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The World’s Rarest Diseases — And How They Impact Everyone | Anna Greka | TED

Physician-scientist Anna Greka investigates the world’s rarest genetic diseases, decoding the secrets of our cells through “molecular detective work.” She explains how her team is using new, advanced technology to solve decades-old medical mysteries — and shows how this work could help develop precision treatments for millions of people across the globe. If you love…

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Physician-scientist Anna Greka investigates the world’s rarest genetic diseases, decoding the secrets of our cells through “molecular detective work.” She explains how her team is using new, advanced technology to solve decades-old medical mysteries — and shows how this work could help develop precision treatments for millions of people across the globe.

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48 Comments

48 Comments

  1. Nikolas Athinaios (Gkagkaros - Γκάγκαρος)

    September 29, 2023 at 7:22 am

    She’s so valuable for the human race!! I’m proud of her and of all Greek scientists. We keep bringing up improvements in so valuable sciences for the human race. So instead of being used and abused by some superpowers in Europe and overseas, maybe is better for the world to give more chances to Greece, empowering it to give more chances to our scientists, offering them the necessary resources. We can move science faster in the future. Not a coincidence that all medical sciences have held Greek names since their creation. “Microbiology” (Microviologia in Greek), Gynecology (Gynecologia in Greek, when gyneca means woman in Greek). I’m so happy to see this kind of improvement. Congratulations Dr. Greka. Thank you for your service to humanity.

    • konntra feel

      September 29, 2023 at 7:56 am

      Bro that’s not a talk about nationalism

    • Nikolas Athinaios (Gkagkaros - Γκάγκαρος)

      September 29, 2023 at 8:22 am

      I’m not a nationalist. This was just a statement of a reality that as it seems you don’t know. Greek scientists keep offering great results in their science but they have no chance to enter any scientific program within Greece, but only if they are living and working abroad and this is sad. @konntra feel

  2. sophia isabelle

    September 29, 2023 at 7:27 am

    These rarest illnesses will continue to decimate the entire human population if not prevented quickly. We must take active steps somehow before it’s too late.

  3. Jeff me

    September 29, 2023 at 7:28 am

    Wonderful! Keep going!

    • leonard otoo

      September 29, 2023 at 7:55 am

      0000

  4. CHERILYN ROYALL

    September 29, 2023 at 8:06 am

    NEXT….JAK 2 GENE….Great Podcast ❤

  5. Ngọc Thiện Hồ

    September 29, 2023 at 8:08 am

    Realistic, Meaningful, Inspirational and Painstaking!

  6. χΧЄ∂'ѕχΡєя¢χ30Χχ

    September 29, 2023 at 8:13 am

    I have a *_rare, nameless syndrome_* and no one cares. Absolutely no one.

    *_Don’t fool yourself!_*

    I’ve been releasing intercranial pressure and doctors won’t listen to me.

    ✨ *_You were saying?_* ✨

  7. EyesOfByes

    September 29, 2023 at 8:29 am

    The lesson: dont suppress your kids if they are “too curious”

  8. Neonennui

    September 29, 2023 at 8:51 am

    I am studying for my human genetics exam, and I find it a mind blowing field.
    It’s something so complicated, yet so interesting and eye opening, it looks like magic.
    This knowledge can help us understand so much about human race, and life on earth in general.
    Absolutely thrilling.
    I have the utmost respect for scientists and everyone involved in genetic research.

  9. Kalle

    September 29, 2023 at 9:07 am

    What TED did to Coleman Hughes is a disgrace! A completely idiotic forum.

    • Skeeter McGoo

      September 29, 2023 at 5:54 pm

      what did they do ? i see Coleman’s talk is posted here on YT and the TED site

  10. Chris Bos

    September 29, 2023 at 10:05 am

    What about hypercholesterolemia and atherosclerosis? I have the affected gene.

  11. Mortal One

    September 29, 2023 at 10:14 am

    “We used what we learned about a mechanism that caused an illness and used obviously logical questioning to test if it could also find the cause of other illnesses”

    I Fing hope so! Is humanity so stupid still that this line of thinking is special?!

  12. Paul A DAigle

    September 29, 2023 at 11:16 am

    The future looks a bit brighter.

  13. Devil butcher

    September 29, 2023 at 11:45 am

    the speaker looks like danger the abella

  14. Bigshrimps

    September 29, 2023 at 12:03 pm

    Almost all my family and older generations who have died out have kidney failure including myself I am waiting for a transplant I have had dialysis,my mum has had 2 transplants and done dialysis , my brother has had lots of operations, my great grandmother died in her thirties from kidney failure, it’s a crap genetic disease that rules our family

  15. Adigerla Prasad

    September 29, 2023 at 12:26 pm

    💐💐💐🙏🇮🇳

  16. slovokia

    September 29, 2023 at 12:50 pm

    There are illnesses that are common, profoundly disabling and that cause much suffering, not understood and yet the medical system pretty much ignores them and invests little resources in studying them. ME/CFS is one example. It seems easier to get a physician to accept the legitimacy of a rare illness with clear and unique physical signs and symptoms than it is to get them to take seriously the burden of ME/CFS.

    • safaiaryu

      September 29, 2023 at 9:19 pm

      You are absolutely correct. However, long covid is provoking a lot of study, and it seems to have a lot of similarities to ME/CFS. I’m REALLY hoping that, like this scientist said, people will be able to use stuff learned from studies of long covid to finally get some answers on ME/CFS, and other illnesses like fibromyalgia (which I suffer from).

