Israel Active

Tel Aviv University researchers discovered that neural networks in the brain preserve memories better than individual neurons. This new understanding may lead to a breakthrough in treating debilitating diseases such as Alzheimer’s.

Israel biomed company Tulip Medical has successfully completed its first clinical trial of its pill that expands in the stomach, inflates like a balloon, and creates a sense of fullness. The pill was safe with no side effects. The next trial will test the pill in an inclusive weight-loss program.

I reported in Mar 2014 that Professor Dan Peer of Tel Aviv University had developed chemotherapy using nano-particles to target ovarian tumors. It has now been engineered to target Glioblastoma multiforme - the most aggressive of brain cancer.

Long ago, UK Professor Gideon Lack discovered that hardly any Israeli infants developed peanut allergy. Now his new study has proved that the reason is the common practice of feeding Israeli children the peanut snack Bamba. It reverses conventional “wisdom” of avoiding peanuts.

A new study in February’s The Lancet Global Health Journal places the diet of the average Israeli the 9th healthiest out of 187 countries surveyed. The study, led by Dr Fumiaki Imamura of the University of Cambridge, covered 4.5 billion people.

Researchers at Israel’s Weizmann Institute have revealed the detailed mechanisms that control the beating of the heart. Heart disease can cause individual heart filaments to lose synchronization. Replacing diseased cells in a structured manner can re-establish a regular rhythm.

Israeli innovations in space include SpacePharma’s laboratory that fits in the palm of your hand and will orbit in a nano-satellite, allowing scientists to conduct experiments and watch them happen on their smart phones.

Israel’s Kadimastem’s recent news includes success in of its stem cell treatment for ALS. The technology also induces pancreatic cells to produce insulin and Kadimastem has with Ramot, Tel Aviv University’s technology transfer company.

Researchers from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have isolated (from Jerusalem sewage) a “safe” virus EFDG1, which can kill the bacteria infections associated with up to 33% of root canal treatments. EFDG1 eradicates even antibiotic-resistant strains of the bacteria.

The international conference BrainTech 2015 in Tel Aviv, beginning 11th March, features neuroscientists, entrepreneurs, senior executives, investors, startups and decision-makers who will explore challenges, discover promising projects, create partnerships and accelerate innovation in brain technology.