A Healthy and Good News Year (Part 2)

I have made 12 major predictions regarding major Israeli medical achievements that will happen in the new Jewish Year of 5776.  Three of those predications have been described in detail in Part 1 of this blog.  Part 2 contains the detailed links for my remaining 9 medical predictions.

Here is the summary list of all 12 predictions.  Part 2 predictions are in RED.

1. There will be numerous major breakthroughs by Israelis in the search for a cure for cancer.

2. There will be huge Israeli advances in the treatment of brain diseases.

3. New Israeli treatments will be found for diabetes.

4. Israeli innovations and research will give heart to cardiology patients.

5. Israelis will make major discoveries about the immune system and auto-immune diseases.

6. Israelis will find new ways to fight resistant strains of bacteria

7. Israelis will pursue treatments for rare diseases and conditions.

8. Israeli doctors will personally intervene to save the lives and limbs of thousands of non-Israelis.

9. New Israeli medical innovations will improve the lives of disabled people.

10. There will be new Israeli medical treatments for the relief of pain.

11. New Israeli devices and techniques to diagnose disease and injuries earlier and quicker.

12. New Israeli medicines, devices and techniques will save and change lives and give hope to millions.

2. There will be huge Israeli advances in the treatment of brain diseases. 

In the past year, Israel’s Avraham Pharmaceuticals has been successfully testing its ladostigil treatment that slows the progression to Alzheimer’s; Israel’s Kadimastem had successful pre-clinical trials of its stem-cell treatment for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS / Lou Gehrig’s disease); Israeli biotech Pharma Two B had positive results in its trials of P2B001 for the treatment of early stage Parkinson’s disease.

More of last year’s Israeli advances in brain disease treatments can be found by clicking on these links.

http://israelactive.com/israels-medical-achievements/two-israeli-arabs-develop-app-to-treat-adhd/

http://israelactive.com/israels-medical-achievements/brain-disease-mechanism-discovered/

http://israelactive.com/israels-medical-achievements/brain-neurons-study-can-help-fight-alzheimers/

http://israelactive.com/israels-medical-achievements/the-nose-to-brain-express-route/

http://israelactive.com/israels-medical-achievements/als-treatment-trial-shows-success/

http://israelactive.com/israels-medical-achievements/parkinsons-treatment-trials-success/

3. New Israeli treatments will be found for diabetes. 

5775 saw Israeli researchers working to isolate the active ingredient of the Israeli shrub Chiliadenus iphionoides that increases sugar absorption and reduces blood sugar levels; Israel’s TouchéMedical is developing the world’s smallest, cheapest and smartest patch pump, for patients with diabetes; Kadimastem’s stem cells (see above) can also generate pancreatic cells that secrete insulin.

More of last year’s new Israeli treatments for diabetes can be found by clicking on these links.

http://israelactive.com/israels-medical-achievements/hope-for-millions-of-diabetics/

http://israelactive.com/israels-medical-achievements/diabetic-technology-goes-global/

http://israelactive.com/israels-medical-achievements/an-artificial-pancreas-implant/

4. Israeli innovations and research will give heart to cardiology patients. 

Israel’s Eximo has developed a catheter connected to a pulsed laser system, for the treatment of blocked arteries associated with Peripheral Artery Disease;

More of last year’s Israeli cardiology innovations and research can be found by clicking on these links.

http://israelactive.com/israels-medical-achievements/light-stimulated-genes-may-replace-pacemakers/

http://israelactive.com/israels-medical-achievements/a-traffic-light-pacemaker/

http://israelactive.com/israels-medical-achievements/treating-sleep-apnea-and-heart-disease-2/

http://israelactive.com/israels-medical-achievements/pomegranate-juice-and-dates-for-healthy-arteries/

http://israelactive.com/israels-medical-achievements/heart-muscle-re-grown-after-heart-attack/

http://israelactive.com/israels-medical-achievements/device-to-prevent-heart-failure/

http://israelactive.com/israels-medical-achievements/an-even-bigger-heart/

http://israelactive.com/israels-medical-achievements/understanding-irregular-heartbeats/

5. Israelis will make major discoveries about the immune system and auto-immune diseases. 

Last year’s Israeli immunology-related discoveries can be found by clicking on these links.

