Israel Active

Researchers at Israel’s Technion Institute combined organ printing and tissue engineering to create a mouse implant that replaced ears that failed to develop in the womb. Can’t wait to hear if it works in humans too!

Masa Israel Journey has brought 100 doctors to Israel to help relieve the pressure in parts of the Healthcare system. The Fellows come from countries such as Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Uzbekistan, and Lithuania. The Masa Doctors program has brought almost 1,000 qualified doctors to Israel.

60-year-old Hanan Awad from Nazareth had been blind for 20 years due to a severe corneal disease. Doctors at Israel’s Beilinson hospital restored her sight with an implant combining an artificial cornea and a piece of her shin bone. After 3 months, the bone was removed.

Israel’s Lynx MD has developed an environment which allows scientists to access and analyze massive amounts of real-world anonymized medical data. It has recently joined forces with leading health organizations to collect real-world data from patients hospitalized with Coronavirus.

Excellent article about Israel’s Quris (see previously) which has developed the ability to test new medical treatments on a human simulation chip. Watch the video where Quris founder (Israeli Nobel Prize winner) Aaron Ciechanover explains the problem with previous “mouse model” testing methods.

The home monitoring system Vayyar Care (see previously) is soon to be available as part of Alexa Together, a new subscription service from Amazon.  If Vayyar Care detects a fall, it contacts an urgent response emergency helpline. Alexa will also send a notification to the designated caregiver.

Researchers from Tel Aviv University have found that Ulvan, extracted from the “sea lettuce” algae, Ulva, could help stop coronavirus from infecting human cells. The team is still working on identifying the specific chemicals in Ulvan that counter Covid infection.

An AI tool from Israel’s Technion Institute helps combat antibiotic resistance. It reduced ineffective antibiotics prescribed for urinary tract infections by 35%. The tool was trialed by Israel’s Maccabi Health Management Organization (HMO) and will now be used for other infection types and HMOs.

Researchers from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have discovered that some bacteria enter a “disrupted” state when attacked but not destroyed by antibiotics. A different chemical is then needed to “finish them off”, otherwise they can eventually recover and reproduce. See also .

Israel’s Ophthalmic Sciences has developed IOPerfect - the world’s first AI-based contactless intraocular pressure (IOP) measuring device. It allows those at risk of going blind from glaucoma, to measure their eye pressure anytime and anywhere and communicate the results to their doctor.