Israel Active

In Nov 2023, Olessia Kantor founded Israel’s Lev Esh (Fire Heart) project to address the mental health crisis that has intensified since Oct 7. Lev Esh serves as a vital lifeline, connecting trauma sufferers with a network of practitioners, including psychologists, psychiatrists, and holistic therapists.   (In Hebrew only)

Israel’s RevitalVision (see previously) has been very successful in improving the condition of the visually impaired. On average, the structured on-line brain exercises achieve a measurable improvement of 20 – 25%, equivalent to an extra two lines on a standard eye chart.

The nano-platform technology of Israel’s NanoCarry traverses the Blood Brain Barrier (BBB) to deliver potentially life-saving therapies to the brain.  Its initial target is HER2 breast cancer brain metastases for which there is no treatment, even though the original cancer can now effectively be cured.

Doctors saved an Israeli woman in her 50s after she was bitten by a snake in southern Israel. She was brought to Ashdod hospital by family members who also brought the snake.  Doctors were able to identify the snake and administer the correct anti-venom serum.  The article contains some important advice.

The US FDA has extended its approval of the Deep Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation system from Israel’s BrainsWay (see previously). It can now be used to treat depression up to the patient’s 86th birthday. The previous maximum age limit was 67.

Israel’s Biolojic Design (see previously) is partnering Merck, to develop molecules that could be the basis for therapies to treat cancer and other immunological disorders. The venture is potentially worth up to 350 million euros to the Israeli company.

Ben-Gurion University has received a $1.3 million grant from the Gates Foundation to develop and validate a novel and safe approach for measuring immune responses to polioviruses.

Israel’s United Hatzalah is appealing for funds to purchase a rapid response vehicle - known as a minilance (mini ambulance) ATV (all-terrain vehicle). It can bring a team of up to five UH volunteers and veteran lifesaving medics to the scene of a local emergency within minutes.

Scientists at Israel’s Technion Institute have developed optical sensor technology that can identify the correct antibiotic for urinary tract and other infections in just 90 minutes. They worked with Technion alumni in a Maryland USA company and at John Hopkins University.

Back in 2015 (see previously) Israel’s Ben Gurion University researchers discovered the link between protein macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. Now they are leading an international team to use it as a potential cure.