http://israelactive.com/israels-medical-achievements/pluristem-stem-cells-control-the-immune-system/

http://israelactive.com/israels-medical-achievements/new-smart-anti-inflammatory-protein/

http://israelactive.com/israels-medical-achievements/how-the-lymphatic-system-forms/

http://israelactive.com/israels-medical-achievements/bacteria-use-dna-memory-to-stop-viruses/

http://israelactive.com/israels-medical-achievements/arthritis-treatment-can-stop-hair-loss/

http://israelactive.com/israels-medical-achievements/vaccines-from-your-own-cells/

http://israelactive.com/israels-medical-achievements/immunotherapy-to-fight-cancer/

6. Israelis will find new ways to fight resistant strains of bacteria. 

Last year’s Israeli work to fight resistant bacteria can be found by clicking on these links.

http://israelactive.com/israels-medical-achievements/bacteria-or-virus/

http://israelactive.com/israels-medical-achievements/protection-against-microbial-infections/

http://israelactive.com/israels-medical-achievements/fighting-antibiotic-resistant-bacteria/

http://israelactive.com/israels-medical-achievements/successful-trials-for-treatment-of-gastric-infections/

http://israelactive.com/israels-medical-achievements/a-virus-that-kills-resistant-bacteria-infections/

http://israelactive.com/israels-medical-achievements/preventing-hospital-infections/

9. New Israeli medical innovations will improve the lives of disabled people. 

Last year’s Israeli medical innovations for the disabled can be found by clicking on these links.

http://israelactive.com/israels-medical-achievements/calming-autistic-children/

http://israelactive.com/israels-medical-achievements/new-center-for-autism-in-jerusalem/

http://israelactive.com/israels-medical-achievements/rewalk-makes-paraplegics-healthier/

http://israelactive.com/israels-medical-achievements/6000-disabled-kids-can-now-walk-tall/

http://israelactive.com/israels-medical-achievements/the-blind-can-see-sounds/

http://israelactive.com/israels-medical-achievements/kids-in-sync-physically-and-socially/

http://israelactive.com/israels-medical-achievements/beit-issie-launches-disabilities-tech-center/

http://israelactive.com/israels-medical-achievements/a-smartphone-for-the-disabled/

10. There will be new Israeli medical treatments for the relief of pain. 

Last year’s Israeli medical treatments for the relief of pain can be found by clicking on these links.

http://israelactive.com/israels-medical-achievements/high-pressure-oxygen-to-treat-fibromyalgia/

http://israelactive.com/israels-medical-achievements/success-for-treatment-of-back-pain/

http://israelactive.com/israels-medical-achievements/successful-trials-for-novel-treatment/

http://israelactive.com/israels-medical-achievements/revolutionizing-the-management-of-pain/

http://israelactive.com/israels-medical-achievements/apostherapy-marches-on/

http://israelactive.com/israels-medical-achievements/treatment-to-stop-pain/

11. New Israeli devices and techniques to diagnose disease and injuries earlier and quicker. 

Last year’s new Israeli diagnostic devices can be found by clicking on these links.

The genetic mutation tests of Israel’s Rosetta Genomics to detect lung cancer;

http://israelactive.com/israels-medical-achievements/non-invasive-test-for-bladder-cancer-2/

http://israelactive.com/israels-medical-achievements/blood-test-detects-early-colon-cancer/

http://israelactive.com/israels-medical-achievements/internet-tool-to-analyze-genes/

http://israelactive.com/israels-medical-achievements/early-detection-of-colon-and-uterine-cancer/

http://israelactive.com/israels-medical-achievements/eilat-coral-can-help-cancer-research/

http://israelactive.com/israels-medical-achievements/micro-antenna-to-treat-gastro-cancer/

http://israelactive.com/israels-medical-achievements/cancer-detection-proven/

http://israelactive.com/israels-medical-achievements/tb-skin-patch-wins-gates-award/

http://israelactive.com/israels-medical-achievements/a-sniff-test-for-autism/

http://israelactive.com/israels-medical-achievements/an-app-to-detect-adhd/

http://israelactive.com/israels-medical-achievements/app-can-diagnose-adhd-2/

http://israelactive.com/israels-medical-achievements/voice-monitoring-to-diagnose-brain-disease/

