Decoding the immune system
Israel’s Immunai is developing a technological platform that aims to map the entire immune system for better detection, diagnosis, and treatment of disease. It uses single cell genomics that could in the future unlock the secrets of infections, cancer and autoimmune diseases.
US Covid-19 vaccine progress
The Israeli Chief Medical Officer of US biotech Moderna reported that company’s mRNA-1273 Covid-19 vaccine successfully produced antibodies on 8 patients. Dr. Tal Zaks received his M.D. and Ph.D. from Ben Gurion University, joining Moderna in 2015.
Good progress of Pluristem trial
Seven of the eight critically ill coronavirus patients on ventilators, treated with PLX stem cells from Israel’s Pluristem, survived after 28 days. Only one of those still needed mechanical ventilation - the other five having been discharged from hospital. 10 further patients have now begun treatment.
US patent filed for 8 antibodies
The Israel Institute for Biological Research (IIBR) in Ness Ziona has just completed the patent application process for eight new coronavirus antibodies (reported previously).
Teva donates medicines for US Covid-19 study
Israel’s Teva is donating the medicines for a US study into the effectiveness of a potential combination coronavirus treatment. The study will evaluate whether combining the antibiotic azithromycin and hydroxychloroquine can prevent hospitalization and mortality from COVID-19.
Bone-grafting cells may treat coronavirus symptoms
While developing its unique treatment for growing human bone grafts, Israel’s Bonus BioGroup discovered MesenCure - a new pneumonia treatment that could help coronavirus patients. A study on animals was successful; human trials are planned.
TAU to search for a Covid-19 vaccine
Tel Aviv University (TAU) researchers have partnered with Swiss biotech Neovii to find a vaccine against Covid-19. TAU will use their 2015 patented research into the MERS virus to accelerate their work on Covid-19.
US approval for vertebrae image analysis
Israel’s Zebra Medical has just received its fifth FDA approval - this time for its Vertebral Compression Fractures (VCF) image analysis product. Zebra’s latest AI solution automatically identifies likely compression fractures from scans.
Results of 10-year Israeli-led gastro study
Dr. Ami Sperber, professor emeritus of Ben-Gurion University, initiated a 10-year epidemiology study of 73,000 patients in 33 countries. It found that over 40% of the world’s population have Disorders of Gut-Brain Interactions (DGBI). The data is vital to gastrointestinal knowledge.
Surgeons save Arab with metal rod through his head
Kamel Abdel Rahman fell from the second floor of the apartment he is building. He landed on a metal rod that penetrated his head from left cheek to right ear. Surgeons at Jerusalem’s Hadassah Ein Kerem hospital extracted the rod in two nail-biting operations.