Israel Active

Hebrew University of Jerusalem scientists have compiled a compendium of 2,200 bitter molecules that will help predict bitterness without ever having to taste it. Their research on TAS2R14, a bitter receptor, can help make medicine ‘easier to swallow’ and even treat lung diseases.

Staff Sergeant Effi Ben-Yakar, a reservist in a special unit suffered cardiac arrest during leave and passed away at Ichilov Hospital. His lungs went into a 38-year-old woman; his liver into a 71-year-old man and his kidneys into two men, aged 40 and 64.

Israel’s Silexion Therapeutics (see previously) received Israeli Ministry of Health approval to initiate a Phase 2/3 trial of SIL204 in locally advanced pancreatic cancer, marking advancement to clinical-stage development. SIL204 targets a range of common KRAS mutations.

Jerusalem hosted Israel’s premier health-tech conference (March 17–18), showcasing breakthroughs in emergency medicine, ophthalmology and Tech-Bio.  New Israeli technologies for “hospital-at-home” and remote monitoring during emergencies were a core focus.

Israel's Sheba Medical Center rose to seventh place in Newsweek and Statista’s 2026 World’s Best Hospitals ranking, extending its streak to eight years on the list. Its new Roman Abramovich Theranostics and Nuclear Medicine Center is expected to treat more than 16,000 patients a year.

Israel’s Sheba and Poriya Medical Centers have together performed the first robotic heart surgery in Israel and the Middle East using the da Vinci Xi robotic surgical system. It is less invasive, carries lower surgical risk, and shortens both hospital stay and recovery time.

The “Hadassah-Helmsley Netivot", a state-of-the-art medical center, has been inaugurated. It is will provide 150,000 residents of Netivot, the western Negev, and surrounding communities, with advanced diagnostic, treatment, and ongoing care close to home.

Doctors at Israel’s Assuta Medical Center have successfully treated the first Israeli patient enrolled in the international OASIS clinical trial. The study is evaluating a novel biological implant designed to improve outcomes in lumbar spinal fusion surgeries.

Researchers at Israel’s Technion Institute have developed an AI tool to predict the benefit of chemotherapy on breast cancer patients. It examines high-resolution digital images of tumor tissue and uses deep learning to identify patterns in both the cancer cells and their surrounding environment.

The US FDA has approved Optune Pax, by Israel’s Novocure for the treatment of adult patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer. The portable, non-invasive device delivers electrical tumor treating fields (TTFields), to the abdomen to disrupt rapid cancer cell division.