Remarkable Discoveries in the Last Few Decades in the History of Healthcare 

By Christian Nordqvist

The reason why people are living substantially longer than in years gone by is due, in no small part, to the impressive advancements and discoveries which have been made by scientists, researchers, and healthcare experts. 

So, if you have an interest in how history and medicine tie together, then this article is for you. Continue reading to learn of three remarkable discoveries in the last few decades in the history of healthcare. 

Three-Dimensional Printing

First up, one hugely influential discovery that has impacted not only the world of healthcare but also a host of other fields of industry is that of three-dimensional printing. 

American Chuck Hull was the first to invent the 3D printer, with the intention to solely use it in the manufacturing business to create solid structural blueprints. Still, the world of healthcare adopted this rather futuristic piece of technology not long afterward. 

You may have experienced this yourself when visiting your dentist and needing a scan of your teeth and mouth, as 3D printers are regularly used in both dentists and in hospitals. 

Gene Editing

Medical professionals and scientific researchers are currently using ground-breaking CRISPR techniques such as piggyBac Transposon services to detect and subsequently diagnose both non-infectious and infectious diseases, which is more commonly known as gene editing. 

A brief history of gene editing is as follows:

  • In 1953, DNA was first identified as referred to today, by the original name of the double helix
  • 1972 saw the ability to introduce genetic coding artificially from one organism to another one
  • The first animal to be inserted with another organism’s DNA occurred in 1981
  • A year later, two scientists named Goeddel and Kleid created insulin in their laboratory, which was then approved as safe to use for humans by the FDA shortly afterward
  • In the early 2000s, the Human Genome Project was completed, which allowed scientists to see the links between how certain diseases respond to certain drugs 

Vaccinations

The 2020 coronavirus epidemic, which swept the world and caused devastation to hundreds of thousands of lives, is a fine example of how quickly medical professionals and researchers are able to come up with a vaccination. 

From the very first vaccine for smallpox, created by Edward Jenner in late 1796, so many other diseases and illnesses can be prevented by vaccinations, although it is incredibly interesting to note that smallpox is still the only human disease to this day that has been entirely eradicated because of vaccinations. 

Insulin 

The chances are that you, or else someone in your family or a close friend, has been diagnosed as having diabetes, which may mean a change in one’s core lifestyle is required in order to avoid the development of diabetes. 

It is only due to the discovery of the treatment of insulin for diabetes, which occurred relatively recently in 1992, that the disease is now much more controlled, both in the United States and in the majority of other countries around the world.