging and interactive. This enables learners to practice various skills and scenarios without harming themselves or others, and to receive immediate feedback and guidance¹.

They enable repeatable and scalable immersive simulations that can accommodate different levels of difficulty and complexity. Learners can master the basics before advancing to more challenging tasks, and access the simulations anytime and anywhere .

They enhance the realism and fidelity of the simulations by incorporating sensory inputs, such as visual, auditory, haptic, and olfactory stimuli. Learners can experience the situations as close as possible to reality, and develop their situational awareness and decision-making abilities .

They facilitate collaboration and communication among learners and instructors, as well as between different disciplines and specialties. Learners can work in teams, share perspectives, learn from each other, and develop their interpersonal skills.

Examples of AR and VR in Healthcare:

There are many examples of how AR and VR are being used in healthcare education and training across different domains, such as:

Anatomy: AR and VR can help learners visualize the structure and function of the human body in 3D, without the need for cadavers or models. For instance, the HoloAnatomy app uses Microsoft HoloLens to display holographic images of the human anatomy that can be manipulated by gestures. Similarly, the 3D Organon VR Anatomy app uses Oculus Rift to display interactive models of the human anatomy that can be explored by controllers.

Surgery: AR and VR can help learners practice surgical procedures in a realistic and safe environment, without the need for live patients or animals. For example, the PrecisionOS system uses Oculus Quest to provide immersive surgical simulations for orthopedic education. Likewise, the Osso VR system uses HTC Vive to provide surgical simulations for various specialties.

Resuscitation: AR and VR can help learners perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in a lifelike scenario, without the need for manikins or actors. For instance, the ResusVR app uses Google Cardboard to provide a 360-degree video of a CPR scenario that can be controlled by voice commands. Similarly, the CPR Simulator app uses Samsung Gear VR to provide a 3D simulation of a CPR scenario that can be controlled by head movements.

Challenges of AR and VR in Healthcare:

Despite the benefits of AR and VR in healthcare education and training, there are also some challenges that need to be addressed, such as:

Cost: AR and VR and software can be expensive to acquire, maintain, update, and integrate with existing systems. Moreover, they may require additional resources such as space, power, internet connection, technical support, etc^.

Accessibility: AR and VR devices may not be widely available or compatible with different platforms or standards. Moreover, they may pose some barriers for users with disabilities or special needs¹².

Quality: AR and VR content may vary in quality depending on the source, design, development, validation, evaluation, etc. Moreover, they may contain errors or inaccuracies that could affect the learning outcomes or patient safety.

Ethics: AR and VR may raise some ethical issues regarding the privacy, consent, confidentiality, ownership, etc. of the data or images used.

Conclusion:

AR and VR are transforming healthcare education and training by providing immersive simulations that enhance learning outcomes and patient care. However, they also pose some challenges that need to be overcome by further research, development, and regulation. Therefore, it is important to adopt a balanced approach that considers both the pros and cons of using AR and VR in healthcare education and training.

Sources:

Tagged Augmented Reality, healthcare

27 November 2022

1 Comment

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AI and Healthcare

Reading Time: 3 minutes

AI and similar technologies are becoming more and more common in business and society, and they are starting to be used in healthcare. These technologies might change many facets of patient care, as well as internal administrative procedures at pharmaceutical organizations.

Numerous studies have already shown that AI is capable of doing important healthcare jobs including illness diagnosis as well as better than humans.

One of AI’s greatest potential advantages is to keep people healthy so they don’t need doctors as frequently, if at all. People are already benefiting from consumer health applications of artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT).

Applications and apps for technology support proactive maintenance of a healthy lifestyle and encourage individuals to adopt better behaviours. It gives customers control over their health and well-being.

Diagnose cancer

AI is already being used to more precisely and early diagnose diseases like cancer. The American Cancer Society claims that a large percentage of mammograms provide misleading findings, telling one in two healthy women they have cancer. Mammogram reviews and translations can now be done 30 times quicker and with 99% accuracy thanks to AI, which eliminates the need for pointless biopsies.

AI is also being used in conjunction with the growth of consumer wearables and other medical devices to monitor early-stage heart disease, allowing doctors and other caregivers to more effectively monitor and identify potentially fatal events at earlier, more curable stages.

Decision making process

AI can assist clinicians in taking a more comprehensive approach to disease management, better coordinate care plans, and help patients to better manage and comply with their long-term treatment programmes, in addition to helping providers identify chronically ill individuals who may be at risk of an adverse episode.

