By Taylor Smith | Images by Shutterstock.com

The last few years have brought significant advances in many areas of medical care. From artificial intelligence to revised treatments, tests, vaccines, therapies, and more, research continues to produce often life-changing impacts on those affected by a variety of illnesses and conditions.

In fact, one of the benefits of living in the modern age is that the latest technology can help everything from skin growth in burn victims to spinal cord stimulation in those who have suffered paralysis from a stroke. Following are some recent breakthroughs.

Flu Vaccine Nasal Spray

FluMist is an at-home vaccine that is sprayed into the nostrils and is used to guard against the yearly influenza strain. This needle-free option can be used for ages 2-49 and has been recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). The spray is now available in some doctor’s offices and home delivery is anticipated for the 2025-2026 flu season.

For at-home delivery, FluMist does require a pharmacist’s prescription. To begin, fill out a screening and eligibility form at flumist.com. If you are deemed eligible, a pharmacist will write the prescription and have it shipped to your home.

According to the website, it is also recommended that you check with your doctor before ordering FluMist. The nasal vaccine is not suitable for those with egg allergies or influenza vaccine allergies. Like most vaccines, FluMist contains weakened live viruses that stimulate the immune response in the lining of the nose and the throat. The process helps to build immunity without causing infection.

Screening Options for Colorectal Cancer

The Colorectal Cancer Alliance (colorectalcancer.org) notes that nearly 150,000 people are diagnosed with colorectal cancer each year. Colon cancer is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths in men per year and the fourth leading cause in women. The American Cancer Society states that “In people under the age of 55, death rates have been increasing about 1 percent per year since the mid-2000s.” While traditional colonoscopies are still recommended for high-risk patients (such as those with a family history), blood samples may be an option for others. The Food and Drug Administration has approved a blood test called Shield, which is made by Guardant Health. Due to the amount of prep work that a traditional colonoscopy requires, physicians are optimistic that the Shield test will be a way to encourage more people to get screened. A positive Shield test would not be a definitive confirmation that a person has colon cancer. Instead, a colonoscopy following the Shield test would be recommended.

Skin Biopsies for Parkinson’s Disease

Skin biopsies are now being used as a marker to identify Parkinson’s disease in some individuals. Parkinson’s — as well as select forms of Lewy bodies, system atrophy, and neurodegenerative disorders — produces tremors, cognitive changes, and progressive disability. Dr. Christopher Gibbons of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center has been working with other scientists to create a simple skin biopsy test. Levels of P-SYN in skin biopsies (a-synuclein) are correlated with Parkinson’s disease.

Gibbons states on nih.gov, “Too often, patients experience delays in diagnosis or are misdiagnosed due to the complexity of these diseases. With a simple, minimally invasive skin biopsy test, this study demonstrated how we can more objectively identify the underlying pathology of synucleinopathies and offer better diagnostic answers and care for patients.”

The skin biopsy test is commercially available today as the Syn-One Test. A doctor will assess test results alongside an in-office diagnostics visit. Another option is the DaT scan. Medicare may cover up to 80 percent of the cost of the Syn-One Test. For more information, visit cndlifesciences.com/syn-one-test.

Treating Persistent Urinary Tract Infections

Many women are plagued by reoccurring urinary tract infections (UTIs), the most common bacterial infection for women. They can also occur in men and are equally painful. Women have a higher risk of UTIs once they reach menopause, but they are also common in younger women. Traditionally, UTI sufferers have had to wait for a doctor’s appointment, be tested, and then be prescribed an antibiotic. During this time, a UTI can become so debilitating that some individuals have difficulty leaving the house.

A new vaccine for treating UTIs is Uromune (MV140). This pineapple-tasting oral spray is taken once a day for three months. Results have shown that chronic UTI patients have gone for nine months without a UTI after this three-month course of action. This can be a life-changing improvement for both women and men.

Air-Powered Computers for Blood Clots

For those who are in the hospital for the treatment of blood clots, new air-powered computers are being used to detect and counteract further blood clots from happening, as noted on caloxinc.com/blog/compressed-air-computer-reduce-stroke-blood-clots. This computer operated machine will issue the sound of a bell as a shrill warning if a blood clot is detected. Furthermore, the computer-based intermittent pneumatic compression (IPC) machines are more dependable than traditional IPCs because they do not rely on electricity. If the electricity were to fail at the hospital, the computers would continue to operate. Also, the new computer is small, unobtrusive (about the size of a matchbox), and very cost effective.

