Movies, television shows, and books can create a vision of a world with endless possibilities. The future can be portrayed in ways that we would find impossible in the present day.
In my life time, the thought of a person talking into a wrist watch seemed like something only James Bond could do. Especially for a girl where our rotary phone was on the wall of the kitchen with a very stretched out spiral cord! Now, a watch can let you know how much activity you do, your schedule, and allow you to make a call on the go.
Nowhere is this more exciting than in the world of medicine!
One of the most stunning developments is the creation of 3-D lung models in laboratories to help in the treatment of rare lung disease.
This incredible article describes how cells from patients can be taken and used to make a 3-D model of human lungs. This is helping scientists better understand the scarring of lung tissue caused by diseases such as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF).
IPF is a progressive lung disease with no known cure. This disease leads to scar tissue taking over healthy lung tissue and a decrease in the lungs ability to function. As a result, IPF can lead to heart attack, stroke, lung cancer, blot clots in the lungs, and respiratory failure. The serious nature of this disease demands a development of treatment and understanding.
The 3-D lung models are allowing scientists to test a variety of drugs for treatment of IPF and their effects.
This is an amazing, almost unbelievable advancement giving rise to hope. A glimpse into the future of the marvels of modern medicine in treating what was once thought untreatable. In my mind, this is extremely cool.
What scientific advancement for IPF has you all excited? Let’s share below!