For more than 30 years, medical robots have been in use. They vary from basic laboratory robots to extremely sophisticated surgical robots that may work with a human surgeon or carry out procedures on their own. They are used in hospitals and labs for repetitive jobs, rehabilitation, physical therapy, and assistance for those with long-term problems in addition to surgery.

Training process

AI makes it possible for trainees to experience realistic simulations in a way that is not possible with straightforward computer-driven algorithms. A trainee’s answer to a question, choice, or piece of advise can be challenging in a manner that a person cannot because of the development of natural speech and an AI computer’s capacity to draw instantaneously from a massive library of situations. The training software may take into account the trainee’s prior replies, allowing it to modify the tasks to fit their learning requirements continuously.

Additionally, training can be done anywhere thanks to the power of AI integrated in smartphones, making it feasible to do brief catch-up sessions following challenging cases in a clinic or while travelling.

In conclusion, AI have the potential to revolutionize end-of-life care by allowing patients to stay independent for long periods of time, decreasing the need for hospitalization and care facilities. AI mixed with developments in humanoid design are allowing robots to go even farther and have ‘conversations’ and other social interactions with people to keep ageing minds sharp.

Resources:

https://www.wired.co.uk/article/cancer-risk-ai-mammograms

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6616181/

https://www.insiderintelligence.com/insights/artificial-intelligence-healthcare/

Tagged healthcare, technology

17 October 2022

3 Comments

How could AI improve healthcare?

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Artificial Intelligence in today’s world is developing rapidly. It is expected that by 2025 AI systems market will reach 791.5 billion dollars in revenue. In my article I want to focus on how AI is affecting the world’s health care. And I’m not going to show you a super fancy robot that will replace every doctor and even perform surgeries, but something that is way more accessible to people around the globe.

Ada Health is a free medical, symptom-checking app. It helps you check your symptoms and discover what might be causing them. With the help of Artificial Intelligence, Ada compares your case with thousands of medical documents and conditions to give you the most possible causes. The app is available in seven different languages: English, German, Portuguese, Spanish, French, Swahili, and Romanian. Swahili and Romanian were added thanks to funding from Fondation Botnar. It gives 119 million people more access to medical guidance. Ada has now over 12 million users and completed 28 million symptom checks.

How does a symptom check work?

The app is designed like a chatbot. First you have to start symptom assessment. The AI gets smarter the more you tell so you are asked a few simple questions (name, gender, date of birth and some personal questions about your health state). Then you can choose whether this assessment is for yourself or someone else. From there you are searching for your symptoms and briefly describe it. If you don’t know any of the medical terms you have the ability to check it within the app (short explanation with a picture). When all the questions are finished Ada’s AI processes your answers and you get your report. Note that this is not a medical diagnosis, but only a suggestion what might be the cause and suggests what you could do.

Ada is providing people with more information about their current state and suggest taking better health related actions. With the use of Swahili, it will be a game changer in developing countries of Africa, where people don’t have access to proper healthcare, or it is too expensive for them. The app will make them aware of their own health.

Ada is doing a great job at what it is supposed to do, but there is still a problem with accessibility of healthcare. Governments in developing countries should work with initiatives like this one and develop a new healthcare system. In my opinion apps like Ada should be used to interview and diagnose. Then a person would only go for a quick examination and receive medical advice from a doctor. It could make the poor systems more efficient, and one doctor would serve more people at the time.

In the future the app should be developed to gain and use even more personal information about one’s health. It could involve congenital diseases, allergies, eating habits, sports activity, but also information gathered everyday thru your smart devices. It could be integrated into your personal medical system that guides you with every aspect of your health.

Thank you for your time. Let me know what you think about this project and could it actually improve healthcare?

Sources:

https://ada.com/about/

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/05/27/samsung-and-bayer-invest-in-ai-doctor-app-ada-health.html

https://www.idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=US49571222

Tagged Apps, Artificial Intelligence, health, healthcare, machine-learning

7 December 2021

Enable Talk Gloves

Reading Time: 2 minutes

There are currently about 40 million deaf, mute and deaf-mute people and many of them use sign language to communicate, but there are very few people who actually understand sign language. Even though enable talk gloves aren’t a relatively new invention (they were first introduced in 2012), they are able to change the world for these people if they gain world popularity. Using gloves fitted with flex sensors, touch sensors, gyroscopes, and accelerometers (as well as some solar cells to increase battery life) the EnableTalk team has built a system that can translate sign language into text. The whole system then connects to a smartphone over Bluetooth.

