KNOWLEDGE
Techn vationsfor2014
TOP 10 HEALTHCARE
innovations to look out for in 2014 Here is a list of up-and-coming technologies which will have great impact in 2014 and help shape healthcare over the next 12 months. The list was developed by Cleveland Clinic, US and presented at its annual Medical Innovation Summit. In reverse order:
INNOVATION
[10]
B-cell receptor pathway inhibitors
C
hemotherapy is a blunt instrument designed to indiscriminately kill rapidly dividing cells in the hope that the cancer cells die more and grow back less than healthy cells. That normal cells are routinely damaged in this destructive procedure accounts for the side effects and toxicity of traditional chemotherapy. The B-cell receptor
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EXPRESS HEALTHCARE
January 2014
pathway tightly controls the growth of the infectionfighting cells that are known as B-cells. When B-cells become cancerous, this pathway becomes unregulated and contributes to the malignant nature of the cells. However, this overactive pathway can be inhibited by novel drugs. In the last year, the results of clinical trials in humans conclusively showed that these new drugs are extremely effective at treating
low-grade B-cell lymphomas and leukaemia for a long time and with very few side effects. Ibrutinib targets Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK), a protein essential for B-cell survival and proliferation. While it kills malignant B cells, ibrutinib has little effect on healthy T cells—unlike other lymphoma therapies. This leaves an important arm of the immune system largely intact, enabling patients to remain healthier during treatment.