http://israelactive.com/israels-medical-achievements/monitoring-mental-illness-by-smartphone/

http://israelactive.com/israels-medical-achievements/one-device-to-check-them-all-anywhere/

http://israelactive.com/israels-medical-achievements/simple-test-for-smoke-inhalation-damage/

http://israelactive.com/israels-medical-achievements/diagnosing-malaria-in-only-3-minutes/

http://israelactive.com/israels-medical-achievements/bacteria-test-in-minutes/

http://israelactive.com/israels-medical-achievements/test-your-dog-for-diseases-in-minutes/

http://israelactive.com/israels-medical-achievements/new-devices-to-diagnose-pneumonia/

12. New Israeli medicines, devices and techniques will save and change lives and give hope to millions. 

Last year’s Israeli life-changing medical news can be found by clicking on these links.

http://israelactive.com/israels-medical-achievements/protection-against-future-flu-strains/

http://israelactive.com/israels-medical-achievements/fooling-the-malaria-parasite/

http://israelactive.com/israels-medical-achievements/doctors-revive-mother-with-amniotic-embolism/

http://israelactive.com/israels-medical-achievements/doctors-remove-tumor-from-womb-of-pregnant-woman/

http://israelactive.com/israels-medical-achievements/sealing-up-after-surgery/

http://israelactive.com/israels-medical-achievements/robotic-needle-steering/

http://israelactive.com/israels-medical-achievements/medical-aid-for-taipei-burns-victims/

http://israelactive.com/israels-medical-achievements/patent-for-lung-disease-treatment/

http://israelactive.com/israels-medical-achievements/50-young-spines-straightened/

http://israelactive.com/israels-medical-achievements/10000-operations-for-spinal-surgery-guidance-system/

http://israelactive.com/israels-medical-achievements/trials-for-dry-amd-treatment-begin/

http://israelactive.com/israels-medical-achievements/a-cure-for-addiction/

http://israelactive.com/israels-medical-achievements/cupid-prevents-falling/

http://israelactive.com/israels-medical-achievements/and-baby-makes-three/

Michael Ordman writes a free weekly newsletter containing positive news stories about Israel.

www.verygoodnewsisrael.blogspot.com and a searchable archive www.IsraelActive.com

For a free subscription, email a request to michael.goodnewsisrael@gmail.com

Defeating the Forces of Darkness

On the Jewish festival of Simchat Torah (Rejoicing of the Law) we read how the universe was created – starting with the four words “Let there be light”.  Today, Israeli solar energy projects light up countless homes.  However, the Jewish State also has found another way to illuminate millions of lives – by removing the darkness itself.

It is sad to see the shadowy effects of aging on previously brilliant minds.  Scientists at Israel’s Weizmann Institute may therefore have opened up the promise of a brighter tomorrow.  They have discovered that the protein interferon beta impairs the cognitive ability of the brain – common in old age.  New treatments that block or remove this protein may one day prevent or reverse cognitive decline and rejuvenate the brain.  Israeli biotech Compugen has discovered another “murky” protein, codenamed CGEN-15049 that prevents the immune system from destroying tumors.  Attacking CGEN-15049 could prevent cancers of the lung, ovaries, breast, colon, stomach, prostate and liver.  A new treatment may already be underway thanks to FutuRx - a new Government-funded incubator for Israeli bio-techs.

Watching someone being treated successfully for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s Disease) is like seeing a dark cloud lifted. So we hope for only blue skies from now on, now that the US FDA has fast-tracked the NurOwn ALS treatment developed by Israel’s Brainstorm.  On the other hand, those suffering from the dry form of age-related macular degeneration (dry-AMD) may develop dark areas on the retina of the eye, causing progressive blindness.  OpRegen, developed by Israel’s CellCure NeuroSciences is hoping to become the first approved therapy for dry-AMD.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNaIeH7ZE1c

Irrespective of whether the forces of darkness are biological, social or man-made, Israel will try to defeat them.  The Israeli Foreign Ministry’s Mashav department is sending three Israeli-manufactured mobile emergency clinics to West Africa to help try to prevent the Ebola virus from spreading.  Meanwhile, at home, the Israeli Government has approved a budget increase of NIS 1.7 billion to fight poverty. And then Israeli surgeons toiled for hours in order to save the life of a Syrian boy who was shot in the neck during Syria’s civil war.  The doctors at Haifa’s Rambam Medical Center removed a bullet, just millimeters from the main blood vessels in the five-year-old’s neck.