Gene Therapy to Treat Deafness in Children

In 2024, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) performed the first procedure in the U.S. for genetic hearing loss. The young patient suffered from hereditary hearing loss and, as of the publication of this article, the procedure was recognized as a success.

Using gene therapy to treat children with hearing loss is something that researchers have been working on for the past 20 years (chop.edu). The gene therapy procedure involves delivering copies of normal genes into the inner ear. The Clinical In Vivo Gene Therapy (CIGT) group at CHOP works to impart corrected genes into a child’s body with the hope of stopping the hearing loss or lessening the impact. To learn more about CHOP’s gene therapy treatments, visit chop.edu/centers-programs/clinical-vivo-gene-therapy.

Spinal Cord Stimulation to Help Stroke Patients

After a stroke, a patient’s arms, shoulders, facial expressions and limbs may become weak, paralyzed, or tight. The risk of stroke incidences increases with age and may result in permanent limitations in mobility. Simple tasks like feeding one’s self, driving a car, and climbing the stairs may become very difficult or seemingly impossible. In some cases, mobility can be improved with regular physical therapy and exercises. For those who are facing long-term paralysis, advances in spinal cord stimulation are shown to improve neurological stimulation and recovery.

Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University noted on nature.com that “a neurotechnology that stimulates the spinal cord instantly improves arm and hand mobility, enabling people affected by moderate to severe stroke to conduct their normal daily activities more easily.”

The procedure requires implanting a series of electrodes on the spinal cord. Electrical impulses from the electrodes stimulate neural pathways in the spine, allowing stroke-weakened patients to lift their arms, utilize their hands, turn their heads, and so on. This is especially significant because researchers predict that the rate of strokes occurring in adults over the age of 25 will continue to increase significantly in the coming years
(nih.gov).

To be clear, spinal cord stimulation shows promise for many stroke patients, but for those who have suffered prolonged and severe paralysis lasting over six months, spinal cord stimulation may not be helpful. Hopefully there will soon be a mobility option for all stroke sufferers.

Over-the-Counter Narcan

Naloxone is now available over the counter, making it easier than ever to potentially save someone’s life due to overdose. Naloxone (known by the brand name Narcan) is a nasal spray that is used to counteract opioid overdoses. Acting on the dangerous depression of the central nervous system and respiratory system that occurs during overdose, Naloxone only works if the person has opioids in their system. It may take multiple rounds of nasal spray to revive a person.

Symptoms of an opioid overdose may include a loss of consciousness, inability to talk, shallow and very slow breathing, blue or grayish skin, slow pulse, and unresponsiveness to their name or other sounds.

Naloxone is available to most insurance holders for no copay. Naloxone and other Narcan-branded nasal sprays can be purchased over the counter at pharmacies nationwide. Local community and health centers are excellent resources when it comes to training oneself on how to administer Naloxone. You may just save someone’s life.

Predicting Preeclampsia with A Blood Test

A newly approved blood test can now identify pregnant women who are at risk for preeclampsia, which is associated with high blood pressure and organ damage in the mother. It can also lead to premature birth and low birth weight in the infant. The latest blood test (which has been available in most hospitals since fall 2024) measures the levels of two proteins that are biomarkers for preeclampsia. The test has been deemed as 94 percent accurate (nichd.nih.gov) and is designed to be conducted between 23 and 35 weeks of pregnancy.

This new blood test is also beneficial for pregnant women who have comorbidities such as diabetes, obesity, and chronic hypertension. If preeclampsia symptoms are not treated immediately, there is a risk of organ failure and death. Thankfully, this preventative test will allow a doctor to create the safest and healthiest course of action when it comes to pregnancy and delivery.

Advancements in vaccines, medicines, surgical procedures, and gene therapy continue to proliferate. From the invention of the smallpox vaccine in 1796 to the latest shingles and COVID-19 vaccines, the human body continues to be an important object of study, analysis, and curiosity.