From Code to Cure: Big Tech in Healthcare
Introduction
Tech has revolutionized healthcare faster than you can say “Siri, do I have a fever, or am I just hot?” We’re living in the age of telemedicine, where your smartphone is your new BFF and WebMD is the relationship counselor.
Sure, we’re talking about wearable tech that not only tracks your steps but also calculates how many calories you burned while stress-eating that extra slice of pizza. Spoiler alert: the numbers might not add up, but hey, it’s all about balance, right? But there’s so much more than just what we’ve seen already. In this blog, we’re diving into the electrifying world where technology and healthcare have engaged in a passionate love affair, birthing innovations that could even rival imaginations like Dr. Frankenstein.
AI in Healthcare
AI seems to be making a mark everywhere, and the healthcare industry is no different. According to Statista, the artificial intelligence healthcare market which was valued at $11 billion in 2021, is projected to be worth nearly $187 billion in 2030. This massive skyrocketing means we will continue to see impressive changes in how pharmaceuticals, biotechnology companies, and medical providers integrate tech into their operations.
Want an example? AI and ML technologies can sift through enormous volumes of health data from health records and clinical studies to genetic information and analyze it much faster than humans. Machine learning-based technology could be used to help identify errors in how a patient self-administers medications. One example comes from a study in Nature Medicine, which found that nearly 70% of patients don’t take insulin as prescribed. An AI-powered tool that sits in the patient’s background (kind of like a Wi-Fi router) could be used to mark up errors in how the patient administers an insulin pen or inhaler.
A recent study found that 83% of patients reported poor communication as the worst part of their experience, demonstrating a strong need for clearer communication between patients and providers. Computational intelligence technologies like natural language processing (NLP), predictive analytics, and speech recognition could help healthcare providers have more effective communication with patients. Such tech could, for instance, deliver more specific information about a patient’s treatment options, allowing the healthcare provider to have more meaningful conversations with the patient for shared decision-making.
AI has the potential to revolutionize oncology, or in other words cancer detection. Quite recently, a study showed that it can predict what type of cancer treatment a patient may best respond to. Using data from around 50 cancer cell models and 36 primary cases of acute myeloid leukemia, researchers were able to prove it to be true. Google’s DeepMind project, in a joint effort with the United Kingdom’s National Health Service (NHS), created an AI system that surpassed human doctors in spotting more than 50 eye diseases using 3D scans. The implications for similar technology in spotting tumors in CT or MRI scans have been immense. Additionally, PathAI uses artificial intelligence in pathology to aid in diagnosing diseases, including cancer. Its platform has helped pathologists identify patterns more accurately, making sure that everything that can be detected is detected.
Genetic Engineering
Imagine if there was a way to make your eyes blue instead of brown, or change the shape of your nose way before you were born. Sounds crazy, right? Unbelievably, this will soon become a very real possibility. Genetic engineering is the process of tweaking an organism’s DNA. Whether it’s in plants or even humans, the changes can be quite impactful. Human genetic engineering relies heavily on technology. With the rise of such tech, scientists can now change or even terminate the genomes responsible for causing mutations. Today, genetic engineering is used to give people living with cystic fibrosis, diabetes, and other diseases a fighting chance(using a method called gene therapy). It has the power not only to increase the quality of life but also the longevity of human beings.
Gene therapy
In 2018, gene therapy shot to fame and garnered worldwide attention when it was used to successfully treat a baby in Arizona suffering from Artemis SCID, more commonly known as “Bubble Baby” disease.
Right across the Atlantic in London, a young child born with a deadly and rare condition known as MLD was potentially cured using revolutionary gene therapy developed by Orchard Therapeutics. No matter the price, Teddi Shaw was given another chance at life when she began treatment using one of the most expensive drugs in British healthcare, known as Libmeldy. Libmeldy corrects the genetic cause of MLD by inserting functional copies of a faulty gene into the patient’s stem cells. The stem cells come from their own bone marrow or blood and are fed back into the body with the new genetic information.
Gene therapy is essentially a technique used to alter the biological properties of living cells and human tissue. Though this can be done through many mechanisms, it’s most commonly done by:
- Swapping out disease-causing gene with a healthy one
- Introducing a new gene into the body to treat the disease.
But how is it done? All with the magic of CRISPR technology, a game-changer in the field of genetic engineering and immunology.
CRISPR Technology
Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (no wonder we just call it CRISPR) or CRISPR-Cas9, the most well-known variant of CRISPR technology is a revolutionary tool that has allowed scientists to target genes and modify, add, or delete them with unprecedented accuracy and efficiency. CRISPR involves a process that hints at a clever design inspired by nature’s defense mechanisms. The process begins by programming a guide RNA to match the target DNA sequence, essentially creating a genetic GPS. The RNA then guides the CRISPR-associated protein (Cas) to the exact spot, where it snips the DNA like a tiny, highly sophisticated pair of scissors. This cut prompts the cell’s natural repair machinery to kick in, introducing modifications or repairs to the genetic code. The result: a transformative ability to edit genes with a precision that’s almost unheard of, unlocking a realm of possibilities in medicine, agriculture, and beyond.
CRISPR gene-editing technology can improve the drug development process by directly upregulating or downregulating genes to determine which gene products are responsible for disease. This enables researchers to identify more effective drug targets to speed up drug discovery and develop accurate models for reliable drug testing.
CRISPR technology can also be used to tackle another problem that is becoming a major probably nowadays, that being antibiotic resistance. CRISPR technology can be used to discover new antibiotic targets that are not as prone to developing resistance. As an alternative solution, CRISPR technology can serve as an antibacterial tool itself when programmed to target bacterial DNA with Cas3, a Cas enzyme variant that melts bound DNA.
The Controversy: Ethical or not?
The elegance and power of CRISPR technology has catapulted us into an era where rewriting the code of life is not just a fantastical notion but a thrilling reality. At the same time, it has revived the debate on old bioethical questions. However promising it may seem, it does bring along a few technical pitfalls. Safety has turned out to be a major concern as there is a high chance of off-target mutations that may result in unwanted side effects. Secondly, there are serious moral and ethical concerns regarding justice and equity in society. For example, how will the technology be used to enhance normal human traits? Should editing germline DNA be permitted so that modified traits are passed on for generations? These questions were brought up front and center when in 2018, a rogue scientist from China announced that he had created the world’s first gene-edited babies. These unprecedented discoveries highlight the need for strict guidelines in the field of genetic engineering.
Conclusion
The incredible power of CRISPR gene-editing technology serves as an important reminder about the relationship between ascendancy and obligation. As humanity learns of new powerful ways to control its evolution, the human race must also learn to wield such power with reason, responsibility, and careful due diligence.
