A medical breakthrough is the discovery of a therapy, procedure or technique that has the potential to transform healthcare. This includes treatments that improve the health of patients, save lives or reduce costs. These breakthroughs often require years of research and investment, culminating in pioneering therapies, techniques and products. When reading about a new discovery, it’s important to be critical and evaluate the source of the information and the context of the research.
The discovery of the double helix structure of DNA revolutionized molecular biology and led to groundbreaking discoveries in a wide variety of diseases. Some of these discoveries — such as insulin, which helps manage diabetes and defers its debilitating symptoms — have saved lives and billions of dollars.
Other major breakthroughs include the first successful kidney transplant by Joseph Murray at Massachusetts General Hospital, which opened a new avenue of treatment for people on end-stage renal disease waitlists. Ultrasound was also a game-changer, providing detailed images of organs and other structures within the body and enabling life-saving procedures such as prenatal screening and diagnosing abdominal and pelvic abnormalities.
Other medical advances that shook the world include Dana-Farber cancer researchers discovering the brain lipids known as proteolipids, which help shape normal brain function and identify abnormalities in psychiatric disorders. HMS genetics researcher Jack Szostak co-discovers telomeres, the protective structures on the ends of chromosomes that get shorter each time a cell divides, which leads to his Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. And HMS dermatologists use a laser to remove the congenital birthmark port-wine stains from the skin without scarring, and they also develop the first artificial skin grown from living cells.