Israel Active

Israel’s P-Cure has received US FDA approval for its image-guided proton therapy solution that treats patients in a comfortable upright position. Patients to benefit from this clinical breakthrough will initially be those treated for cancers of the lung, breast, chest, the head and neck, and lower torso.

An international study led by scientists from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the Crick Institute in London has revealed that cancer stem cells survive even after aggressive treatments. However, they need low (or zero) levels of a DNA-packaging protein H1.0 to re-activate.

Scientists at Kaplan Medical Center in Rehovot have developed a treatment called “Gammora” that kills between 95-97% of the AIDS virus in laboratory tests. The Kaplan AIDS clinic is the largest in Israel, caring for 1,400 patients.

Scientists at Israel’s Technion Institute have developed nano-packages of different anti-cancer treatments that are tagged with synthetic DNA sequences. Released into the bloodstream and collected 48 hours later, they identify which treatments are most effective.

I reported previously on Israel’s Zebra Medical and its computer algorithms that can detect osteoporosis, cardiac disease, liver disease etc from X-rays, CT scans and MRI scans.  Now it has developed a new algorithm that detects breast cancer from mammograms.

Israel’s Regentis Biomaterials is shortly to conduct a Phase III clinical study of GelrinC, a new treatment for focal cartilage defects in the knee. GelrinC is poured into the lesion in a minimally invasive procedure and converted into a solid implant using ultra-violet light.

Israeli startup BioShai is developing the world’s first simple blood test for the early diagnosis of Parkinson’s Disease (PD). The PDx test measures changes in molecules associated with PD and can lead to more precise treatments and a higher quality of life for the patient.

Israeli startup Parasonic (from Nazareth incubator NGT3) has developed a comb device that destroys lice and lice eggs with ultrasound waves, without any chemicals. The device is said to produce results after a single five-minute combing and is scheduled to go into production within one year.

Israel is the first and only country to earn the United Nations’ World Health Organization’s highest ranking for its IDF field hospital unit.  It received “Type 3” designation, along with some additional “specialized care” recognitions, which technically made it a “Type 3 plus”.

Israel’s BiolineRX in conjunction with Ben Gurion University, Hadassah Medical Center and Novartis has developed a novel treatment BL-1220 that can restore liver function in patients with liver disease and injury.