Israel Active

Scientists at Tel Aviv University have developed a radioactive wire, less than an inch long and about the width of a pin. When inserted into a tumour, the wire releases lethal radioactive atoms that irradiate the tumour. As it breaks down, the tumour itself releases antigens, which trigger an immune response against the cancer cells, preventing the return of the tumour.

(Thanks to NoCamels) The universities of Haifa and Ben Gurion beat sixty international projects to secure funding for a four-year project to develop a computerized system that will enable patients who need to be monitored and their healthcare providers to receive updates and medical advice in real time outside clinically controlled environments.

Professor Mary Rudolf, consultant paediatrician at Leeds General Infirmary, who is also professor of child health at the University of Leeds, is making Aliya and will take up the position of Professor of Public Health at the brand new Bar Ilan Medical School in Sfat.

(News thanks to NoCamels) The twins shared the same placenta and were dying when their 25-year-old mother arrived at Hadassah hospital in Jerusalem. They were saved through a procedure that penetrated the uterus and separated the twins’ shared blood vessels.

One of Israel’s NASDAQ listed bio-techs BiolineRX Ltd. reported positive results for its Phase Ia clinical trial of its drug, BL-1021, for the treatment of chronic neuropathic pain due to damaged nerves. It is associated with conditions including shingles, diabetes and cancer, affecting 1-3% of the world’s population.

Israeli bio-tech Proteologics Ltd. announced successful results in its pre-clinical trial of the PRT0467 drug candidate for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Injections of the drug in mice found a statistically significant reduction in the inflammation response.

The two universities signed an agreement at the Israel Business Conference in Tel Aviv that will allow the two medical schools to continue their collaboration on a wide variety of projects. The proposed new cancer centre will facilitate scientific, educational and clinical collaboration, and develop a state-of-the-art graduate program in cancer biology.

Ayala Mandria, 20, was unable to stand on her two feet all her life, until she arrived at the Beit Levinstein Rehabilitation Center. Mandria suffered from poliomyelitis and ALS since childhood. Only three months after starting treatment she can already run around on the grass.

Prof. Haim Sompolinsky, a leading brain sciences researcher at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, was awarded the US Society for Neuroscience’s $25,000 Swartz Prize. Sompolinsky’s “ring” model is the paradigm for modelling neural circuits and the basis of countless studies of short-term memory, decision-making, selectivity and receptive fields.

Men are over confident. Research at Ben Gurion University has found that female students who were more optimistic achieved significantly higher grades than their less optimistic compatriots, but in men, it had a harmful effect and led to disappointing grades.