Nobel Fest in Astana brings together leading specialists in medicine, fuels discussions around medical innovations

Noble Fest’s aim is to foster collaboration among prominent medical scientists, innovators, and the public, facilitating the exchange of knowledge, cutting-edge technologies, and ideas to advance medicine and improve global health. The festival was attended by over 20 speakers and more than 5,000 participants. The Director-General of the WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, delivered a welcoming address, commending the organizers and participants of the festival. He emphasized the importance of integrating medical knowledge and drawing lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic in a video message directed to the festival's attendees and organizers:

“Innovation has always been a driving force in health. Think of vaccines, penicillin, or the technologies that allow us to map, analyze, and even edit the human genome. And innovation is central to WHO's vision and mission. The COVID-19 pandemic was a reminder of the power of innovation to save lives with the development of vaccines in record time. But it was also a stark reminder that innovation must go hand in hand with equity. Inequitable access to vaccines cost lives and prolong the pandemic”.

“Innovations are most powerful when they narrow inequalities and respond to countries' needs, rather than becoming another reason people are left further behind. That's why equitable access to vaccines and other tools is one of the core principles of the pandemic agreement WHO Member States are now negotiating. We're also working to select and scale up innovations that will help us reach the most remote and disadvantaged communities. WHO was founded 76 years ago on the conviction that health is not a luxury for those who can afford it, but a fundamental right for all people. Thank you all for your commitment to harnessing the power of innovation for the world's most pressing health challenges and to building a healthier, safer, and more equitable future,” he said.

Through panel discussions, workshops, and interactive sessions, attendees delve into topics ranging from new trends in therapy to innovative breakthroughs in longevity and more. Among the prominent speakers from CIS are Olga Tkacheva, Director of the Gerontological Scientific and Clinical Center, Chief Consultant Geriatrician of the Ministry of Health of Russia. Olga Tkacheva shed light on the complexity of the aging process and the potential interventions available.

Tkacheva states, "Physical activity, certain diets, and habits affect aging. Today, over three hundred potential geroprotectors exist, such as metformin, which influences multiple mechanisms."

Tkacheva highlighted that clinical trials investigating metformin's role as a geroprotector are ongoing, emphasizing its potential to delay age-associated diseases.

Igor Kvetnoy, Head of the Department of Translational Biomedicine at the St. Petersburg Research Institute of Phthisiopulmonology of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation. Professor Kvetnoy presented groundbreaking findings emphasizing the pivotal role of signaling molecules in intercellular neuroimmunoendocrine communication.

Kvetnoy asserts, "The diversity and high specificity of these molecules, or biomarkers, underscore the importance of developing non-invasive methods to verify them."

He stresses the significance of translational biomedicine in optimizing diagnostics and targeted therapy for socially significant diseases. Kvetnoy's remarks highlight the principles of medicine 4P—predictive, preventive, personalized, and participatory—and the potential of translational biomedicine to revolutionize healthcare.

The festival featured a diverse range of other topics and speakers, reflecting the multifaceted nature of modern healthcare and medical innovation. Among the notable topics covered were the importance of ensuring equitable access to healthcare and addressing healthcare disparities across different demographic groups, reflecting a growing awareness of the need for inclusivity in healthcare systems.

Maxat Kurbenov, organizer of the festival shared his thoughts about the event as a whole: “In general, the mission of the festival itself is to make world knowledge accessible, that is, so that such scientists come to Kazakhstan, so that they share opinions and the latest discoveries. And the mission itself is to infect people with knowledge, that is, so that everyone leaves here with new knowledge.”