Top 10 Medical Discoveries of 2008

Diseases, illnesses and injuries are nothing new America, but treatments of said issues is contently changing and evolving. Throughout history many medical discoveries have been made and most of them for the better. Does anyone know how our forefathers used to treat dysentery? I found this out during a family trip to Civil War era Fort Morgan (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Morgan_(Alabama) ) and Fort Gaines (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Gaines_(Alabama) )(both in Alabama). Up on the wall in the infirmary area of the old Fort Morgan revealed that to treat dysentery doctors used laxatives.
For anyone that does not know, dysentery is an infection of the intestines marked by severe diarrhea. Seems really stupid to treat diarrhea by creating more does it not? But that is how far medicine has come since those days and aren’t we glad we have Imodium now?
Tell you another thing that will boggle your mind. The bathrooms in both forts had no sinks! We know now that diseases, through germs, can be best spread by the non-washing of hands.
We know a lot more than our ancestors did and in 2008 we discovered some amazing things. Some of it may be more useful in the future, but with each new discovery comes a small victory against overcoming the illnesses that kill so many.
Without further delay, here are the top 10 medical discoveries of 2008 and here is to 2009 being even better.

First Neurons Created from ALS Patients - Using the motor neurons produced from ALS patients, scientists are now able to study the many stages of the disease as the affected cells develop, degenerate and die in a dish — something researchers could never do before for such slow-moving conditions. Once scientists understand the many stages of ALS development, they may be able to create more effective treatments and perhaps even a cure.
Inflammation vs. Cholesterol - Half of all heart attacks in the U.S. occur in people with normal cholesterol levels. Shocked? A recent study confirmed a separate, perhaps equally powerful, risk factor for heart disease: inflammation, the same culprit behind arthritis and other autoimmune diseases. This study and research was conducted by Dr. Paul Ridker at Boston's Brigham and Women's Hospital. The results were printed in the New England Journal of Medicine (http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/NEJMoa0807646)
Scar less Surgery - a new technique in which surgeons enter the body through existing openings such as the mouth, vagina and colon, instead of cutting through the skin.
Genomes for the Masses - You provide a sample of saliva, from which your DNA is pulled out, replicated and searched for the presence of 90 known genetic variations that code for different traits or conditions, from lactose intolerance to prostate cancer. Price tag on this is $399, however if you are concerned about whether you’re at risk of getting a genetic disease, it may be worth it.
New Genes for Alzheimer's - The genes came forth from a study of over 1,300 families, and although the genes' exact role in Alzheimer's is still not known, researchers believe it may contribute to the death of nerve cells. Dozens of genes recently have been linked to Alzheimer's, but each newly discovered gene constitutes a new path and new hope for future drug treatment.
A Five-in-One Vaccine - Pentacel, the first vaccine to immunize against five diseases at once — diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio and haemophilus influenzae type B was released and with very little side effects which include fever, redness and swelling at the injection site. For more information, please see the website on this: http://www.pentacel.com/
Gene Screens for Breast Cancer - SPOT-Light mines patients' genes to determine who will respond best to the cancer drug Herceptin. With this test, it can save a woman the precious time she so badly needs in order to fight breast cancer. Instead of starting on a drug that would not really help them, doctors can give them medications that will. For more information on this, please read: http://www.webmd.com/breast-cancer/news/20080708/fda-oks-new-breast-cancer-gene-test
Blood Test for Down Syndrome - the test is designed to detect abnormally elevated levels of chromosome 21 (an extra copy of it causes Down) in the mother's blood, which would indicate a baby with the disease. Just so everyone knows, having Down’s Syndrome is not the end of the world, in fact I have found people who have this are some of most loving people I have ever met, so if you find out your child has this, celebrate it, trust me.
Seasick Patch for Cancer Patients - In September, the FDA approved Sancuso, a patch that releases a steady dose of the drug granisetron, which blocks serotonin receptors and reduces queasiness. For more information, please see http://www.sancuso.com/
Stem-Cell Trachea Transplant - In a transplant first, doctors in Spain gave a woman a new windpipe from a donor trachea that was lined with her own stem cells. It was the first time a patient's adult stem cells, which are extracted from bone marrow, have been used to seed a new tissue or organ for transplant.