Where will science take medicine in another 100 years?

For me, the beauty of my profession is that there’s always something new to learn.

Inquisitive minds keep probing for answers—and each answer often leads to new questions.

It’s exciting to imagine what science will reveal 100 years from now. And how it will influence medicine.

Just think, 100 years ago, we didn’t even have antibiotics. And now we’ve even uncoded the DNA molecule, which hosts your genes!

With that in mind, let’s explore some modern questions about cancer-related genes research…

New discoveries unlocked

We’ve known for a while that certain breast cancer genes are more likely to recur than others. And now, scientists are finally exploring why.

Researchers have discovered that the genes we’re born with impact how our immune system responds—whether it will attack or retreat when facing certain gene abnormalities, like those in breast cancer.

See, the DNA we inherit from our parents is called our germline genome, which influences our immune response to potential precancerous changes.

While this sounds relatively simple, the innerworkings are complex, yet thrilling, as conventional medicine sees this as a step toward understanding and addressing “precancer.”

(Precancer is the phase where cells have begun growing abnormally, but have yet to turn into cancer.)

Cancer research is evolving

The next goal is to find ways to prompt the immune system to stop cancer before it starts.

(I know, I know. Stopping something before it happens? That’s the approach we use daily in the alternative medicine world. But it’s great to see mainstream medicine catching on!)

Scientists hope that by identifying the parts of the gene that influence breast cancer cell growth and division, they may be able to one day develop a vaccine to prevent it from occurring in the first place.

Of course, many labs are currently researching the biology of precancer and exploring possible ways to halt the disease.

For instance, the National Cancer Institute’s Human Tumor Atlas Network is building three-dimensional (3D) models to study precancer progression. Meanwhile, the University of Washington’s Cancer Vaccine Institute is developing a vaccine targeting precancerous lesions linked to many ovarian cancers.

Isn’t this exciting? I’m hopeful and eager to see where this research lands over the coming years. Because any cancer clue is a HUGE breakthrough.

In the meantime, continue to protect yourself against the big “C” by making smart lifestyle decisions, which I outline in my online learning tool, my Essential Cancer Protocol. Click here to learn more!

And be sure to tune back in tomorrow, where we’ll discuss one more exciting piece of this precancer-cancer puzzle.

Source:

“The Biology of ‘Precancer’: Stopping Cancer Before It Starts.” Medscape, 10/08/2024. (medscape.com/viewarticle/biology-precancer-stopping-cancer-before-it-starts-2024a1000icz)