Israel Active

Researchers from Israel’s Weizmann Institute have shown how to monitor genes deep inside the body. They used a genetic dye and engineered cells to light up when those genes are expressed. One day it will help monitor the success of cell therapy for cancer or the success of transplanted organs.

Israel’s Sweet Victory (see previously) has completed a successful pilot study of its innovative chewing gum at the Obesity Research Center of Israel’s Sheba Medical Center. In just two minutes it blocks the sugar receptors on the tongue. Available in Israel, France and soon the USA.

IVF patients of Israel’s Clalit Heathcare have performed nearly 15,000 UV scans using Israel’s Pulsenmore (see previously) to monitor their pregnancies. Clalit are purchasing thousands more Pulsenmore remote hand-held devices – especially important during the coronavirus pandemic.

Tel Aviv Sourasky (Ichilov) Medical Center performed, for the first time in Israel, a donor liver machine perfusion (MP) to improve a dilapidated liver and successfully transplant it into a patient. By repairing aged and damaged livers, it will reduce the shortage of livers from deceased donors.

Israel’s Todos (see previously) completed a Phase 2 study of its Tollovir treatment on 31 hospitalized Covid-19 patients. Their clinical improvement was 2.7 days faster than the placebo group. Jerusalem’s Shaare Zedek hospital is now allowing Tollovir for compassionate use.

To mark World Cancer Day on 4th Feb, these articles describe some of the latest developments of Israeli scientists at the Technion Institute, Ben Gurion University, and Tel Aviv University.

Researchers at Tel Aviv’s Sourasky (Ichilov) Medical Center studied the data of 17,000 pancreatic cancer patients. They discovered that a mutation resulting in the absence of two proteins P15 and P16 allows the cancer to spread to the liver. The findings can help treat such patients.

A great article about Israel’s Neuralight (see previously) and its amazing ocular technology that extracts microscopic eye movement measurements to help diagnose neurological disorders. The platform aims to help developers of treatments for Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and multiple sclerosis patients.

The latest report of life expectancy for Israeli men is 81 years – 8th in the OECD. For Israeli women it’s 84.8 – 11th in the OECD (see for previous years). Both exceed the OECD average. Israel’s birth rate is by far the highest in the OECD and infant mortality is well below the OECD average.

Israel’s DreaMed (see previously) has now received US FDA approval for use with Type 2 diabetes sufferers as well as Type 1. It will relieve the strain on endocrinologist who each have on average some 46,000 patients.