The world is experiencing rapid advancements in different fields of life. Among those fields, technological advancements in the field of medicine are at a higher level, as these can help improve the overall health of people. From around the world, healthcare organizations and agencies are increasing their funding in the context of medical innovations. For instance, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) increased the annual budget from $19.8 billion in 2001 to $41.1 billion in 2020, and the European Union planned to invest 100 billion euros as a part of the “Horizon 2020 initiative to support medical and health-related research. In the same way, the National Key Research and Development Program of China and the National Natural Science Foundation of China worked on several programs related to life sciences. Moreover, the initiative of "China annual major medical innovation” presented by the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS) has also gained huge attention from the Chinese government and several other sectors of science and technology.
In the "China annual major medical innovation
2022" initiative organized by the CAMS, 31 items or services have been
found to be of major importance. Among these items or services, seven are
related to clinical medicine, two are related to pharmacology, four relate to
stomatology, eight are related to fundamental medicine and biology, five are
related to public health and the environment, and five are related to
biomedical engineering and informatics.
In the field of clinical medicine, aside from other
advancements, it has been found that the use of toripalimab in combination with
paclitaxel and cisplatin (TP) has been found to be of significant help in treating
patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.
In the field of stomatology, along with other developments,
advancements have been reported regarding maxillofacial implants in terms of
improving their biocompatibility and eventually soft-tissue healing and bone
formation. This has been done with the help of improved adsorption capacity
while utilizing fibronectin in association with the titanium oxide (TiO2)
surface.
In the fields of medicine and biology, it has been reported
that China has become independent in utilizing human pluripotent stem cells
after gaining independence in the fields of transcription factor induction and
nuclear transplantation. These techniques have helped China improve chemical
reprogramming technologies and regenerative medicine.
In line with pharmacological advancements, experts have
stated that China has developed a recombinant human anti-rabies virus
monoclonal antibody injection that is faster to work and safer for patients.
China’s treatment for tumors, including Icariin, which is an herbal medicine in
China, is also among the notable advancements in the field of pharmacology and
medicine.
Considering the field of public health and environment, the
country has also worked on the statistics for public health and environmental
factors linked to public health. Experts in China have updated data regarding
rates of intravenous thrombolysis and also published data regarding liver
cancer and its risk factors, including tobacco smoking and utilizing solid
fuels for cooking.
Eventually, in the field of biomedical engineering and
informatics, experts have provided detailed information about the advancements
made in the field of 5.0 T superconducting magnet MRI imaging systems, which
have been made independently in China. The country has also made advancements
in the field of proton therapy systems that can help improve the dose targeted
at the tumor site. The country has also made progress with a dual-channel
rechargeable implanted deep brain electrical stimulation pulse generator kit
that can help stimulate the thalamic nucleus and eventually help in the
treatment of patients with Parkinson’s disease.
Reference:
Gao, D., Wei, X., Yang, Y., Li, L., Qi, Y., Zhang, R., ...
& Wang, C. (2024). Analysis and Evaluation of China Annual Major Medical
Innovation 2022: A Mix‐Method Approach Study. Informatics and Health, 1(1),
40-48.
