KEY POINTS:
To mark the 10th anniversary of nzherald.co.nz we're looking back at the important milestones of the last decade. Below we examine 10 top health breakthroughs of the past 10 years.
1. Stem cells
Stem cells can grow into any other type of cell, allowing the possibility of organ transplants grown from a person's own cells and avoiding the need for anti-rejection drugs. They are also the leading hope for allowing the body to repair itself, with stem cells being injected into damaged organs to regenerate healthy tissue.
Controversy over taking stem cells from embryos has stopped or restricted research, but recent advances using adult cells have opened the way for this technology to be a big part of the future.
First successful lab-grown organ transplant 2006
Possibility stem cells could end heart transplants
2. Gene therapy
Many of the most serious diseases affecting humans have a genetic basis. A draft of the human genome was released in 2000, and another in 2003. These are helping scientists identify the genes associated with certain conditions. Gene therapy offers the possibility of replacing defective genes with functional ones.
There are concerns about the long-term effects of this therapy, and the technology is still in its infancy, but there is potential for this to be a powerful tool in the future.
Gene therapy aids inherited blindness 2008
Bone marrow transplant may have cured man of AIDS 2008
3. Nanotechnology
The incredibly small could be used to solve some big problems. Machines the size of a molecule could be sent to rapidly map your genome, scan your entire body for any illnesses, and deliver the medicine directly to the cells affected.
However, some scientists have expressed concerns that not enough is known about the effects of nanoparticles on the environment and on human beings - even though nanotech products are already on the market in some countries.
Nanotechnology's medical potential 2004
4. Xenotransplantation
Transplanting animal tissue into humans was always going to be a controversial issue. In 2000, an Auckland company's plan to transplant insulin-producing pig cells into humans with insulin-dependent diabetes was rejected by New Zealand health officials.
Concerns about animal viruses being able to cross over into the human population have made the progress of research slow, but in October last year former Health Minister David Cunliffe approved a pig-cell transplant trial for diabetics which is due to start in February.
Xenotransplantation trial rejected 2000
Trial finally approved 2008
5. Targeted cancer drugs
Targeted or 'smart drugs' are a new generation of cancer drugs which only attack cancer cells and leave normal cells alone. Herceptin, used for HER-2 positive breast cancer, was one of the first of these drugs, approved by the FDA in 1998. Glivec, for chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML), followed in 2001 and Avastin for colon cancer in 2003.
There has been some controversy about the hefty price tag attached to these drugs, and some questions about the effectiveness of Herceptin, but these drugs have given a new lease of life and hope to many cancer sufferers.
Targeted drugs offer hope of longer survival
6. Anti-cancer vaccines
Viruses are implicated in the development of some types of cancer, and vaccines against these viruses are one promising method of prevention. Gardasil immunises against the human papilloma virus (HPV) which is associated with cervical cancer in women. The FDA approved it in 2006.
A free course of Gardasil for teenage girls in New Zealand was launched last year.
Gardasil hailed as 'Nobel Prize winning stuff' in 2005
7. Smoking ban
With lung cancer as one of the leading causes of death in New Zealand, the 2004 ban on smoking indoors in almost every public building was a major public health initiative.
It has had little effect on the number of people who smoke, but for non-smokers the clearing of the air may prevent some of the deaths attributed to passive inhalation of cigarette smoke.
Smoking bans clears air for non-smokers
8. Meningitis vaccine
The major vaccination drive against meningococcal disease started in 2004, and was one of the biggest public health initiatives of the last decade. Over a million people under the age of 20 were vaccinated with the 'MeNZB' vaccine in an attempt to counter an epidemic that began in 1991.
The vaccine was controversial, with concerns over the safety of the injection and the need to have it at all. However, the epidemic is now considered to be over, and vaccine supporters claim the vaccine played a major part in that.
Background on the meningococcal vaccination campaign
9. Public health campaigns
Many of the most common causes of death in New Zealand are at least partially preventable, such as lung cancer, heart disease and type-2 diabetes. In the past decade, campaigns have been mounted to encourage people to eat healthy food, exercise, give up smoking and drink cautiously.
These initiatives have not always been well received by the public, with resentment against a perceived 'nanny state' trying to tell people how to live their lives. However, they have undoubtedly increased awareness that our lifestyle is one of the major influences on our health.
Principals angry about 'food police' 2007
10. Viagra
Not exactly a lifesaving miracle, but many men would agree that the development of drugs to treat erectile dysfunction has had a major effect on their lives. Viagra, the famous little blue pill, was approved by the FDA in 1998, ushering in a new era in men's sexual health.
Competitor Cialis was approved in 2003.
Viagra part of 1998's significant events
- NZ HERALD STAFF