I

1. Immunotherapy: Treatment that uses certain parts of a person’s immune system to fight diseases such as cancer.

2. IoT (Internet of Things): The network of physical objects—“things”—that are embedded with sensors, software, and other technologies for the purpose of connecting and exchanging data with other devices and systems over the internet, applicable in remote patient monitoring.

3. ICU (Intensive Care Unit): A special department of a hospital or health care facility that provides intensive treatment medicine.

4. IHC (Immunohistochemistry): A method for detecting antigens (e.g., proteins) in cells of a tissue section by exploiting the principle of antibodies binding specifically to antigens in biological tissues.

M

1. Machine Learning: A subset of AI that provides systems the ability to automatically learn and improve from experience without being explicitly programmed.

2. mHealth (Mobile Health): Medical and public health practice supported by mobile devices, such as mobile phones, for health services and information.

3. Microbiome: The collective genomes of the microorganisms (composed of bacteria, bacteriophage, fungi, protozoa, and viruses) that live inside and on the human body.

4. IoMT (Internet of Medical Things): A collection of medical devices and applications that connect to healthcare IT systems through online computer networks.

5. mRNA (Messenger RNA): A single-stranded RNA molecule that is complementary to one of the DNA strands of a gene, used in some vaccines to trigger an immune response.

6. MALDI-TOF MS (Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry): An analytical technique used to identify and sequence biomolecules and to diagnose diseases.

7. MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging): A technique that uses a magnetic field and radio waves to create detailed images of the organs and tissues within the body.

8. MRI 3D Reconstruction: The process of creating three-dimensional models from the two-dimensional slice data acquired through MRI scans, enhancing the visualization of complex anatomical structures.

N

1. Nanotechnology: The manipulation of matter on an atomic, molecular, and supramolecular scale, potentially useful in various medical applications, including drug delivery and diagnostics.

2. NLP (Natural Language Processing): The ability of a computer program to understand human language as it is spoken and written, referred to as natural language, used in analyzing patient records and literature.

3. NGS (Next-Generation Sequencing): A method used to sequence DNA and RNA much more quickly and cheaply than the previously used Sanger sequencing, and is a key component of genomics research.

4. NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance): A spectroscopic technique to observe local magnetic fields around atomic nuclei, used in advanced medical imaging to provide detailed images of the human body.

O

1. Omics: A field of study in biology ending in -omics, such as genomics, proteomics, or metabolomics, that involves the collective characterization and quantification of pools of biological molecules that translate into the structure, function, and dynamics of an organism or organisms.

2. Orthopedic 3D Printing: The use of 3D printing to manufacture orthopedic implants, such as knee and hip joints, customized to fit the unique anatomy of individual patients, enhancing the success rates of orthopedic surgeries.

P

1. Personalized Medicine: A medical model using characterization of individuals’ phenotypes and genotypes (e.g., molecular profiling, medical imaging, and lifestyle data) to tailor the right therapeutic strategy for the right person at the right time.

2. Pharmacogenomics: The study of how genes affect a person’s response to drugs, combining pharmacology and genomics to develop effective, safe medications and doses tailored to a person’s genetic makeup.

3. Pharmaceutical 3D Printing: The production of drugs and drug delivery devices through 3D printing, allowing for personalized medicine with customized dosages and release profiles based on individual patient needs.

4. Precision Medicine: An approach for disease treatment and prevention that takes into account individual variability in genes, environment, and lifestyle for each person.

5. Predictive Analytics: The use of data, statistical algorithms, and machine learning techniques to identify the likelihood of future outcomes based on historical data.

6. Patient-Centric Care: A way of thinking about healthcare that deeply respects and responds to the preferences, needs, and values of patients.

7. Proteomics: The large-scale study of proteomes, a set of proteins produced in an organism, system, or biological context.

8. PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction): A method widely used in molecular biology to rapidly make millions to billions of copies of a specific DNA sample, allowing scientists to take a very small sample of DNA and amplify it to a large enough amount to study in detail.

9. PET (Positron Emission Tomography): An imaging test that helps reveal how your tissues and organs are functioning, often used to detect cancer, heart problems, and brain disorders.

Q

1. QoL (Quality of Life): An individual's perception of their position in life in the context of the culture and value systems in which they live and in relation to their goals, expectations, standards, and concerns. It's a broad concept affected in a complex way by the person's physical health, psychological state, level of independence, social relationships, personal beliefs, and their relationship to salient features of their environment.

