In collaboration with Frontiers, the report, spotlights breakthrough technologies at their inflection point where scientific progress meets real-world application. 

“Scientific and technological breakthroughs are advancing rapidly, even as the global environment for innovation grows more complex,” stated Jeremy Jurgens, Managing Director, World Economic Forum after the report was released. “The research provides top global leaders with a clear view of which technologies are approaching readiness, how they could solve the world’s pressing problems and what’s required to bring them to scale responsibly.”

1. Engineered Living Therapeutics

Scientists hope that by turning helpful bacteria into tiny medicine factories they can treat disease from inside the body. It will hopefully be cheaper and more effective long-term care.

Genetic code is introduced into living probiotic systems, such as microbes, cells and fungi. The systems could also be programmed with switches to control production on demand. Bypassing the need for producing drugs in a laboratory means a 70% reduction in production costs. The approach also provides a stable and prolonged supply of treatment for patients who would normally need a regular injection – as in the case of diabetes treatment.

2. GLP-1s for Neurodegenerative Disease

Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists or GLP-1 RAs are showing promise in the treatment of brain-related diseases, like Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s. They have been shown to reduce inflammation in the brain and encourage the removal of toxic proteins. Left untreated, both are related to the development of the above conditions. More than 55 million people globally live with dementia, so there are significant social, as well as economic benefits, for such drugs.

3. Autonomous Biochemical Sensing

These devices detect and quantify specific biochemical parameters autonomously and continuously. With wireless communication and self-sustaining power sources, they enable real-time, ongoing monitoring.

The technology has already seen some success with specific applications, most notably a wearable glucose monitor for diabetes management. The technology is now starting to address other targets and applications, such as menopause care and food safety.

4. Nanozymes

Nanozymes are lab-produced and manufactured nanomaterials with enzyme-like properties. But, compared to enzymes, which are either produced by living organisms or synthetically produced at substantial cost and complexity, nanozymes are much more stable, as well as being cheaper and simpler to produce.

They act like catalysts, supporting the same chemical reactions as enzymes, but because they’re more robust, could be used in a far wider set of conditions. Applications range from therapeutics to water purification and food safety, and clinical trials are already underway for cancer and neurodegenerative disease treatment. But there are still technical and ethical hurdles to overcome before nanozymes can reach widespread adoption.

read the full report here