Scientists believe that a mysterious Dark Matter comprises much of the known universe, but cannot prove it.  Dr Ran Budnik of Israel’s Weizmann Institute is lead scientist on the project to build the prototype of a device to detect the result of dark matter particles colliding with liquid xenon.  In a more practical context, Mekorot, Israel’s national water company doesn’t want its engineers to work in the dark.  It is the first firm in the world to equip its field workers with smart glasses – Epson’s Moverio BT-200 devices.  It’s also the first to be deploying a commercial app - by Israeli startup FieldBit - to receive specific guidance and instruction when they repair high-tension electricity installations at Mekorot’s facilities.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1XJ6zha_dE

Israel leads the world in defending against criminal forces.  Two products of Israel’s Magal-Senstar won awards at the 2014 ASIS Accolades Competition: Security’s Best Award.  Its RoboGuard robot patrols security fences and its CyberSeal protects against cyber attacks.  Meanwhile, Russian software giant Kaspersky Lab, known for its popular anti-virus system, is to open a development center in Jerusalem next year - one of its few outside of Russia.  Then Israel’s CyberSpark initiative received a boost when Carole and Marcus Weinstein donated $5 million to sponsor the building of a new Cyber Security center at Ben Gurion University.  But it was a low-tech Israeli security solution that caught the eye when Israel’s Seatylock announced its neat way to turn a bicycle saddle into a bike lock.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xifLMpRlXu4

The forces of darkness have nothing to match the force protecting the Jewish State from above.  Readers, however, may be amused to know that Israel even has a law for Angels.  The Government is amending the Angel Investors Law, granting tax incentives to those investing in start-ups at the seed stage of research and development.  Economy Minister Naftali Bennett said it “will ensure that the New Year will be one of entrepreneurship and encouragement of investment in high tech.”  That should demoralize the dim-witted Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions thugs even further.  The UK’s evil BDS losers are already distraught over the latest economic news that bilateral trade between Israel and the UK rose by 28% between January and August, reaching record levels.  Israeli exports to the UK were worth £1.6 billion, up 38%.

Finally, the light dawned on 19-year-old twins Fatima and Zukra Islambakov who were born in Uzbekistan and even attended Muslim schools.  Then they discovered their Jewish roots, immigrated to Israel and joined the IDF where they are currently helping to protect the Jewish State against the forces of darkness.

Israel – everyone's best hope for a bright future.

Michael Ordman writes a free weekly newsletter containing positive news stories about Israel.

www.verygoodnewsisrael.blogspot.com

For a free subscription, email a request to michael.goodnewsisrael@gmail.com

The Value of Life

http://blogs.jpost.com/content/value-life

http://blogs.jpost.com/print/5567

My instinctive reaction to Monday’s tragic news was to not write a positive news blog this week.  But why let the terrorists win?  Dry Bones’ cartoon included the line “... we find joy in remembering their lives ...” and Israelis’ love for human life needs to be emphasized even more at this time.

There was positive news recently for three Israeli organizations producing devices to detect early-stage cancer.  First, Israeli biotech Nucleix raised more than $5 million to finance its diagnostic test for early detection of bladder cancer and possibly also colon, lung and prostate cancers.  Secondly, the NaNose cancer detector invented by Israel Technion Institute’s Dr Hossam Haick is now ready to be marketed and has been licensed to Boston’s Alpha Szenszor.  NaNose diagnoses early-stage malignant tumors by analyzing exhaled breath.  Finally, the numbers of tests performed by the MarginProbe breast cancer scanner, developed by Israel’s Dune Medical, have now passed the 1000 mark since the device was launched in 2013.  MarginProbe confirms that the entire malignant tumor has been removed, before the surgeon finishes the operation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALPeKkdtgPg

Haifa’s Technion Institute is also one of Israel’s centers for development of treatments to eradicate cancer altogether.  Technion researchers recently discovered that visible and UV light destroys cancer’s resistance to chemotherapy.  Almost simultaneously, a parallel group of Technion researchers teamed up with others at Germany’s Max Planck Institute to develop minute propellers, with the potential to deliver cancer-killing chemicals directly to tumors without harming healthy cells.

