Hello everyone,

I have always thought about this, why we are unable to cure many of the diseases/illness/conditions? I feel like little efforts are taken to ailments that are prevalent but not necessarily life-threatening. My curiosity is because of mainly my seborrheic dermatitis (no family history) which really bugs me a lot in daily life, got diagnosed few years ago and it causes itch, and it has no cure. A scientific article published in 2024 acknowledges that the pathophysiology of seborrheic dermatitis remains incompletely understood and is believed to be influenced by multiple factors [1].

Look at other examples, Myopia, that effects people lifelong from early age, we dont have cures for it. I know laser surgeries exist now but they are just the treatment, and nothing prevents myopia from reoccurring and cant be cured. Quoting a paper on that “The etiology of myopia is like a puzzle in which some of the most important pieces are missing. Some clinicians and investigators search for the etiology of myopia to find a cure, but there may be no medical etiology or cure for myopia if it is not a disease.” [2]

Take, for instance, the common cold, an ailment that has plagued humanity for ages. Despite its pervasiveness, we have not managed to eradicate it and are compelled to endure its entire duration while solely treating its symptoms. Could this be attributed to its relatively mild impact?

There are many more disease that have no cure [3]. The existence of numerous incurable diseases/conditions prompts the question: is this truly a consequence of our limited understanding, or is it a result of insufficient research resources, given the lower severity and differing priorities of researchers? Will the attainment of cures for all current common diseases and conditions ever be feasible, or is it an unattainable goal? Thank you, please note that I am not a biologist, so I apologize for any potential inaccuracies in my question.

[1]A clinical update on fungal disease of human skin - Burningham - 2024 - Dermatological Reviews - Wiley Online Library

[2]The cause of myopia development and progression: Theory, evidence, and treatment - ScienceDirect

[3]List of Currently Incurable Diseases (disabled-world.com)

Question

Question

What is the cause of no cure for many common old diseases?