Israel Active

Researchers at Israel’s Technion Institute genetically modified muscle stem cells from diabetic mice to express high levels of GLUT4 molecules, which transport glucose in the body. When re-implanted into the mice, it reduced blood sugar levels by an average of 26% and lowered levels of fatty liver.

Israel’s Triple Jump is developing a unique small insulin pump patch that is placed on the patient’s body. The patch has mobile connectivity capabilities and will be included in a future artificial pancreas system. The device has attracted interest from medical devices giant Medtronic.

A team of researchers, led by Israel’s Weizmann Institute, used algorithms to find neoantigens - “hot spots” on tumors - that provide access to current immunotherapies for multiple cancer patients. The scientists then engineered T cells from healthy individuals to completely destroy the tumors.

United Hatzalah’s Aharon HaKosem, “the magician” works performing magic shows in Hod Hasharon. In his unpaid work as a volunteer EMT, he was called to save a choking baby. After back blows and chest compressions, “abracadabra” - the infant spat out a small object and re-started breathing.

Two weeks after an IDF captain was shot in the head, surgeons at Rambam Hospital used 3D technology to rebuild his face. A bullet hit the officer near his brain, eyes, and tongue, shattering his jaw. But with the exception of some scarring, it will soon be completely restored.

A new Israeli government program will speed and support the Aliyah process for Jewish health professionals. It will benefit some 3,000 Jews, mainly from the former Soviet Union, the US, Canada, France and Argentina and overcome the shortage evident during the Covid pandemic.

Israel’s Sheba Medical Center has launched a smartphone gaming-based program to help overweight children adopt a healthier lifestyle. They are using the Rumble app from Israel’s UVTAL (see previously), and a smartwatch to monitor sleep, heart rate and physical activity.

Roche has entered an agreement with Israel’s Ibex Medical Analytics to jointly develop an embedded image analysis workflow. It will allow pathologists to check biopsies using Roche's NAVIFY & uPath software while seamlessly accessing Ibex’s AI algorithms, insights, and tools.

Israel’s Quris has launched a “patient on a chip” - the world’s first AI platform for predicting which candidate medicines will work safely in humans. Quris’s leadership team includes Israel’s Nobel Laureate Aaron Ciechanover and Dr. Robert S. Langer, co-founder of Moderna.

Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Merck and Teva have opened AION Labs - a new Israeli innovation lab for startups to develop cutting-edge AI-based technologies for personalized treatments. Startups will use computational biology to discover and develop patient-centric precision medicines.