      I’m sure it was simplified for a general audience, but I was stunned recently by a podcast from The Atlantic that said that doctors know FULL WELL what the mechanisms of chronic fatigue are… and they know it’s completely legitimate… but they’re still treating it wrong! The author proposed that it’s primarily a cultural issue. They placed some blame on prevalent outdated ideas like forcing people to exercise; even though science now says that ME/CFS patients should NOT be pushed, doctors are still stuck in their old ways, especially because a lot of issues CAN be blamed on deconditioning, so it’s hard to get through their heads that you have to treat this illness differently. There’s also the general American obsession with productivity, plus, worst of all, the fact that doctors are forced to work 80-120 hour weeks while in residency, and they learn to push through exhaustion… so they near universally get this idea of, “Well, ANYONE can push through fatigue if they just try.” It’s SUCH a damaging attitude, especially from the people we’re supposed to be able to trust with our health.

    • Chris Peterson

      September 29, 2023 at 10:14 pm

      Benign fasciculation syndrome is another one. It’s not ALS so what are you so worked up about?

    • Rachel K

      September 30, 2023 at 3:36 am

      @safaiaryuPlease cite your reference to the Atlantic podcast.

    • Rachel K

      September 30, 2023 at 3:38 am

      @safaiaryuNo, doctors have NO CLUE what causes CFS or how to treat it; hence, the belief that exercise will help.

  17. white lies

    September 29, 2023 at 1:36 pm

    Very informative . I really appreciate for it.

  18. Anas Mursal

    September 29, 2023 at 2:55 pm

    wonderful speeach

  19. Donna Haynes

    September 29, 2023 at 5:48 pm

    I noticed that the history appeared to be all male. Did that help to lead you to the the conclusion or was it immaterial?

  20. Jaden Zaitshik

    September 29, 2023 at 7:42 pm

    Post SSRI Sexual Dysfunction, akathisia, post finasteride syndrome, Tardive Dyskinesia, these iatrogenic diseases cause people to take their lives. We need awareness, recognition, research and solutions!!

  21. Kate Lambros

    September 29, 2023 at 8:24 pm

    Thank You for Learning How to Think Not What To Think

  22. safaiaryu

    September 29, 2023 at 9:08 pm

    Thank you. I’m a survivor of a rare genetic disease that killed who knows how many infants in my dad’s family. In fact, I’m the first girl in six generations to have survived, due to progressions in genetic testing and lifesaving medical treatments. My dad didn’t even know that he had two sisters, one stillborn and one who died at six months. His parents hid this from him. When my mom started saying about me, “Something is wrong,” and started digging into his family’s history, his mom (my grandma) never forgave her. But my mom’s curiosity and instincts and tenacity found the answers and saved my life.

    I Google my disease regularly and I love seeing more and more research pop up about it. I recently discovered, like this speaker says, that there are websites where patients with rare diseases can talk, take surveys, and find medical and scientific studies about their illnesses. The age of the internet is wonderful and combining internet searches, instant communication, and the curiosity of scientists, we will save many more lives. ❤

    • Hiba Latheef

      September 30, 2023 at 10:41 am

      Hi,may I ask you what’s your disease/genetic conditions name??

  23. mr guy

    September 29, 2023 at 10:31 pm

    is ted good again?

  24. squinlan74

    September 29, 2023 at 11:10 pm

    Nobel prize?

  25. MD. JAHID SHEAKH

    September 30, 2023 at 1:31 am

    I am here to improve my listening 😊

  26. Ankrah-Twumasi Sebastian

    September 30, 2023 at 3:33 am

    I hope she wins the Nobel prize

  27. Minenhle Mayisela

    September 30, 2023 at 5:59 am

    Super inspired

  28. Mr_Krabs

    September 30, 2023 at 6:53 am

    11:45 OR DEPRESSION

  29. aya sarsour

    September 30, 2023 at 7:25 am

    Amazing thank you

  30. Hiba Latheef

    September 30, 2023 at 10:40 am

    Wow

  31. Farida Shermatova

    September 30, 2023 at 1:23 pm

    I wanna go to Ted show
    Where it is

  32. Romer Villareal

    September 30, 2023 at 2:07 pm

    The amazing thing about science is that it’s not religion! RELIGION IS POISON!!

  33. Willful Mystic

    September 30, 2023 at 2:09 pm

    What other secrets of our being will we find and learn about? It’s a beautiful new world and we also have AI, still in it’s infancy, to help. There’s so much hope!

  34. Tara Na

    September 30, 2023 at 3:58 pm

    This is great, but will the remedies be accessible to people is the question.

  35. Panda C.

    September 30, 2023 at 11:17 pm

    I’m a 34 year old male with mosaic loss of the chromosome and all the doctors I’ve gone to before learning this couldn’t figure out some of my symptoms so most of them made me feel like I’m probably being a hypochondriac that needs to eat better and get more active… in spite of the huge red plaques all over my legs and the swelling of my ankles. The last doctor I saw gave me a referral for a psychotherapist (which I happen to already have and have been seeing for general mental well being for years) and she recommended I hit the gym more often. I haven’t seen a doctor since even if I don’t feel well. I think maybe if I had private healthcare or could pay a more expensive doctor I’d be taken more seriously, but I can’t be sure… I also have a deletion in my dna that puts me at much higher risk for certain cancers.

  36. Oluwagbohunmi Adetola Timilehin

    October 1, 2023 at 7:04 am

    what a presentation 😇😮

  37. sarkar sensei

    October 1, 2023 at 2:43 pm

    These are the true heroes of the society…hope to be like them oneday❤❤

  38. Sara Alsakkaf

    October 1, 2023 at 8:47 pm

    Thank u too much… It is a beneficial information.

  39. Schrodingers Bs

    October 6, 2023 at 6:10 pm

    They only impact everyone when there are corporate profits & tyrannical, government policies to be made.

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