Allergies are a major chronic health issue for Thai people, consequently more than 20 million Thais have some history of allergic respiratory diseases, leading to treatment costs of more than 2 billion baht annually. Allergies are riggered by various kinds of allergens, such as house dust mites, pollens, cat or dog hairs, and cockroaches.

The EU gave approval to the Bluebird Bio company to treat beta-thalassemia with gene therapy, which is a one-time treatment for patients aged 12 years or older. Generally, if patients are unable to find stem cell donors for transplantation, they must undergo blood transfusion treatment every 2–¬3 weeks for the rest of their lives. However, transfusion risks organ damage due to the body getting too much iron.

A Spanish research team, led by Professor Juan Carlos Izpisua Belmonte, a researcher at the Catholic University of Murcia (UCAM), in collaboration with the Salk Institute in the US, conducted experiments which created cross-species organisms called chimeras, which have both human and animal DNAs. In this experiment, human stem cells were injected into the embryo or the fetus of genetically modified monkeys. Human stem cells later stimulated genes that played an essential role in organ formation. While the experiment should produce monkeys with human cells, the researchers later terminated the birth of the chimeras. The actual goal of the experiment was to find a way to treat rare human diseases by transplating organs from such chimeras into human patients.

Health Service Support Center, of the Department of Health Service Support (HSS), successfully designed and created Thailand’s first robotic-assisted gait training, or a robot which assists in the recovery of children with cerebral palsy, limbs weakness, and movement disabilities. This robot helps children with cerebral palsy and patients with a spinal cord injury to better balance their bodies while standing and improve their mobility. In addition, the robot can help train patients with neurological diseases—such as stroke and spinal cord injury—and children with cerebral palsy to have an accelerated recovery than when they receive only physical therapy.

Since selecting cosmetics appropriate to bodily conditions, such as skin colour, chemical allergy, is an important factor to which consumers pay attention, cosmetics producers have developed a variety of products to meet each customer’s need.
 

A group of Chinese scientists from Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the University of North Carolina in the US have successfully transplanted human brain genes into rhesus monkeys.

The FDA has warned manufacturers of medical devices connectable to the internet and using old software named IPnet, that they are at risk of data theft.

The US Food and Drug Administration announced the global launch of the application CURE ID for the clinical community to share their experiences in treating rare diseases

The US FDA has approved Novartis to supply a gene therapy called Zolgensma, for treating spinal muscular atrophy (SMA).

The Division of Entrepreneurs and New Business Promotion, which is under the Department of Industrial Promotion, organized Research Connect Fair on September 3^rd, 2019, at the Berkeley Hotel to promote commercialization of new research-based products.