Israel Active

Israel’s Medasense assesses levels of pain in non-communicative patients using its PMD200 pain monitoring device. The technology is now being advanced on ventilated COVID-19 patients. Medtronic is distributing the tech in Europe and FDA approval is in progress.

Haifa’s Rambam hospital has opened its fortified underground emergency hospital to accommodate the rise in Covid-19 patients in Northern Israel.  Its 770 beds include 170 for patients on ventilators – sufficient for almost the total of Covid-19 patients currently hospitalized in Israel.

This newsletter previously featured the coronavirus sanitation bridging tunnel developed by Israel’s RD PACK. The video describes its key component - the disinfectant spray – comprised, amazingly, of electrolyzed water (no chemicals) developed at Israel’s Bar-Ilan University.

Scientists at Israel’s Weizmann Institute have discovered that bacteria contain viperins – enzymes that produce antiviral molecules.  These substances are undergoing testing that may lead to the development of highly effective antiviral treatments against influenza and COVID-19.

Israel’s DarioHealth (reported previously) is partnering US giant HMC Healthworks to incorporate DarioHealth's digital therapeutics solution into HMC’s comprehensive care management programs.  The platform will also be offered on a stand-alone basis.

Good article about Israel’s Collplant (reported previously) and its technology that turns tobacco leaves into bio-ink for printing human organs. Collplant, together with United Therapeutics Corporation have already made lung parts and will now start working on printing replacement human kidneys.

Israel hosted an online conference to discuss cooperation on fighting the coronavirus. It comprised science ministers of Argentina, Belarus, Brazil, Bulgaria, Colombia, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Germany, Guatemala, Honduras, Hungary, Italy, Peru, Poland, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.

Back in 2019 there was much excitement when Tel Aviv University scientists 3D-printed the first heart produced from human tissue (reported previously). What was not reported was that the technology itself was licensed to Tel Aviv University from award-winning Israeli biotech Matricelf.

Scientists at Israel’s Weizmann Institute and the Israel Institute for Biological Research have identified four new proteins and 19 peptides that Covid-19 infected patients produce. They believe that these may help the virus to replicate, so targeting them could lead to new treatments.

Israel’s ImmunoBrain Checkpoint aims to begin trials of its IBC-Ab002 treatment for Alzheimer’s disease. The antibody, developed by its Chief Scientist EMET Prize-winning Weizmann Institute Professor Michal Schwartz, boosts the immune system to induce brain repair processes.