Israel Active

A new study on stem cells developed by Israeli biotech Pluristem shows they can be used to regulate the immune system, speeding it up or slowing it down as needed. They release a cocktail of therapeutic proteins in response to a host of inflammatory and ischemic diseases.

IBM Israel researchers are working on a project to detect brain diseases such as dementia, much earlier. It involves monitoring the patient’s voice remotely and detecting changes, so that activities and medication could slow down the advance of the disease.

Scientists from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have successfully engineered large amounts of functioning liver cells from stem cells. It is a major breakthrough as currently, biotechs testing new liver treatments have to rely on donated or purchased organs.

Israeli startup Tytocare is developing a handheld diagnostic device that enables a local nurse to check a patient’s ears, throat, heart and lungs, skin, temperature etc. and then send data and photos electronically to a medical specialist. Tytocare has just raised $11 million.

Researchers at Beersheba’s Soroka Medical Center have devised a simple blood test to determine the extent of damage done to the lungs of smoke inhalation victims. High levels of free DNA in the blood indicates greater damage and will determine resuscitation and treatment requirements.

Israel’s HoloDent produces a 3D holographic image of the mouth, reducing the time taken to produce dentures to just 30 minutes. The students on the BioDesign program that designed HoloDent at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have won Startup Open Israel award.

Israeli biotech Peritech announced successful results in its pivotal trials for PP-110 – an advanced treatment for hemorrhoids. Worth reading here about how PP-110 works.

An Israeli delegation of 20 doctors, nurses and medical technicians from Israel’s Save A Child’s Heart (SACH) has performed lifesaving heart surgery on more than 10 local children in Tanzania and examined hundreds more with congenital heart defects.

Two researchers from Ben Gurion University and one from Colorado University have engineered an anti-inflammatory protein that only activates when it finds inflammation. Current anti-inflammatory treatments suppress the immune system and risk causing infections.

Europe, Russia and Australia approved a patent for Israeli biotech Kamada’s nebulizer that delivers its Alpha1-Proteinase Inhibitor–Human (AAT) treatment for lung disease. AAT also treats Type 1 diabetes and immune system diseases. Its USA brand name is Glassia.