Israel Active

Israel’s CytoReason (see previously) is partnering France’s Sanofi to identify novel therapies to treat Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). Sanofi will pay CytoReason millions of dollars to use the Israeli startup’s computational AI-discovery disease model platform.

Israel’s Sheba Medical Center has developed CurQD – a botanical combination of Curcumin (Tumeric) and QingDai for treating Ulcerative Colitis. Phase 1 and 2 human trials were successful and a spin-off company Evinature is now marketing the product.

Scientists at Israel’s Ben Gurion University have created a new compound by combining copper with a polysaccharide derived from the marine red microalga Porphyridium sp. The long, dense spikes on the surface of the compound kills bacteria and fungus by poking holes in their membranes.

The Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Israel’s Tissue Dynamics used their “sensors on a chip” to bypass animal testing in developing a new treatment. They proved that the diabetic drug empagliflozin blocks the toxicity of aminoglycoside antibiotics in kidney disease patients.

Researchers from Israel’s Bar-Ilan University have developed a peptide (small protein) that prevents the triggering of metastasis – secondary cancer. In the laboratory, it had 90% success on solid cancers and could be used in combination with other therapies.

Israelis liberDI has received clearance from the US FDA for its Digital Dialysis Clinic. The 3kg device allows patients to perform a 90 min dialysis at home or at work, by themselves, monitored by their physician using the advanced telemedicine capabilities of the system. (5 years ago) (4 years ago)

Israeli emergency volunteer organization United Hatzalah has begun a new video series UHTV. In its inaugural video, United Hatzalah volunteer EMT and Ambassador Rachel Holzer spoke to students at Israel’s Reichman University to see what the next generation knows about CPR.

Israel’s ban on immigrants from the UK, Ireland and France donating blood has been lifted after 24 years.  The epidemic of BSE (Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy) in cattle in those countries raised the possibility of causing variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) in humans.

The Jerusalem Therapy Center for mental health has been inaugurated. The JTC will benefit patients suffering from a variety of mental health issues such as depression, trauma, and certain addictions. It will be staffed by senior clinicians, plus post graduate Yeshiva University therapists.

Back in 2014 (see ), Tel Aviv University, Sheba Medical Center and Haifa University scientists diagnosed ADHD using the Test of Variables of Attention - tracking a patient’s involuntary eye movements. Now Israeli startup MindTension is using the Moro reflex test in the same way.