Israel’s cardiologists continue to save lives – and not just Jewish lives. Two Druse brothers from the village of Hurfeish contracted the same genetic disease that weakens the cardiac muscle.  Doctors at Israel’s Schneider Children’s Medical Center transplanted a new heart into Rani in 2011 and have just successfully completed another heart transplant for his brother Dani.  And since the time that Israel’s three teenagers were abducted, Israeli doctors at Save a Child’s Heart (SACH) have saved five Palestinian Arab children at the Wolfson Medical Center in Holon.  Dr. Lior Sasson, SACH chief surgeon said, “children from both sides, shouldn’t be a part of the conflict.”

Israeli cardiovascular devices are an essential component of today’s life-saving medical technology.  Israel’s Itamar Medical manufactures the EndoPAT diagnostic device that measures how well your arteries are working.  Japan’s Nihon Kohden has just announced that it will market EndoPAT to 100,000 doctors in Japan as its flagship product for monitoring the heart and blood vessels.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVADCRihl_0

It is also imperative to have a decent quality of life. Israel’s D-Pharm has obtained fast track status from the China's Food and Drug Administration (CFDA) for its DP-VPA epilepsy treatment.  Israeli biotech Intec has announced that its Accordion Levodopa treatment for Parkinson’s disease has met all its safety trial endpoints so that Phase 3 trials on Parkinson’s sufferers can now commence.  Israel’s BrainStorm reported positive interim results of Phase IIa trials of its “NurOwn” stem cell ALS therapy. And two wound clinics at Israeli health organization Maccabi will treat patients with chronic leg ulcers using Vergenix gel developed by Israel’s CollPlant. Vergenix is based on CollPlant’s plant-based collagen.

Financial assistance and expert advice is available to Israeli start-ups if they are saving or improving lives.  Jerusalem NGO Pretense’s A3i (Accelerating Inclusion In Israel) is the world’s first support incubator, exclusively for startups developing products and services for people with special needs. A3i currently supports 13 Israeli companies. Philips and Teva’s new joint support incubator Inspire Healthcare Innovations Ltd will invest in start-ups developing treatments and medical devices.  US pharmaceutical giant Merck will work with Israeli companies on projects researching into life-saving medicines and will match Israel’s financial support to those companies.  Finally, Israel’s Trendlines received the “Best Incubator” award from Israel’s Office of the Chief Scientist. One of Trendlines supported companies, MitrAssist, received Best Start-Up of the Year for its device to treat faulty heart valves.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_l7B2yMnA0

To conclude, here are two recent news items that should be an inspiration to everyone that loves life.  Two scientists at Israel’s Weizmann Institute have been selected by the prestigious medical journal Cell for their “40 under 40” list of young world-leading scientists in their field. One of them, Jacob Hanna, is an Israeli-Arab.  His breakthroughs will advance the possibility of the future medical use of stem cells as “spare parts” for damaged cells and tissues.  Jacob comes from a family of doctors. His role model is his uncle Dr Nabil Hanna who developed Rituxan, the first monoclonal antibody approved for the treatment of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Finally, it’s not the $25 million donation that Sheldon and Miriam Adelson donated to develop the medical school at Ariel University that attracted my attention.  It is the fact that the Adelsons were inspired to action after the abduction of the three Israeli teenagers.  As Sheldon poignantly stated, “the medical studies at Ariel University underscore humanity, the desire for life and the value of human life wherever they are.”

I wish the families of the three boys Long Life.

Michael Ordman writes a free weekly newsletter containing positive news stories about Israel.

www.verygoodnewsisrael.blogspot.com

For a free subscription, email a request to michael.goodnewsisrael@gmail.com

Seven Weeks (Part 1) - Israeli Medical Treatments

http://blogs.jpost.com/content/seven-weeks-part-1-israeli-medical-treatments

http://blogs.jpost.com/print/5492

I’ve been absent from the blog scene for around seven weeks due to illness – exactly the same amount of time as between the Jewish festival of Passover and the upcoming festival of Shavuot (Pentecost).  During those seven weeks I just about managed to keep track of the recent accomplishments of the Jewish State.  And Israel’s advances with medical treatments during the past seven weeks have been simply amazing.

