Breakthroughs in AI and medical technology
The latest breakthroughs in AI and medical technology, explained clearly and backed by evidence.
Latest
Parkinson's: adaptive brain pacemakers, focused ultrasound and AI early detection
Adaptive deep brain stimulation, approved in the US and EU in 2025, adjusts itself to brain signals in real time. MRI-guided focused ultrasound treats tremor and stiffness without surgery, now on both sides of the brain in the US. Smartwatch data can hint at Parkinson's years early. Here is how each works, who it suits and the trade-offs.
4 min readAI that predicts breast and lung cancer years ahead: what it means for you
AI models such as Clairity, Mirai and Sybil can read a normal-looking mammogram or chest CT and estimate the chance of cancer appearing years later. One is now FDA-authorised and in US screening guidelines. Here is how they work, how accurate they are, and their limits.
6 min readAlzheimer's in 2026: blood tests, AI brain scans and the new drugs explained
FDA-cleared blood tests now detect Alzheimer's biology with around 90% accuracy, AI software reads routine MRI scans to predict decline, and two antibody drugs, lecanemab and donanemab, slow the disease by roughly a quarter to a third. Here is what each means for patients and families.
4 min readAI heart checks: how an ECG or CT scan can now reveal hidden heart disease
AI can now spot a weak heart pump from a routine ECG, flag hidden atrial fibrillation, measure inflammation around the heart arteries and calculate total plaque from a CT scan. Several tools are FDA-cleared and some are paid for by insurers and the NHS. Here is what they do and where the limits are.
4 min readCancer blood tests in 2026: what Galleri, Shield and liquid biopsy can and cannot do
Blood tests that detect tumour DNA have moved from the lab into clinics. Two colon cancer blood tests are now FDA-approved, and an FDA panel backed the Galleri multi-cancer test in September 2026. But they miss most early-stage cancers and the large NHS trial missed its main goal.
4 min readType 1 diabetes: artificial pancreas systems and stem-cell islets, where things really stand
Two paths are changing type 1 diabetes. Automated insulin delivery (the artificial pancreas) is already standard care and widely funded. Stem-cell-derived islet cells can restore the body's own insulin, but for now only in carefully selected adults who accept lifelong immunosuppression.
4 min read