The 6 Rare Diseases Changing Modern Medicine

While deadly diseases had some pretty terrible outcomes throughout history, they also have led the way for incredible scientific research, discovery, and medical advancement. Join Hank Green for a new episode of SciShow and learn how studying uncommon illnesses has truly shaped modern medicine! Let's go!

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Osteo

Gaucher

Niemann-Pick

Leptin

Laron

plasminogen

Images:

[yishaibasserabie]

“Rare diseases are... Rare” ~ Hank Green

[hnktbt]

Ehler's Danlos Syndrome... PLEASE. Please talk about it. It's a previously considered rare disease that's actually common and often misdiagnosed, underdiagnosed and poorly understood. Lots of people with fibro actually have it. Many doctors think it's a circus disease that just makes you bendy and stretchy skinned but it's so much more than that. It's often disabling and tends to include every comorbidity under the sun because of how collagen underlies every body system. Some types are usually pretty painful and can put you in and out of the hospital your whole life, while others with the genetic disposition for the clinical diagnosis live completely normal and painless lives, so it has an incredibly wide spectrum of possible damage. It's SO important that this is discussed by media with large followings, we need to help those lacking answers and raise money to do research into genetic markers, and treatment plans because we currently have no set treatment or even a solid guide or help from doctors. They often give us a dx and send us off without any clue how to help us. It's slowly gaining attention in the medical field and doctors are catching up to the new criteria, but we need to educate ourselves and know it exists so we can advocate.

[sebastianelytron]

Quality YouTube content is a rare disease that SciShow needs to infect other channels with

[EliseLogan]

I had a rare disease - very rare. At the time, I was one of 5 diagnosed cases on the planet. My epidemiologist was convinced there was major underdiagnosis and set about using my case to develop new diagnostics. Today there are about 100, 000 diagnosed cases. In my particular case, the weirdness of my situation allowed for developing new diagnostic tools, as well as giving insight into the infection mechanisms of the disease. So... yeah. Exactly what Hank said about rare diseases helping shed light on stuff.

[ketsuekikumori]

So did the doctor who was working on HPP tell his patients, "Good news, everyone! I found a drug that helps people with osteoporosis. But it doesn't work on you people."

[evanhughes]

This is the best science channel on YouTube.

[nekotato]

Can we get a video on rare birth defects/genetic deformaties?

[muethepoe]

Please do a second part. This is a very interesting topic. Think of including MS pls

[DankMatter]

Ash has a rare disease where he never ages

[Mekratrig]

SciShow is one of this one’s longest-subscribed channels on Youtube - high quality in production values (audio is particularly appreciated), and high quality content. Far more likely to trust SciShow than some of the clickbait alternatives out there. Live long and upload often.

[applush]

Have read all this in medschool, can recall these better now... thanx!

Love from India :D

[jakewillson]

I have a rare autoimmune disease called mast cell activation syndrome, I’m hoping I can get my doctors on board with studying me during my pregnancy because there’s not much research or information on people with mast cell disorders who become pregnant

[JustinY.]

Muscle hank would eat those diseases for breakfast

[Zeldaschampion]

5:40 I always knew NPCs were a disease.

[Kagome]

I love this channel! Please cover more misunderstood diseases like fibromyalgia.

[WhereWhoMe]

Ah, good ol IGF. I remember doing a mock project that focused on that and how it can be a possible target for stopping abnormal cell growth. Watching this video has me wishing that I finished that project now.

[louiseycheese]

Scishow, thank you so much for covering this and giving these diseases awareness. I watched this video wondering if the rare disease my brother had would crop up, and got so giddy when it did (NPC) that I had to re-wind a bit because I wasn't listening from excitement :')

My mum, dad and I are all carriers of NPC, and my mum has always said that there must be a reason that rare diseases are around, and has said that the carriers must gain some benefit/immunity, as with the famous example of people who are carriers of sickle-cell anemia are protected against malaria. It's interesting to discover what NPCs benefit is :)

Thank you, SciShow

[RebeccaTheHalfBlood]

I'd like to see a video of dysautonomia and and ehlers-danlos syndrome!

[australobuchia]

Immediately signed up to skillshare, two months free is not to be sniffed at.

Also I appreciate the explanation of the new sponsorship thing, changing the business model of scishow a bit to include sponsorship must have been a difficult decision. I'm not generally opposed to sponsorship because as far as I can tell it generally allows people who make good things to make great things (or in this case, continue making great things), which I think is the part we should focus on.

Thanks Hank et. al. for keeping me informed and entertained

[TheRealMythril]

These advancements are amazing, but I take the opportunity to remind people that although they are good options they are not easy for the patients. Bisphosphonates do wonderful things but have absolutely terrible side effects including severe gastric bleeding and not being able to eat or drink, nor lie down for hours either side of taking them. They can also cause horrific bone pain.