My jaw dropped when just last week, in clinical trials, a human patient with deficient jawbone received a successful bone transplant using bone grown in the laboratories of Israel’s Bonus BioGroup. The patient’s own fat cells were the original source tissue, which means almost zero chance of rejection by the body’s immune system.  In the laboratories of Israel’s Technion, scientists have engineered muscle tissue containing major blood vessels for repairing damaged abdomens.  A successful transplant was performed in clinical trials, suggesting that full abdominal surgery in humans using laboratory-generated tissue will soon be possible.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xevd-oJFI44

 

Full heart transplants are still very risky, and many Israeli innovations reduce their necessity.  Israel’s V Wave has developed an implant-able shunt – a device that treats congestive heart failure patients by reducing pressure on the muscle controlling the blood flow between the heart chambers.  The first patient to receive the shunt is already experiencing an improved condition.  Meanwhile, researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have discovered that the protein Erbin can help prevent the irreversible damage to the heart when it attempts to enlarge itself in the final stage before heart failure.

Several Israeli companies produce devices to protect patients during heart operations. One - Keystone Heart - has just raised the required finance to trial its TriGuard filter. TriGuard protects the brain from blood clots and dangerous material (emboli) released during heart valve replacements and other cardiovascular procedures.  Gardia’s WIRON devices, on the other hand, place filters such as the TriGuard into the arteries prior to those procedures. Surgeons at Poland’s John Paul II hospital have recently completed successful trials of the WIRON. 

There were at least three Israeli-led advances in the fight against cancer during the past seven weeks.  Firstly, in the Research & Development labs of EventusDx, on the outskirts of Jerusalem they have developed a blood test to detect breast cancer.  Secondly, the US Food and Drugs Administration has just approved Teva’s Synribo therapy for home use in treating adults with chronic or accelerated phase Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML).  Finally, the US FDA has also approved the Duet scanning system, developed by Israeli biotech BioView, for the detection of mutations in lung cancer.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwlmGH8pTAw

There was positive news in the past seven weeks for sufferers of three types of brain diseases.  Tel Aviv University researchers discovered a protein that reverses some of the damage caused by Alzheimer’s.  Ben-Gurion University scientists have developed a treatment using Losartan (marketed as Cozaar) that reduces seizures significantly in epilepsy sufferers.  And multiple sclerosis sufferers who experience fatigue (common with the illness) may soon benefit from the vitamin D analog synthesized by Dr Anat Achiron of Israel’s Sheba Medical Center in Tel-Hashomer.

Two Israeli brain disease treatments are getting more global exposure.  Japan’s Takeda has signed a deal to commercialize Teva’s rasagiline treatment for Parkinson’s, for use in Japan.  And Professor Dimitrios Karussis will this week present the progress of the Jerusalem trials of BrainStorm’s ALS stem cell treatment to the Joint Congress of European Neurology in Istanbul, Turkey.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BnwNS4aDI34

Seven weeks has seen many breakthroughs in the understanding of the genetic causes of disease.  Scientists at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJ) have demonstrated the molecular basis of Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS).  Other HUJ geneticists have identified the DNA on/off switch that explains why different species of animals can have so many identical genes.  Tel Aviv University scientists have pinpointed the genetic regulator “switch” that was corrupted by the drug thalidomide and caused so many deaths and deformities in babies 57 years ago.  Scientists at Israel’s Bar Ilan University have identified the gene that controls production of probiotic bacteria in the gut that protects against ulcerative colitis. 

Finally, maybe the research of Weizmann Institute graduate Leemor Joshua-Tor will one day prevent many genetic diseases.  She has discovered a protein that can destroy defective genes in the RNA that are responsible for viruses and diseases such as macular degeneration and cancer.

Just some of the latest incredible medical achievements from the Jewish State.  Be well.

