In our era of instant gratification,the world of medicine seems like an outlier. The path from a promising discovery to an effectivetreatment often takes a decade or more.

But from that process -- of fits and starts, progress and setbacks and finally more progress -- grow the insights and advances that change the course of medicine.

A decade ago, the completion of the Human Genome Project sparked optimism that cures for debilitating diseases were just around the corner. Cures still generally elude us, but now the ability to map human DNA cheaply and quickly is yielding a torrent of data about the genetic drivers of disease -- and a steady stream of patients who are benefiting from the knowledge. On other fronts, technology is putting more power in the hands of patients, and researchers are learning to combat disorders by harnessing the body's own ability to heal and grow.

Advances bring other challenges, including how to pay for them. Meanwhile, the complexbiology that stymies gains for some patients sets goals for new advances.

Here are six of today's potentially transformative trends.

Growing a Heart

• instant [´instənt]   a.立即的 n.紧迫；瞬间   (初中英语单词)
• promising [´prɔmisiŋ]   a.有希望的；有为的   (初中英语单词)
• effective [i´fektiv]   a.有效的；有力的   (初中英语单词)
• treatment [´tri:tmənt]   n.待遇；对待；治疗   (初中英语单词)
• project [prə´dʒekt, ´prɔdʒekt]   v.设计；投掷 n.计划   (初中英语单词)
• ability [ə´biliti]   n.(办事)能力；才干   (初中英语单词)
• stream [stri:m]   n.河 vi.流出；飘扬   (初中英语单词)
• learning [´lə:niŋ]   n.学习；学问；知识   (初中英语单词)
• meanwhile [´mi:n´wail]   n.&ad.其间；同时   (初中英语单词)
• complex [´kɔmpleks]   a.复杂的 n.综合企业   (初中英语单词)
• decade [´dekeid]   n.十年(间)   (高中英语单词)
• torrent [´tɔrənt]   n.奔流，激流，洪流；迸发   (高中英语单词)
• combat [´kɔmbæt]   v.&n.斗争；战斗；争斗   (高中英语单词)
• completion [kəm´pli:ʃən]   n.完成；完整   (英语四级单词)
• biology [bai´ɔlədʒi]   n.生物学，生态学   (英语四级单词)