Israel Active

The US Food and Drugs Administration has approved the MarginProbe breast cancer test from Israel’s Dune Medical. Surgeons performing lumpectomy operations use MarginProbe to ensure that the whole tumor has been removed, thus avoiding the need for further operations.

The Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the Max Planck Society of Germany are to build a 3 million euro Brain Research Center on the Hebrew U’s Givat Ram site in the nation’s capital. It is hoped that the research will lead to improved treatment for destructive neurological diseases.

(From Israel21c) Two Hebrew University veterinary scientists have developed the first vaccine effective against canine monocytic ehrlichiosis (CME), a sometimes fatal tick-borne disease in dogs.

Doctors at Kaplan Medical Center in Rehovot transplanted a cornea into the eye of Nissim Nahum who was wounded in Lebanon 26 years ago.

Israeli President Shimon Peres praised all Israeli organ donors, Israeli Jews and Arabs, young and old. Even 89-year-old Peres has a donor card. 18-year-old Harel received a new liver at age 13 and has just enlisted in the IDF.

The Israeli National Health Council has approved the additional medications and technologies to be added in 2013 to the current NIS 7 billion Health Basket. The new treatments will benefit at least 300,000 Israelis – focusing on preventative medications and prenatal tests.

For the first time in 10 years, Canadian Tony Lightfoot’s uncontrollable tremors stopped. It followed four hours of non-invasive treatment on his brain, using focused ultrasound from Israel’s InSightec. Tony is the fifth patient at Toronto’s Western Hospital to have the life-changing Israeli treatment.

The US Food and Drugs Administration has given approval for Evarrest – a biological sealant for stopping problematic bleeding during surgery. Evarrest is produced in Israel by Omrix Biopharmaceuticals – a division of US giant Johnson & Johnson.

Sgt Idan Ducach gave a blood sample to Israeli charity Ezer Mizion when he enlisted in the IDF. Later he was told he was a bone marrow match for Alex – a young American boy. Idan donated his bone marrow and one year later met a very healthy Alex in New York.

1000 graduates of the Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School gathered yesterday at the opening of an alumni conference marking 60 years since the graduation of the school’s first class. Jerusalem mayor Nir Barkat said that there are 32,000 medical employees in Jerusalem.