Decade of Advances in Medicine — 2002/03

The genome of Anopheles gambiae mosquito is sequenced—raising hopes for curing malaria. Drug-coated "stents" (used to open blocked arteries) improve success of cardiovascular procedure known as angioplasty. A calico cat named "cc" is cloned. Surgeons successfully repair deadly heart-valve defect in five-month-old fetus that is still inside its mother’s womb. New blood test can tell normal from cancerous DNA, which may improve diagnosis of cancer. Inkjet printers produce 3-D tubes of living tissue—a first step toward "printing" complex tissues and organs.

A promising new cancer procedure uses fiber optic light (photodynamic therapy) to kill cancer cells without harming normal cells nearby. To learn more about this and other pioneering new cancer treatments, click here to read the full story.

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