Merck to work with Israeli life science companies
US giant Merck is to collaborate with Israeli companies on technological projects. Israel’s Chief Scientist’s Office will grant financial support for joint projects researching into life-saving medicines, which Merck will match.
Discovery may lead to treatments for Huntington’s disease
Tel Aviv University researchers have found that protein clusters are not the long-believed cause of Huntington’s disease. Instead, their formation protects cells damaged by the brain’s stress response. Tackling the stress response itself may cure Huntington’s.
Optical scanner warns of foot ulcers in diabetics
Israel’s Chief Scientist’s Office has awarded NIS 100,000 to Dr. Assaf Shachmon and Hagai Ligomsky of Tel Aviv University. Their optical scanner identifies diabetics at risk of developing foot ulcers that precede 84% of all diabetes-related lower-leg amputations.
Dr Sagie will get your child dry at night
(Thanks to Israel21c) The clinics of Israel’s Jacob and Tal Sagie have cured 27,000 children who suffered from enuresis (bedwetting). Tal Sagie has now launched Therapee - the world’s first online interactive program for treating enuresis - for kids aged four and over.
MobileOCT’s melanoma detector is featured by the BBC
And it mentions it is based in Tel Aviv! In the video clip, CEO Ariel Beery says that the hardware can be 3D-printed anywhere, in order to save life.
Pancreatic cancer treatment trials continue
Jerusalem-based biotech Tiltan has raised $1.5 million for the completion of its on-going Phase II clinical study of TL-118, an anti-angiogenic therapy for treating metastatic pancreatic cancer. 80 patients are being tested in seven major Israeli oncology centers and also two in the US.
Generating stem cells quickly and cheaply
(Thanks to Israel21c) Israeli biotech Cellect has developed a stem cell collection kit that could revolutionize the treatment of leukemia and other immune-related diseases. Cellect’s kit takes only 10 hours to generate sufficient stem cells for bone marrow transplants.
Chip in chin prevents sleep apnea
Belgium-Israeli medical device company Nyxoah is gearing up for the European trials of its sleep apnea treatment. A tiny chip is implanted into the patient’s chin, which stimulates nerves to prevent the tongue from blocking airflow – a common cause of sleep apnea.
First-ever bone graft, using bone grown in lab
(Thanks to Atid-EDI) A human patient with deficient jawbone has received a successful bone transplant using bone grown by Israel’s Bonus BioGroup using the patient’s own fat cells. The company expects the graft to be fully tolerated, without immunological rejection.
Protein could reverse Alzheimer’s damage
A protein discovered by a Tel Aviv University research team may reverse the damage caused by Alzheimer’s. Laboratory tests showed that TAU (tubulin-associated unit) restored levels of the dementia-protecting protein NAP. It also restored disease-shrunken brains to normal size.