Israel Active

Surgeons at Israel’s Hillel Yaffe Medical Center performed the first reconstruction of a bone segment with a custom titanium implant, printed on a 3D printer.

Israel’s Epitomee Medical is developing an orally administered “shape-shifting” capsule that works on the stomach through mechanosensory stimulation. It is intended to prolong the gastric emptying process of prediabetics and moderately obese patients, giving them the sensation of being full.

Tel Aviv University researchers have discovered why Parkinson’s patients have difficulty transitioning from walking through turning around to sitting. It has led to new advice for patients that when turning to sit down, they should first turn, briefly stop, and then sit down.

Israel’s Weizmann Institute is partnering Institut Curie in Paris to advance knowledge and discovery in life sciences, physics and chemistry, focusing on cancer research. The new partnership also extends to cellular biology, epigenetics, genetics, immunology, single-cell sequencing.

Hebrew University of Jerusalem scientists have designed molecules that stop cancer-promoting proteins from accelerating tumor growth. These molecules (called oligonucleotides) bind with the proteins, preventing them from binding with RNA molecules in cancer cells.  The tumors then die.

I reported previously on Israel’s Alpha Tau and its Alpha DaRT radiation therapy for cancer patients. It has just obtained UK certification following an audit by the British Standards Institution – the UK's independent compliance body.

Israel’s Taliaz is partnering with Psychiatry UK to deliver artificial intelligence-driven genetic testing to depression sufferers. Their Predictix service aims to reduce patient suffering by helping psychiatrists better identify the right antidepressant medication earlier.

Israel’s Stem Cell Medicine (SCM) uses gene therapy to develop new treatments for neurological indications and rare diseases. Israel’s Ministry of the Economy is funding SCM’s new gene therapy facility in Jerusalem. SCM’s first product is to treat neuropathic pain.

Scientists at Israel’s Bar-Ilan University have proved that the bacteria Bifidobacterium in a woman’s intestine can “sense” her pregnancy. It then grows quickly, to assist babies in breaking down the sugar in mother's milk. The bacteria’s growth is triggered by the hormone progesterone.

Surgeons at Toronto General Hospital performed the first live medical procedure using real-time holographic imaging developed by Israel’s RealView Imaging . The 3D images allowed the surgeons to see inside the heart prior to a mitral valve replacement procedure.