These gloves were created by four Ukrainian students. The sensors recognize sign language and translate it into text on a smartphone, which then converts the text to spoken words.

The team has built a number of prototypes and tested them with sign language users in Ukraine. The idea for the project, said team member Osika Maxim, came from interacting with hearing-impaired athletes at the groups’ school.

The few existing projects that come close to what EnableTalk is proposing generally cost around $1,200 and usually have fewer sensors, use wired connections, and don’t come with an integrated software solution. EnableTalk, on the other hand, says that the hardware for its prototypes costs somewhere around $75 per device.

Students create smart gloves for hearing impaired people | Patient Innovation

Besides the cost, though, another feature that makes this project so interesting is that users can teach the system new gestures and modify those that the team plans to ship in a library of standard gestures. Given the high degree of variation among sign languages, which also has regional dialects just like spoken language, this will be a welcome feature for users.

They started building the prototype for the gloves in January 2012 and worked through weekends and nights to finish in time for the Microsoft 2012 Imagine Cup in Sydney, Australia, in July. Enable Talk won first place in the innovation category, beating 350 students from 75 countries.

Enable Talk - Talking Gloves | Susan Wheeler-Hall

Best Inventions of the Year 2012

techcrunch.com

https://patient-innovation.com/post/744

Tagged healthcare

1 December 2021

1 Comment

Saventic – the future of healthcare

Reading Time: 3 minutes

How many of us have heard or experienced waiting in lines to see a doctor, receiving a misdiagnosis, months of searching for the right specialist, and feeling powerless about it? In the case of rare diseases or neoplasms, the diagnostic process takes up to 7 years from the first symptoms to appear. Sometimes it is too late for a sick patient because only 1 in 8 patients is properly diagnosed and treated because from 7000 rare diseases only 10% of them have a treatment. Now the diagnostics process of rare diseases is complex, far from optimal and the problem has been neglected for many years even in developed countries.

Fortunately, the development of medicine and science allows for the improvement and cooperation of these two sectors. Even from an epidemiological point of view, a Google search engine that was not designed for it was able to identify the symptoms of COVID-19 before its infection surged and was recognized by doctors. According to Dr Elena Ivanina, a gastroenterologist at Lenox Hill Hospital:

“This is not the first time Google searches have been used to predict epidemics”

If a device not intended for the diagnosis of diseases can work wonders, you can only imagine what effects we will get with Saventic.

Saventic is a company dealing in the diagnosis of rare diseases based on artificial intelligence, it creates comprehensive solutions to support healthcare systems. Saventic offers two platforms based on SARAH which uses AI algorithms with different diagnostic approaches on two levels of use: first – Saventic Medical API for clinics, hospitals or professional medical units and second – Saventic Foundation which is a new idea, a platform for patients that offers the possibility of a private diagnosis of rare diseases.

Saventic Medical API is a B2B opportunity for healthcare providers to make correct diagnoses in a faster and easier way. Also improvement not only in the diagnosis but also in the treatment of less common diseases and in area of knowledge about their symptoms or course of illness based on the collected data. The Foundation is a B2C application for patients seeking diagnosis. This is the second way to reach patients with rare diseases, not only to analyze databases in hospitals, but also directly to patients. The Foundation is currently supporting patients with metabolic and blood diseases, solutions for other diseases are under development. Algorithms for Gaucher’s disease, Fabry’s disease and blood cancer are currently being commercialized.

To sum up everything that has been stated so far from year to year, organizations such as Saventic will improve the work of doctors and disease diagnosis, as well as improve treatment methods and knowledge of their symptoms. Such a modern medical solution is a novelty on the Polish and global market.

Tagged AI, healthcare, Saventic

18 December 2018

3 Comments

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LONGEVITY CLOSER THEN WE THINK?

Reading Time: 3 minutesHumans are thinking about immortality since the dawn of time. Thanks to the current progress in technology we are witnessing a discovery that potentially could rewrite our lives. Senolytics are new class of drugs which may provide us with a better, healthier lives.

Judith Campisi is a professor at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging in Novato, California, and cofounder of a company called Unity Biotechnology in 2011. She is known as a leading figure in the biology of ageing since the early 1990s, when her research revealed that cells enter a phase known as senescence that prevents them from becoming cancerous.

