Over the next few years, funding for science is expected to increase, reaching 2% of GDP by 2030, as set by the head of the state. Vladimir Putin emphasized that investments from businesses are crucial in this field, and they need to be doubled.
However, it’s not just about numbers. The main focus is on investing money efficiently and obtaining results, which our scientists are successfully demonstrating. For example, last year they invented a drug for an incurable disease and taught artificial intelligence to recognize mental disorders in people with over 80% accuracy. GORUS has compiled seven of the most interesting discoveries by Russian scientists in 2023, which will impact not only the further development of science but also the lives of humanity.
Medicine Found for Ankylosing Spondylitis
Scientists have developed a drug for ankylosing spondylitis, previously considered incurable. This chronic inflammatory disease manifests as back pain and is characterized by progressively limited mobility of the spine. The disease often leads to disability and immobility in patients, and its development can only be slowed down.
“Treatment of ankylosing spondylitis until relatively recently was aimed solely at relieving symptoms, slowing down the progression of the disease and included the use of anti-inflammatory drugs, immunomodulators, biological agents, as well as physiotherapy and exercises to maintain the flexibility and mobility of the spine,” said Sergey Vostrukhov, the CEO of the accredited testing laboratory LLC “Olfarm.”
Recently, the therapy for the disease has included the symptomatic drug “Netakimab,” developed by Biocad and registered in 2019, the expert said. However, this drug is aimed at relieving the acute inflammatory process, while the new development called “Seniprutug” (the WHO recommended non-proprietary name of the drug) has gone further: it can stop the progression of the disease, as confirmed by trials.
In an article in the authoritative scientific journal Nature, a case is cited where a patient, taking this drug, achieved a remission lasting four (!) years. This is the first case in history where the progression of the disease has been successfully halted for such a long period without affecting inflammatory cytokines and reducing changes in joint structure.
Precious Stones Can Now Be Identified with 100% Accuracy
Scientists from the Lebedev Physical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences have developed a technology for creating marks inside diamonds. They will be applied to precious stones in the form of barcodes or QR codes, helping to avoid counterfeiting and recognize any marked stone.
Today, there is no effective system for tracking each precious stone during mining, sale, and cutting. When registering a diamond, it is photographed, undergoes three-dimensional scanning, or a digital code is recorded on the girdle, but this is not enough for complete and reliable identification of the stone.
Scientists studied special impurities in diamonds and found that when illuminated, they emit light in a different spectrum. Using short laser pulses and mobile nitrogen atoms, researchers created a unique identifier for stones – an analogue of a QR code containing information about the diamond. For the human eye, the mark is invisible and does not affect the precious properties of the stone; it can only be read with a special device.
Scientists have developed invisible diamond identification technology
Laser for Eliminating Oil Spills
Experts from the Troitsk Institute have developed a system for destroying oil spills in water bodies using lasers. Experiments have shown that burning oil films with a laser is effective at a distance of about 300 meters. This is particularly relevant in the Arctic, where traditional methods of dealing with oil spills are complicated by low temperatures and ice.
After completing the tests, the institute’s specialists plan to create a prototype laser complex for responding to emergency oil spills. It will be placed on the deck of a vessel operating on the Northern Sea Route.
New Method for Detecting Anomalies in the Embryo’s Genome
Researchers found that chromosomal abnormalities in embryos cause miscarriages in the first trimester of pregnancy in almost 70% of cases. Previously, it was believed that chromosomal abnormalities were the cause of only 50% of miscarriages.
Scientists from Tomsk, in collaboration with international colleagues, conducted a whole-genome analysis and compared the tissues of 1,745 embryos. The results showed that 35% of embryos with a previously established normal set of chromosomes had deviations in other tissues not previously examined. Therefore, non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) can now be based on the analysis of at least two types of embryonic tissues, rather than one, as was the case before.
Reproductive health specialist, candidate of medical sciences Irina Egorova explained that this discovery will help improve the effectiveness of in vitro fertilization (IVF) and explain the reasons for its failure in most cases.
“Indeed, a high risk of embryo loss is associated with chromosomal abnormalities. The rate of embryo development before implantation is determined, among other factors, by genetic factors. Usually, genetic tests are recommended for couples of advanced reproductive age. But perhaps now these tests will be introduced as mandatory for all parents wishing to undergo IVF. This will reduce risks, especially in cases where several tissues are analyzed at once,” said the expert.
Artificial Intelligence to Diagnose Mental Disorders
Scientists have trained artificial intelligence to identify functional changes in the brains of people suffering from mental illnesses. The accuracy of diagnosing major depressive disorder (MDD) in experiments was 82.6%.
Currently, the diagnosis is based on assessments by psychiatrists, psychotherapists, and neurologists. However, now, in the team of specialists, there will be an independent and objective assistant.
The research results were published in the journal Chaos: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Nonlinear Science by scientists from the Baltic Center for Neurotechnology and Artificial Intelligence at Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University, together with colleagues from Plovdiv University and Ural Federal University.
During the study, scientists used MRI brain activity images to build functional networks reflecting the interaction of different brain regions in healthy and sick people. The developed model is characterized by clarity and the ability to accurately predict and explain brain reactions, significantly improving the diagnosis of mental disorders.
Artificial intelligence will be used in diagnosing mental disorders
DNA Molecules Able to Detect Cancer Cells
Scientists from Sechenov University, along with their colleagues from other universities, have created short DNA molecules capable of finding cancer cells and assisting in diagnosing glioblastoma.
Researchers selected aptamers (short DNA molecules) that bound to gliomas. Subsequently, using machine learning, they selected the “best” cellular candidates and further improved them using molecular modeling methods.
Glioblastoma is one of the most aggressive forms of cancer, and the current standard treatment includes surgical intervention, as well as radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Despite existing technologies, the survival rate among patients is low.
In addition to improving the diagnosis of the disease, the development could be useful in treatment. During surgery, it is challenging for a surgeon to completely remove the tumor without affecting surrounding tissues. The discovery of DNA aptamers that specifically recognize malignant brain cells should help surgeons remove most of the tumor during the operation.
Revived Worm That Spent 46,000 Years in Permafrost
The discovery made by scientists has widely spread across social media and news outlets, as it is indeed ominous: a worm, of an unknown species, has been revived, and it lived 46,000 years ago.
The nematode was found in a ground squirrel burrow in the Duvanny Yar lowland in Siberia several years ago. Initially, its age was estimated to be 42,000 years, but after further research in 2023, a more accurate dating was established.
This is the oldest multicellular organism that science has managed to bring back to life. Scientists achieved this by using water, creating favorable temperature conditions for the experimental specimen. Previously, it was believed that such roundworms could remain in a state of cryptobiosis for only 40 years.
Experts do not rule out the possibility of reviving organisms that have spent an even longer time in the permafrost in Siberia in the future. This could bring science closer to a more comprehensive understanding of evolutionary processes and expand knowledge about the preservation of cells and tissues.
Work in scientific laboratories across the country continues. There are grounds to believe that this year will bring even more successes: the proportion of young scientists has increased for the first time in the history of modern Russia, and the trend of reducing scientific personnel has been halted. These data are presented in a report by the Institute of Statistical Studies and Economics of Knowledge at HSE University. This suggests that we can expect many new discoveries in the future.
By Daria Kolesnikova