Healthcare 2020 – say goodbye to cancer, strokes, heart disease

By Dick Pelletier

     A recent government report, 2020: A New Vision – A Future for Regenerative Medicine, predicts a revolution in medical technology is underway that could become reality over the next 14 years.

     Scientists in this revolution are focusing on actually curing health problems, not just treating them. Their goals include developing therapies to eradicate previously untreatable diseases like cancer, diabetes, heart attacks, strokes, osteoporosis and spinal cord injuries. Virtually any disease that results from damaged or failing tissues can be targeted for elimination.

     Derived from biology, biochemistry, physics, engineering and other fields, this medical revolution will utilize stem cell therapies, genetic engineering, and nanotech to repair tissues and organs inside the body, and build new body parts in the lab when necessary. Given cohesive government initiative and adequate funding, the report states that progress could be realized in the following timeline:

• 2010 – Develop multiple applications for skin, cartilage, bone, blood vessel, and some urological products; enable insurance companies to cover these new procedures; establish new FDA standards; provide researchers with access to materials they need to design new therapies; create cost-effective means of production and specialized cell banks for unlimited tissue storage.

• 2015 – Further understand stem cell and progenitor cell biology; engineer ‘smart’ degradable cellular scaffolding; produce tissues with their own complete vascular circulation; develop complex patches to repair hearts and other organs; reengineer genes to copy the way salamanders restore lost limbs, which could provide a normal life for amputees.

• 2020 – Replace all body parts damaged from disease or aging with new ‘youthful’ ones including sophisticated 3-D tissues and organs such as an entire heart or lung; create nanodevices that can remove pathogens and toxins, correct genetic damage, and repair cellular structure in every cell throughout the body

     Nanorex CEO, Robert Freitas believes that although we’re still a long way from having complete designs for many new therapies, here they all appear possible and could arrive on schedule.

Beyond obvious health benefits, this medical revolution will also combat rising U.S. healthcare costs, which currently exceed $1.5 trillion annually; much of which stems from recurring treatments for diseases arising from tissue failure, most common among the elderly.

However, some predict a problem with so many people recapturing their health and living longer. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that federal spending for Social Security and Medicare will double by 2030; and fewer younger Americans will be around to foot the bill. While the number of seniors doubles, the ‘working group’ grows by only 15%.

But advocates see it differently. They believe that as older people become ‘rejuvenated’ with new technologies, many will change the way they think and live. Today, some retirees occupy their time with hobbies and volunteer work and remain healthy, while others suffer debilitating illnesses and require more support.

In the future, more people will remain healthy longer as they age and everyone will require less need for financial support. We may even see centenarians begin new careers.

This remarkable revolution promises to bring most people alive today into the ‘roaring 20s’, where medical nanobots will roam through our bodies keeping us forever healthy and youthful on this incredible trip into an amazing ‘magical future’.

This article appeared in various print publications and on-line blogs. Comments always welcome.