2022 has just ended. During this year, the scientific community has made a series of discoveries. From the first images of the James Webb space telescope to the possible discovery of a treatment for AIDS, a look back at 5 discoveries that marked this year 2022.
The transplant of hope
A team of ophthalmologists and bio-engineers from the University of Linköping, in Sweden, succeeded in grafting an artificial cornea on about twenty patients. This world first was a major success, 14 patients partially regained their sight.
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Constructed with pigskin and collagen, this artificial cornea was grafted onto patients suffering from advanced stage keratoconus. Today, corneal transplants are only possible in 1 out of 70 cases.
Objective moon
On October 16, 2022, NASA launched the most important mission of the decade so far. With the very first take-off of the SLS rocket, the American agency heads back towards the Moon. A first in 50 years.
NASA’s SLS rocket a few days before liftoff © NASA
The Artemis 1 mission made it possible to test the proper functioning of the Orion modules and the first stages of SLS. This uninhabited voyage is the first of a series of three. Artemis 2 should take off in the spring of 2024 with four people on board.
stars by the million
On December 25, 2021, NASA received a great Christmas present, the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope. The following summer, the first images of the device were made public. For such an announcement, it was President Biden who was responsible for presenting the photos.
The very first photo of James Webb © NASA
This first image of James Webb gives us an unprecedented vision of space. If it does not reveal any secrets about the Universe, it shows all the power of the telescope which will be at the origin of several major discoveries.
AIDS: finally the end?
AIDS does not yet have a perfect cure, but several experimental solutions exist. One of the most promising is bone marrow transplantation. With the latter it is possible to transmit stem cells.
© Fusion Medical Animation — Unsplash
Those of the donor must bring a genetic mutation immunizing the patient against HIV. Once the transplant is successful, the patient goes into remission. Several patient cases have already been identified, particularly in the United States and Canada.
DART: Save the Earth
Asteroids have threatened the Earth since its birth. One of the most violent impacts in our history occurred 66 million years ago. He ended the reign of the dinosaurs. In order not to experience the same fate, NASA is trying to counter the threat of asteroids.
Artist’s impression of NASA’s DART probe before its impact with Dimorphos © NASA
With the DART mission, the American space agency launched a probe on an asteroid. The impact was so violent that it deflected the piece of rock from its trajectory. If it presented no risk for the Earth, the contact with Dimorphos made it possible to validate a method of planetary defense in the event of danger with an asteroid.
