Israel Active

Imagine a microscopic device injected into your body that searches for genetic malfunctions in your cells. If it finds any, it emits a green light to highlight the diagnosis. Weizmann Institute scientists have developed such a device – and are now working on upgrading it to destroy the cancerous cells.

Bar-Ilan University’s Psychology Professor Ruth Feldman found couples that stay together have higher levels of oxytocin in their blood when they first pair up than couples that ultimately break up. Prof Feldman spent years studying the hormone’s role in the mother–child bond.

Weizmann Institute graduate Prof Jonathan Kipnis has discovered that the T-cells that fight infections also govern intelligence. Mice without T-Cells cannot perform simple tests, but perform normally when their T-Cells are restored. Kipnis got the idea from his Weizmann advisor.

Scientists at Israel’s Weizmann Institute have discovered a pseudo-education system in the colon. Newly arrived monocytes are taught how to maintain a healthy balance in the gut by resident immune cells. But if you get an infection or eat the wrong food, the new pupils run wild!

A team including researchers from Israel’s Technion has developed an innovative technique that they believe will cure deformities and blindness caused by ectodermal dysplasia, which affects seven out of every 10,000 babies born in the world. Via in-vitro experiments, damaged cells caused by mutant p63 genes can be greatly improved using a chemical substance called PRIMA-APR246.

Israel’s Gamida Cell Ltd. reported success in the Phase III clinical trial of its StemEx treatment for leukemia and lymphoma. Compared to a control group, far more patients receiving StemEx survived 100 days or more following transplantation.

The Israeli innovations featured at the US road shows included Archmedical’s tissue sampler, BiFlow’s Nitino stent, Medasense’s pain monitor and Moebius’s injectable solution for osteo-arthritis.

(Thanks to Atid-EDI) A new distribution agreement with Hospira of Illinois means that the Sapphire medical infusion pumps developed for ambulances and hospitals by Israel’s Q-Core Medical will soon be available in more than 60 key markets across Europe, Asia and the Americas.

(Thanks to Atid-EDI) Israel’s EarlySense systems will now be distributed to hospitals across the United States. A deal with Welch Allyn means that the innovative “under the mattress” sensors may soon be monitoring the vital signs of millions of Americans.

These are the goals of Israel’s Technion Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, as described in this video.