2. Quantitative Analysis: The use of mathematical and statistical modeling, measurement, and research that aims to understand or predict behavior or events through numerical data.

R

1. Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT): A study design that randomly assigns participants into an experimental group or a control group to measure the effect of an intervention.

2. Real-World Data (RWD): Data relating to patient health status and/or the delivery of health care routinely collected from a variety of sources.

3. Real-World Evidence (RWE): Clinical evidence regarding the usage and potential benefits or risks of a medical product derived from analysis of RWD.

4. Regenerative Medicine: A branch of translational research in tissue engineering and molecular biology which deals with the process of replacing, engineering, or regenerating human cells, tissues, or organs to restore or establish normal function.

5. RNA-Seq (RNA Sequencing): A next-generation sequencing (NGS) method that provides the ability to look at alternative gene spliced transcripts, post-transcriptional modifications, gene fusion, mutations/SNPs and changes in gene expression over time, or differences in gene expression in different groups or treatments.

S

1. Single-Cell Sequencing: A next-generation sequencing technology that allows for the sequencing of individual cells, providing a higher resolution of cellular differences and a better understanding of the function of an individual cell in the context of its microenvironment.

2. SNP (Single Nucleotide Polymorphism): A DNA sequence variation occurring when a single nucleotide in the genome differs between members of a biological species or paired chromosomes in an individual.

3. Surgical Guides and Models: 3D printed tools and anatomical models customized for individual patients, used by surgeons for planning and practicing complex surgical procedures before performing them on the patient.

4. Synthetic Biology: An interdisciplinary branch of biology and engineering, the development of new biological parts, devices, and systems, or the re-design of existing, natural biological systems for useful purposes.

5. Systems Biology: An approach in biology that focuses on complex interactions within biological systems, with the aim of understanding how these interactions give rise to the function and behavior of that system.

6. SNV (Single Nucleotide Variant): A variation in a single nucleotide that occurs at a specific position in the genome, known to be a common type of genetic variation among people.

7. SPECT (Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography): A nuclear medicine tomographic imaging technique using gamma rays, which provides true 3D information.

T

1. Telehealth: The distribution of health-related services and information via electronic information and telecommunication technologies. It allows long-distance patient and clinician contact, care, advice, reminders, education, intervention, monitoring, and remote admissions.

2. Transcriptomics: The study of the transcriptome—the complete set of RNA transcripts that are produced by the genome, under specific circumstances or in a specific cell—using high-throughput methods, such as microarray analysis.

3. Translational Medicine: A rapidly growing discipline in biomedical research that aims to expedite the discovery of new diagnostic tools and treatments by using a multi-disciplinary, highly collaborative, "bench-to-bedside" approach.

4. TDM (Therapeutic Drug Monitoring): The clinical practice of measuring specific drugs at designated intervals to maintain a constant concentration in a patient's bloodstream, thereby optimizing individual dosage regimens.

5. Tissue Microarray: A technology that allows for the simultaneous analysis of multiple tissue samples, often used in cancer research.

U

1. US (Ultrasound): An imaging method that uses high-frequency sound waves to produce images of structures within your body, commonly used for diagnosing and monitoring medical conditions.

V

1. Variant of Concern (VoC): A term used in genomics, especially in the context of infectious diseases, to describe a genetic variant that may have an impact on disease spread, disease severity, vaccine and treatment efficacy, or diagnostic accuracy.

2. Virology: The study of viruses and viral diseases, including the distribution, biochemistry, physiology, molecular biology, ecology, evolution, and clinical aspects of viruses.

3. Virtual Health: The use of enabling technology, such as telehealth and telemedicine, to deliver health services in a way that is independent of time or location.

4. VUS (Variant of Uncertain Significance): A term used in genetic testing to describe a variation in a genetic sequence for which the significance to the disease process is not known.

W

1. Wearable Technology: Devices worn by individuals that collect data related to health and fitness, which can be used for monitoring physiological data, such as heart rates, sleep patterns, and physical activity.

2. WGS (Whole Genome Sequencing): The process of determining the complete DNA sequence of an organism's genome at a single time.

X

1. Xenotransplantation: The transplantation of living cells, tissues, or organs from one species to another, such as from pigs to humans, a field of research for addressing organ transplant shortages.

2. X-Ray: A quick, painless test that produces images of the structures inside your body, particularly your bones.