I remember reading somewhere that the human is the most extensively researched mammal in history. This is no surprise when you consider our ever-growing population of over 6.8 billion and our long history on planet Earth. You would think that after centuries of extracting human body parts (hello Egyptians!), slicing them up, and drawing them (Da Vinci, anyone?), we would have satisfied our need to understand our own bodies. But by the looks of it, it is apparent that we really just can't get enough of ourselves!
One of the only Canadian medical breakthroughs that ever people talk about is Dr Frederick Banting's discovery of insulin. Frankly, I believe it is unfair that not more of us acknowledge the many other contributions made by other great Canadians who are either a) very humble about their work or b) are simply overlooked by the general public.
Chang is responsible for inventing the world's first artificial cell in 1957. This artificial cell, which is made of Polymersome, would effectively carry hemoglobin much like a regular blood cell would.
Ethical concerns aside, this invention has allowed for several beneficial applications in both medicine and biotechnology. This artificial blood could be used as a safe substitute for damaged blood cells. Chang discovered later on that the enzymes carried by these artificial cells had the ability to fix certain metabolic disorders. He also managed to insert charcoal into an artificial cell, which helps treat drug poisoning when injected into the body.
It is technologies like these—artificial cells, insulin, X-ray machines, endoscopes, and so many others—that save lives everyday. Who knew our fascination with our own bodies could lead to such great things?
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