A medical breakthrough is any discovery or innovation that has the potential to dramatically change healthcare for patients and improve their outcomes. The medical world is flooded with exciting developments that give hope for a better future. These include telemedicine, 3D printing, and regenerative medicine.
In 1861, Louis Pasteur developed germ theory, which explains how infectious diseases come from microorganisms entering the body and killing cells. This groundbreaking insight greatly reduced the number of surgical infections. It also made it possible for surgeons like Joseph Lister (see #9 on this list) to treat typhoid fever, bubonic plague, cholera, and other deadly diseases.
Other significant medical advances in the 19th century included the first painless surgery with anesthesia, performed by Crawford Long at Mass General; the first blood transfusion, initiated by Rene Laennec and performed by Charles Bonnet; and the stethoscope, invented by Friedrich Serturner. The 20th century saw an even greater number of life-changing breakthroughs. Scientists isolated morphine in 1841, giving doctors the ability to control pain during surgeries; discovered how leukemia is a blood disorder; and developed the first vaccines against rabies, influenza, measles, mumps, and tuberculosis.
Among the most recent big advancements is gene therapy, which introduces genetic material into cells to cure or prevent disease. It’s transforming the way doctors practice by making them more astute diagnosticians and could eventually eliminate the need for animal testing. Other recent innovations such as regenerative medicine, which seeks to regenerate and replace damaged tissue and organs, are poised to significantly enhance the quality of people’s lives in the years to come.