The Best of the Best: Top 10 Medical Innovations for 2017

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Reported by Annette Kreuger, Industrial Info Resources, Incorporated (Sugar Land, Texas)--Out of the mix of the thousands of new medicines, devices and treatments for an array of conditions and illnesses, a few simply outshine the rest. Each year, a team of 100 physicians and researchers assembled by the esteemed Cleveland Clinic develops an annual "Top 10" list. The 2017 Top 10 Medical Innovations, in order of perceived impact:

1. Using the microbiome to prevent, diagnose and treat disease: The bacteria that make up our microbiomes, or "genetic footprints," help to determine our DNA, predisposition to diseases, body types and more. Some reports claim 90% of all diseases can be traced back to our gut and the health of the microbiome.

2. Diabetes drugs that reduce cardiovascular disease and death: Half of patients with Type 2 diabetes will die from complications of cardiovascular disease, and those odds rise each year. In 2017, new medications for the disease will help to offset the secondary diseases that come along with diabetes, like cardiovascular problems and kidney issues.

3. Cellular immunotherapy to treat leukemia and lymphomas: Immunotherapy is a way to stimulate a person's own immune system to restore its strength and attack cancer cells. In one trial published in 2016, 93% of patients with acute lymphocytic leukemia, or ALL, went into complete remission after immunotherapy treatments, even when multiple other treatments had previously failed.

4. Liquid biopsies to find circulating tumor DNA: Instead of removing a patient's tissue to test for cancer, tumor DNA can be detected in a patient's blood or spinal fluid. Liquid biopsies are being "hailed as a flagship technology of the federal government's Cancer Moonshot initiative," and "experts believe it's only a matter of time before catching and treating cancer is as routine as your annual checkup."

5. Driverless cars and other automated safety features: Medical costs related to auto accidents add up to almost $23 billion a year in the U.S. Automatic safety features, like drowsiness alerts and collision warning systems, are expected to reduce dangerous car accidents, along with the evolution of driverless cars.

6. Fast health care interoperability (FHIR) resources: Adding to the stress of illness, it has become increasingly difficult to keep track of important clinical information when a patient is dealing with more than one healthcare provider. 2017 will see new technology that will allow different healthcare systems to "talk" to one another, sharing images and medications, along with administrative data such as billing and demographics.

7. Ketamine for treatment-resistant depression: Some initial studies have found that ketamine--a drug typically used for anesthesia--can improve symptoms in patients with treatment-resistant depression within 24 hours of the first dosage.

8. 3-D visualization and augmented reality for surgery: Surgeons often work in cramped spaces doing delicate work, but 3-D technologies can help them be more precise and potentially reduce fatigue, such as augmented reality glasses that display holographic images of human anatomy.

9. Self-administered HPV test: A majority of sexually active women will contract human papillomavirus (HPV), with certain strains responsible for 99 percent of cases of cervical cancer. Despite great strides in HPV prevention and treatment, the benefits are restricted only women with easy access to testing. Scientists have developed do-it-yourself HPV test kits that allow a woman to take the test at home and mail it to a lab for the results.

10. Bioabsorbable stents: About 600,000 people annually have metal coronary stents put into their chests to treat coronary artery blockage. The small metal tube stays in place for the rest of the patient's life, which can lead to complications such as blood clots. Bioabsorbable stents do their job for two years before being absorbed into the body and leaving behind a healthy artery.

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