Age your immune system for a longer life

Researchers from Israel’s Technion and US Stanford University have identified age factors within the human immune system that predict a person’s longevity. Eventually you will know which lifestyle changes, habits and medications can advance your immune system and extend life.

No escape from new leukemia biosensor

Tel Aviv University scientists have devised a novel biosensor that can isolate and target all leukemic stem cells - the most malignant of leukemic cells. Previous therapies missed many types of these stem cells, allowing them to evade destruction and subsequently multiply.

Why you need to sleep

Researchers from Israel’s Bar-Ilan University have shown that individual neurons in the brain need sleep to give the chromosomal repair system a chance to clear out daily debris accumulated during wake time. At night, neuronal traffic is light and damage caused by activity or environment can be fixed.

European approval for lung collapse warning

I’ve reported previously on Zebra Medical Vision and its technology that helps radiologists spot acute conditions in scans and X-rays. Zebra has just received European CE certification for detecting pneumothorax - a sign of imminent lung collapse.

Square-fiber endoscope is outside the box

The miniature endoscope from Israel’s Zsquare is made from layers of square fiber. The unique technology provides 3D high resolution, hyper-spectral imaging.  Then after use, just throw it away so no chance of cross-infections. Zsquare has just raised $10 million of funds.

A computer in your heart

I reported 3 years ago when Israel’s Vectorious Medical raised funds to trial its V-LAPTM microcomputer that monitors for imminent heart failure. The device has just been successfully implanted in the first human trials in a six-minute procedure, under local anesthesia. It is said to be the world’s first digital, wireless, battery-less device that can communicate from deep within the body.

Lab-grown bone patient competes in triathlon

Danny Yaakobson suffered a serious leg injury in a car accident and risked losing his leg. He was the first patient to receive a transplant using bone grown from his own fat cells by Israel’s Bonus Bio. Danny completed the 112-mile cycle race of Eilat’s 2019 Israman triathlon.

Hope for safer skin grafts

It’s early days, but Shahar Ben-Shaul from Israel’s Technion Institute looks to have improved the success rate for skin grafts. In laboratory trials, she and her team were able to connect blood vessels faster and safer using more mature (14-day-old) cells grown in the lab, in combination with real skin.

Finding the cause of genetic diseases

Israeli biotech Emedgene has developed a platform that can pinpoint the genetic mutation(s) responsible for rare genetic diseases. Emedgene gets cases from healthcare organizations and uses Artificial Intelligence and information databases to help geneticists uncover the underlying problem.

Predicting the spread of melanoma

Scientists at Ben Gurion University, working with others at the University of Texas, have used microscopic cameras to film live cancer cells. They then used artificial intelligence to identify cells with metastatic potential that were likely to spread to other parts of the body.