Looking back on some of the greatest medical advancements in 2024

As the year draws to a close, it’s the ideal time to reflect on the remarkable progress of the life sciences industry over the past 12 months. In this December edition of Life Science Leaders, we spotlight some of the most groundbreaking medical innovations and advancements of 2024, exploring their transformative impact on the industry's future.

1. Vaccine for Preventing HIV

Despite decades of research and progress, HIV continues to infect over one million people globally each year. An effective vaccine has always seemed out of reach, but 2024 marked a significant turning point with the arrival of an injectable drug, lenacapavir, offering six months of protection per dose.

In June 2024, a pivotal trial among African adolescent girls and young women revealed no HIV infections, demonstrating 100% efficacy. A parallel trial conducted across four continents further confirmed these findings, with 99.9% efficacy observed in gender-diverse individuals.

Lenacapavir’s groundbreaking success as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is attributed to a major scientific breakthrough: a deeper understanding of the structure and function of HIV’s capsid protein, and its precise target. Researchers are optimistic that this innovative approach will significantly reduce global infection rates and transform HIV prevention strategies.

2. Blood test for Alzheimer's

Dementia is a leading cause of disability worldwide and the seventh most common cause of death. In 2019, the World Health Organisation estimated that over 55 million people were living with dementia, with Alzheimer’s disease accounting for 60–70% of cases.

A timely and accurate diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease is essential to ensure patients and their families can access the services and support they need. Currently, most diagnoses rely on memory assessments and brain scans, which are less precise than "gold standard" techniques such as PET scans or lumbar punctures. These advanced methods can accurately determine the type of dementia but are expensive and invasive.

In 2024, a significant breakthrough brought researchers closer to diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease using a simple blood test. Published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the study demonstrated that the test could predict Alzheimer’s with an impressive accuracy of 88% to 92%. The test works by identifying p-tau217, a protein strongly linked to Alzheimer’s pathology.

The findings suggest that blood tests could achieve diagnostic accuracy comparable to more invasive procedures, such as lumbar punctures or PET scans. Importantly, they may also reduce the need for follow-up investigations for some patients, streamlining the diagnostic process while lowering stress and costs.

3. Heart valve regeneration

Heart valve replacement surgery has been a lifesaving option for over 60 years, but both mechanical and biological valves come with significant medical limitations. Patients with mechanical valves are required to take blood-thinning medication for life to prevent clotting, and those with biological valves have a limited lifespan of just 10 to 15 years. The treatment poses particular challenges for children with congenital heart defects, as the valves do not grow with their bodies and must be replaced multiple times before adulthood, creating a need for a more long term solution.

Researchers at Harefield Hospital and Imperial College London’s National Heart and Lung Institute have proposed a pioneering heart procedure designed to help the body grow replacement heart valves. This innovative treatment aims to generate a living valve within the body, capable of growing alongside the patient. The procedure begins with a nanofibrous polymeric valve made from a biodegradable polymer scaffold, rather than a durable plastic. The scaffold inside the body recruits and guides the development of cells, allowing the body to grow new tissue as the scaffold gradually degrades and is replaced by the patient’s own cells, with the material’s ability to attract and instruct cells being the key innovation.

Researchers continue to conduct additional animal studies to better understand the processes. The data gathered in this research will be critical in securing regulatory approval, paving the way for the first clinical trials to begin within the next five years.

4. Artificial ovaries

Female infertility affects over 1 in 10 and is often caused by conditions such as polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), endometriosis, and the effects of certain medications. For decades, scientists have pursued the development of artificial ovaries, but their efforts have been hindered by a critical gap in understanding: how ovarian follicles mature and produce eggs. After puberty, women have around 300,000 ovarian follicles, but only a small fraction of these activate and grow each month, a delicate process that repeats until menopause.

In 2024, a revolutionary breakthrough emerged when researchers at the University of Michigan created the first comprehensive “cellular atlas” of human egg formation. Using cutting-edge cell and genetic mapping technologies to study donated ovaries, they discovered how follicles shift, grow, and change structurally as they mature, explaining the precise mechanisms that allow follicles to develop into functional eggs.

This newfound understanding of ovarian biology enhances the ability to create artificial ovaries as a potential treatment for female infertility. By guiding follicle maturation and refining the ovarian environment, these engineered tissues could provide long-term functionality and potentially delay menopause.

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