More 2013 Medical breakthroughs

Marijuana Cures Crohn’s Disease

2013 saw no shortage of studies advocating medical marijuana as an effective treatment for symptoms of glaucoma, epilepsy, HIV/AIDS, certain types of cancer, and other conditions. One stood out: Researchers from Meir Medical Center and Sackler Faculty of Medicine at Tel Aviv University concluded a landmark study earlier this year in which patients with Crohn’s Disease achieved “complete remission” after starting a daily cannabis regimen.As opposed to other controlled trials that explored marijuana’s remedial effect on cancer or AIDS, thisstudy published in the journal Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology ended with total remission of Crohn’s symptoms in five of the 21 patients used for the sample. The research team from Israel attributed this outcome to cannabis’ anti-inflammatory components, also known as Cannabinoids. Now researchers are focused on the anti-inflammatory mechanism in marijuana that facilitates the release of inflammatory agents including histamine and serotonin.



How To Print Your Own Body Parts

The ability to generate new body parts from scratch seems like something out of Star Trek or The Jetson’s, but it’s not. This past year saw an explosion in the medical uses of 3D printing technology. Early in 2013, American neurosurgeons created a polymer skull implant to replace approximately 75 percent of a patient’s skull. A baby who had a collapsed lung benefited from 3D technology as engineers developed a splint to support the baby’s narrow airways, ultimately saving her life. At the Third Annual Cell Therapy Bioprocessing Conference a San Diego company developed and presented the world’s first 3D human liver. And a loving father, Paul McCathy, set out to make a prosthetic left hand for his son who was without fingers — ultimately, he made one using only $10 worth of materials.

More amazing facts coming up