Good News Israel: Israeli Firm Develops Antibody for Alzheimer’s, Startup Makes Painless Bandage, and More!

Israeli startup makes headway in Alzheimer’s research; Inteligels develops wound covering that could be removed painlessly, CorNeat begins trials for cornea and glaucoma treatment, and much more!

By Michael Ordman

ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS

Antibody for Alzheimer’s

Israel’s ImmunoBrain Checkpoint aims to begin trials of its IBC-Ab002 treatment for Alzheimer’s disease. The antibody, developed by its Chief Scientist EMET Prize-winning Weizmann Institute Professor Michal Schwartz, boosts the immune system to induce brain repair processes.
https://www.jpost.com/health-science/israeli-revolutionary-alzheimers-treatment-to-launch-phase-1-trial-641848  https://www.ibcheckpoint.com/

A painless bandage

Israel’s Inteligels has developed a wound covering that can be removed without pain. It is made from a special smart transparent polymer that can be triggered to liquify and does not need to be pulled off. It is based on the work of Daniel Cohn, Professor Emeritus of Chemistry at Jerusalem’s Hebrew University.
https://jewishbusinessnews.com/2020/08/31/israeli-startup-inteligels-has-made-a-new-painless-bandage/
https://www.geektime.com/inteligels-israel-startup/

http://chem.ch.huji.ac.il/casali/cohn.htm

Cornea and Glaucoma treatment news

The synthetic cornea from Israel’s CorNeat is beginning human trials, as reported here in July. This has become vital due to shortage of human corneas during Covid-19. CorNeat will soon begin trials of its EverPatch for Glaucoma surgery and is developing the eShunt to reduce eye pressure.
https://nocamels.com/2020/09/medtech-corneat-patented-implants-blind-diseases/

Radiation to reduce Covid-19 inflammation

Doctors at Israel’s Sheba Medical Center are to test the use of low-dosage radiation on 30 severe Covid-19 patients. It is expected to reduce the inflammatory cells that invade the lungs of coronavirus patients and prevent them from oxygenating the blood.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/reviving-old-therapy-israeli-doctors-unleash-lung-radiation-against-covid-19/

More success for Covid-19 antibody treatment

11 of the 12 trial patients treated with the IgG Covid-19 treatment from Israel’s Kamada (reported here previously) have now recovered and been discharged from hospital.

https://nocamels.com/2020/09/early-trial-results-kamada-covid-19-antibodies/

A national lab to study viruses

The Israeli government is to set up a new national laboratory at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem for the study of viruses. It will help Israel counter pathogens after the Covid-19 pandemic. It will have special air conditioning, advanced testing tools and high-level protective gear.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3848670,00.html

Sheba’s “Gulf” initiative

Sheba Medical Center has launched its “Gulf” initiative with the first agreement between an Israeli hospital and an organization in the United Arab Emirates. Sheba will work with UAE’s APEX National Investment on key medical challenges from COVID-19 to the future of hospital care.
https://nocamels.com/2020/09/uae-apex-sheba-healthcare-innovation/

On stream

More details about the development of StreamO2 – the low-cost breathing machine for Covid-19 patients built by Israeli fizzy-drinks maker SodaStream (reported here previously). StreamO2 was the idea of Hadassah ICU doctor Akiva Nachshon, and recently tested successfully at Hadassah Ein Kerem in Jerusalem.
https://www.israel21c.org/whats-the-worlds-favorite-fizzy-drinks-maker-doing-fighting-covid/

Detecting prostate cancer in Puerto Rico

The CorePlus pathology lab in Carolina Puerto Rico is the first in the Americas to detect prostate cancer using the AI-based software from Israel’s Ibex Medical Analytics (reported here previously). The system is already in use in the UK and in France.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/puerto-rico-lab-to-use-israeli-ai-based-tech-to-help-diagnose-prostate-cancer/
https://ibex-ai.com/press/first-u-s-lab-implements-ai-based-solution-for-cancer-detection-in-pathology/

Doctor, heal thyself (with Israel’s help)

Durban pediatrician Dr Thesi Reddy (non-Jewish) was diagnosed with a brain tumor earlier this year and was given nine months to live. South African Friends of Sheba Medical Center got him to Israel, where Sheba surgeons used advanced techniques to remove the entire tumor. Amazing.
https://www.sajr.co.za/news-and-articles/2020/09/10/durban-paediatrician-saved-by-israeli-medical-team

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