Overview - Current Debates in Medicine

The wheel keeps turning - in medicine, too. The point in time when all experts without exception agree on certain theories will hardly ever be reached. Therefore, debates keep arising - which is a good thing. The new series at MEDICA.de is concerned with the most current controversies in medicine. Overview - Current Debates in Medicine - read more

Part VI: Multiple Sclerosis - New Approaches

 The illness may cause severe disabilities in youngish people. Why? Scientists do not know. Multiple sclerosis is a mysterious neurological disease and the search for new therapeutic approaches is an urgent issue. Now, attention has been drawn towards worms.  Part VI: Multiple Sclerosis - New Approaches - read more

Teil V: Decubitus

 It hits people that lie in hospitals, nursing homes or at home. Nobody knows how many exactly suffer from a bedsore but experts estimate that the costs sum up to many millions of Euros. However, it is possible to prevent a decubitus - not always, though. Teil V: Decubitus - read more

Part IV: Stroke

 A stroke is like a bolt from the blue. Many times the consequence is a lifelong disability. Research into prevention and rehabilitation of the disease makes progress but the results reach the patients in clinical everyday life only slowly. Part IV: Stroke - read more

Part III: Gender in Medicine

 In everyday life people keep being concerned with the apparently big difference between men and women. However, only slowly sex and gender start being of great importance in medicine bringing advantages for all patients – male or female. Part III: Gender in Medicine - read more

Part II: Cancer Screening

 Screenings for cervical, breast, colorectal and skin cancer are all part of public health insurance in Germany by now, millions of healthy people go routinely to the doctor for a check up. Even though the benefit for most measures has not been proven – and most patients do not get proper information about the risks. Part II: Cancer Screening - read more

Part I: Vaccination

 The opinions regarding vaccinations are very different: They cover a wide spectrum reaching from people totally opposing vaccines to those advocating it in any situation. However, who is right? A guideline could be true to the motto: As much as necessary, as little as possible. Part I: Vaccination - read more

Overview - Future Trends in Medical Technology

Throughout the next months, MEDICA.de will present future trends in medical technology - due date is always the 15th of every month. New topics will be introduced, areas that are about to increasingly influence medicine in our world today and tomorrow. The guest stars for example: microelectromechanical Systems, IT and new materials.  Overview - Future Trends in Medical Technology - read more

Part I: Nanotechnology

 Other laws rule the world where everything is smaller than one hundred nanometres. Scientists start to discover and to employ them. Why? A huge market - also for medical products - is predicted for the next decades. Part I: Nanotechnology - read more

Part II: Imaging

 Word has it that back in the ancient world those sentenced to death sometimes had been cut open in order to catch a glance of the insides of living men. About 100 years ago, science succeeded to allow this look without hurting people. The discovery of X-rays started a rapid development in medical imaging. Part II: Imaging - read more

Part III: Biotechnology

 Detergents, plants resistant to bugs, drugs - chemistry, physics, biology – in the country, at sea or in the air. Biotechnology is everywhere since it is one of the most interdisciplinary branches of research – and helps medicine to combat diseases formerly known as not being treatable. Part III: Biotechnology - read more

Part IV: Substances

 Bronze Age or Iron Age, gold rush or diamond fever - epochs and phenomena show that man always wanted one thing: material. A huge leap in human development almost always occurs in concordance with the discovery or use of certain materials. That is also true for medicine.  Part IV: Substances - read more

Part V: Information Technology

 The revolution began slowly: At the beginning, computer weighing tons filled whole rooms – with time they turned into tiny microprocessors. Then, the Internet and wireless communication conquered the world. Information technology changed our lives. Also that of doctors – today and tomorrow.  Part V: Information Technology - read more

Part VI: Optical Technologies

 It exists in ultraviolet, visible and infrared and is being used in medicine. Light helps scientists to provide more transparency for the lab, operating theatre and doctor's practice. It is the basics for optical technologies - on one hand to make visible what is invisible to humans, on the other to do therapy. Part VI: Optical Technologies - read more

Part VII: Microsystems Technology

 Actually, it is a made-up-word: microsystems technology. In fact, the term describes many things as long as they are optical, mechanical or electrical and as long as the systems are tiny. Moreover they hover around everywhere: In CD players, airbags or printers - and with great potential in medical applications. Part VII: Microsystems Technology - read more

Part VIII: Regenerative Medicine

 From acute over chronic up to deadly diseases - there are a many problems to solve in medicine. Researchers have high hopes concerning stem cells and tissue engineering: Regenerative medicine will hopefully enable doctors one day to replace sick cells and organs with healthy ones.  Part VIII: Regenerative Medicine - read more