Israel Active

Tel Aviv University researchers have discovered that 7% of pancreatic cancer sufferers survive more than five years due to high levels of the gene miR-34a and low levels of the gene PLK1. They then devised a nanoparticle to deliver miR-34a and a PLK1 silencer direct to the tumor.

I reported previously on Israel’s GlucoMe blood glucose monitors for diabetics.  Now, Apollo Sugar - the Indian national chain of 55 diabetes clinics – is to supply kits containing a GlucoMe monitor to each of its 200,000 diabetic patients.

A study of 26,702 Israeli expectant mothers and 45,300 children by a team led by Haifa University researchers, has revealed that mothers who take folic acid and multivitamin supplements before and during pregnancy are 73% less likely to have an autistic child.

Doctors at Haifa’s Rambam Medical Center successfully operated on a two-month-old baby born with a very rare defect in which his jaws were fused shut. Worldwide, there have been only about 50 cases. The team comprised orthodontists, anesthetists and oral and maxillofacial surgeons.

I reported previously on the Israeli SenseGo socks that spot incorrect posture or ill-fitting shoes. Now an Israeli startup has developed Elastimed – smart socks that improve circulation in the legs for treating venous and lymphatic diseases. Electric pulses compress and massage calf muscles to increase blood flow.

I reported previously on Israeli biotech BiomX which develops treatments using human bacteria (microbiome).  BiomX has now acquired Israel’s RondinX, which has built a cutting-edge technology platform set to unlock the potential of microbiome therapeutics.

When a cancer patient is unable to walk, even simple tasks such as making coffee, selecting a magazine or doing the laundry becomes impossible.  Volunteers from Israeli charity Ezer Mizion become a patient’s “virtual” legs.  They also cheer up the patient, which helps them battle the disease.

Six-year-old Kyra Warrell from Brighton in the UK has proximal focal femoral deficiency in her leg, which UK doctors want to amputate. But her parents are raising £58,000 to go to Haifa’s Rambam Medical Center where visiting US surgeon Dr Dror Paley says he can cure her condition.

I reported previously of Israeli scientists who are boosting the body’s immune system to fight cancer. Now Weizmann’s Dr Rony Dahan has developed a cancer immunotherapy compound that is 30 times more effective than existing treatments.

A baby boy born to Syrian refugees in Cyprus has been flown to Israel. He is due to undergo emergency surgery at Sheba Medical Center to correct a severe congenital heart defect. The flight was arranged by Israel’s ambassador to Cyprus on request from the Cypriot Health Ministry.