Israel Active

As reported previously there are several Israeli innovations developed to help reduce numbers of disease infecting mosquitos. Now Ben Gurion University scientists have discovered and activated bacteria in the male mosquito that is poisonous only to mosquito larvae.

The US FDA has given approval for Israel’s Redhill Biopharma to market its RHB-105 (Talicia) treatment for the treatment of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori). It follows successful Phase 3 trials, as reported previously. H. pylori affects some 2 million US patients.

Tel Aviv University scientists have engineered the successful Israel-invented CAR-T cell therapy to also treat other cancers. They discovered a subset of immune system T cells (known as CD4+ T cells) will attract antibodies on solid tumors and destroy them.

Israelis donated 1,567units of blood in one day at the Magen David Adom station at the Samaria Regional Division. They broke the previous Israeli record of 740 units in a 2014 Tel Aviv session. Donors included residents and soldiers from the IDF’s Samaria Division.

Scientists at Israel’s Weizmann Institute working with researchers in Germany have identified two antibodies that are effective in stopping one species of the Ebola virus. Research is ongoing to developing a multi-species vaccine.

A team of Israeli (Weizmann Institute) and British scientists have devised a blood test that analyzes activity of three enzymes (OGG1, MPG and APE1) connected to DNA damage. They say it can “significantly improve current lung cancer risk prediction, assisting prevention and early detection.”

As reported previously Israel’s Orasis has developed CSF-1 (eye drops) to treat presbyopia – age-related far-sightedness. Results of Phase 2b trials of CSF-1 showed “significant improvement”, together with “exceptional safety and tolerability”.

Researchers at Israel’s Technion Institute have used artificial intelligence and big data to decode the unique signatures of certain cancer cells. The resulting technology – dubbed a “computerized pathologist” –could significantly boost development of personalized cancer treatments.

Five-year survival rates for Israelis (Jews & Arabs) diagnosed with all types of invasive cancers have increased significantly over the last decade. For example, of Jewish women diagnosed in 1996 only 63% survived five years or more. From 2011 this rose to 71%.

Israel’s Gordian Surgical is to provide thousands of its TroClose1200 access-closure systems to public hospitals in Panama. Gordian’s distributor PanaFarma won the tender to supply the post-operation surgical closure system to Panama's social security hospitals.