Israel Active

An international team led by Weizmann Institute researchers has “turned off” the immune system’s automatic rejection of foreign transplants. They introduced the less toxic CD8+ veto immune cells into the body with the biochemical interleukin-15 to guide them to the lymph nodes.

(Thanks to Israel21c) In the last 12 years, the number of Israelis suffering from preventable blindness has been reduced by 56% - a rate unprecedented in any other country.

Britain's National Health Service (NHS) has invited Israeli life sciences companies to conduct clinical trials in the UK. This is a major achievement as the NHS is the largest single healthcare provider in the world.

Israel’s Technion signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the UK’s Manchester University that will promote joint research into cures to cancer and genetic illnesses. It will also see combined studies into heart disease, stem cell and genetic research.

Israel & Belgium based Nyxoah’s new device prevents sleep apnea by transmitting a focused electric field. It is inserted inside the chin in a simple procedure and gets its energy from an external patch that is stuck to the chin only at night. It is far more comfortable than existing alternatives.

The method of applying epidural injections hasn’t changed for 100 years. The skill of the doctor is vital with high failure rates (30%) and frequent complications. But Israel’s Omeq Medical’s sensor-based system guides the doctor to the exact spot. Over 20 million epidurals are given each year in the US alone.

(Thanks to Atid-EDI) Scientists at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem have developed a method for detecting the cause of diabetic retinopathy - a leading cause of blindness worldwide. The method will enable early diagnosis and treatment of the condition, minimizing damage and saving vision.

(Thanks to NoCamels.com) Israel’s XPAND has a cool solution for “lazy eye” – a condition affecting around 4 percent of children. XPAND’s Amblyz eyeglasses obstruct the strong eye in automatic, intermittent intervals using an electronic shutter attached to one of the lenses.

Researchers at Ben-Gurion University have discovered that a single dose of methylphenidate (MPH) - medication used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder - can reduce the risk of falls in the elderly.

(Thanks to NoCamels.com) Professor Illana Gozes of Tel Aviv University has created a new peptide (short protein) called NAP that latest trials indicate could treat neuro-degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, ALS or Parkinson’s.