Her research is currently focused on the role of cellular senescence in cancer and other age-related diseases. So, what cellular senescence basically means? According to Wikipedia, it is „one phenomenon by which normal cells cease to divide”. In 1960’s, Leonard Hayflick and Paul Moorhead found out that normal human fetal fibroblasts in culture reach a maximum of approximately 50 cell population doublings before becoming senescent. This phenomenon was called Hayflick limit and is known or overturning a 60-year-old dogma which maintained that all cultured cells are immortal.

It is worth noting that senescent cells in some point come to the kind of twilight state where they are still active but no longer dividing. Campisi’s and other scientists’ researches showed that this was a ‘strategy’ of the evolution process to derail incipient cancer cells, which are known to spread thanks to the cells division.

(PRNewsFoto/UNITY Biotechnology)

Now, Campisi is conducting researches on new class of drugs called senolytics, which eliminate senescent cells and restore more youthful characteristics (in animal experiments). The company called Unity Biotechnology, which she cofounded in 2011, launched a human trial of its first senolytic drug last July.

This actions can cause a moral dilemma whether we should live longer than we already do. Campisi points out that we should not confuse aging and death. She expects that, thanks to senolytics, we will be able to extend our “health span”, which basically means that there is a possibility that we will extend the duration of good health condition of our bodies while living the same amount of time as we currently do.

Today we can observe a debate about the limit to the human life span. Some say it can be 110 years, others claims it to be 150 years. Speaking of this case, Campisi provides us with examples such as world record for extending the life span of a little worm called C. elegans, which is 10-fold. On the other hand, most of the really intensive experiences extend mouse life span (which is about 97% genetically identical to human being) by 20-30%. In the end we just simply do not know what the maximum life span of human being, but there is a possibility that we can extend it even more than we already did, for example thanks to the discovery of vaccines.

So, what are your expressions on this topic? Would you like to live longer? Why? Or why not? Would you like to extend your “health span” or you believe that ageing is a necessary part of our lives? Let me know in the comment section!

Sources:

https://www.wikipedia.org

https://www.technologyreview.com

Tagged health, healthcare, medicine, research-breakthrough

16 December 2015

No More Privacy. Thank you.

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Healthcare, like so many other sectors of the economy, is being transformed by technology.

TechCrunch

All eyes on the transformation of healthcare to one of the most personalized products we are able to purchase. No questions asked, eHealth, along other similar term creations are among the top buzzwords this year and in the near future. Finally, Startups and VC firms seem to realize the huge potentially big data, mobile and other technologies can have on our health. Consumers realize that, there are vast possibilities to track your own health and life a healthier lifestyle. While customers, producers and investors seem to feel the changes in technology based healthcare solutions knocking on our door, it is often an outdated and inflexible legal system that prevents the revolution in healthcare to finally gain momentum. In many cases, governments do not seem to be ready for this change to happen. Furthermore, often the basic data infrastructure required for these technologies are not developed enough.

Data privacy is a big issue in healthcare, as data about our health is probably one of the most private and sensitive pieces of data each and every one of us has to offer. Nevertheless, applications like SkinAnalytics, which helps in early Melanoma detection, points out how valuable large amount of data can be in order to early detect and prevent diseases from spreading. Clinical research would be one of the first to benefit from a lift in healthcare data protection and thus everyone could be benefiting from better-adjusted healthcare solutions.

From a business point of view, companies that are early able to position themselves on the market, despite the strict regulatory framework, will have a good competitive advantage toward the new entrants, that join the industry as a result of lifts in the law. Cracking the legal code is key to success here, as the technology is already available and well used in all kinds of different sectors.

An eCommerce example of an organization struggling with a tight regulatory framework and constant pressure from organizations that rather hold on to what exist now, instead of aiming for a better development, is 1001Pharmacies.com. The French startup set out to revolutionize the French Online-pharmacy landscape had his fair share of battling with the legal environment and parties that would rather keep everything as it is, instead of working towards better and more efficient solutions.

What is the point of all of this? A call to the liberation of data privacy and legal aspects of pharmaceutical and medical laws. The creation of an environment that triggers creative solutions in this sector. Solutions that we all would be benefiting of one day.

Tagged big data, data, eCommerce, ehealth, healthcare, legal, mhealth, pharmaceuticals, privacy, regulations

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A blog on technology, run by Kozminski University students and supervised by NeRDS

Tag Archives: healthcare