Michael Ordman writes a free weekly newsletter containing positive news stories about Israel.

www.verygoodnewsisrael.blogspot.com

For a free subscription, email a request to michael.goodnewsisrael@gmail.com

Prepare to be Transformed

Prepare to be Transformed

19/12/12

http://blogs.jpost.com/content/prepare-be-transformed

http://blogs.jpost.com/print/4121

One of the most startling pieces of news last week was the passing of an Israeli-sponsored resolution in the United Nations.  By an overwhelming majority, the UN General Assembly voted for the motion "Entrepreneurship for Development", marking the first time that the U.N. has formally recognized that entrepreneurship can transform whole societies by reducing poverty, creating sustainable development, and reinvigorating the environment.  Here are some more recent examples of Israeli activities and innovations that could transform the planet.

During its 60 years, the 1000 graduates of the Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School have been transforming medical science.  In the latest research into brain degeneration, Hebrew University scientists have uncovered important details about the origins of brain diseases such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, ALS and Huntington’s diseases.  The discovery could lead to new methods of preventing toxic proteins in the brain from causing damage and even death.  In another Hebrew Uni study, researchers have discovered that extracts inside the edible Oyster mushroom contain molecules that bind themselves to cancer cells and kill them. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mo20TNiaPLA

The Israeli Ministry of Health has recognized the important work of the Hebrew U, by designating its Sanford Kuvin Center for the Study of Infectious and Tropical Diseases as Israel’s National Laboratory for Leishmaniasis – a parasitic disease affecting an estimated 12 million people worldwide.  Meanwhile, the latest developments at Israel’s Morflora have been written up by Israel21c.  Morflora’s revolutionary technology (originating at the Hebrew University) delivers genetic traits to a seed, without transforming the genome of the treated plant.  The new strain boosts crop yields and helps battle world famine.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBlNDpXMk34

Other transforming medical innovations include Israel’s Advanced Inhalation Therapies trials of nitric oxide to treat infectious lung diseases and IceCure’s innovative treatment for breast cancer (and maybe other cancers) using a super-cooled needle to inject balls of ice into the tumor.  We have already seen Israeli treatments transforming individuals suffering from ALS (Lou Gehrig’s).  Now Israeli non-profit organization Prize4Life has set-up a database called PRO-ACT that will help develop viable Phase II and Phase III treatments for ALS.

We may have to wait some time before Gaza is transformed into a peaceful community.  If only more residents of the terrorist state would be like 17-year-old Qsuy Imran who has become best friends with 17-year-old Tal Zilker from Southern Israel.  Both have the same type of cancer and are patients at Tel Aviv’s Sourasky Medical Center where they play together on their playstations.  Belaynesh Zevadia’s life certainly has been transformed.  Nearly three decades after immigrating to Israel, Belaynesh returned to her village in Ethiopia, this time as Israel's ambassador. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNgMwwrGNaA

Two Israeli non-profit organizations are transforming lives.  In our capital city, Jerusalem Village is connecting young immigrants to Jerusalem’s resident young adults.  It arranges Shabbat dinners for 200 people and organizes Hebrew-speaking activities centered on photography, urban gardening, cooking, and even training for the Jerusalem Marathon.  Meanwhile, over in Tel Aviv, 80 young professionals have paired up with some of Israel’s 200,000 Holocaust survivors in a unique volunteer effort called “Adopt-A-Safta”.  Volunteers chat, play games, and go for walks, to movies or cafés with their adopted grandparents and do odd jobs for them.

You could say that Hurricane Sandy transformed East Coast US companies for the worse.  But Israeli disaster recovery company Zerto prevented many from going out of business altogether by storing their vital information safely, several thousands of miles away from the danger area.  Another Israeli company BT9 protects temperature-sensitive products from being transformed into rotting waste.  BT9’s “Cold Chain Management” sensors monitor perishables being transported around the world and send out alerts when there is a problem.

The life of Israeli rower Jasmine Feingold was transformed twice.  Three years ago an accident on the Yarkon River left her near to death and on a respirator.  She spent a year at the Loewenstein Rehabilitation Center in Ra’anana – one of the best such facilities in the Middle East, if not in the world.  Now Jasmine has just won the 2,000-meter event at the Israeli Rowing Championships and is working towards competing in the 2016 Olympics. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ReCSQFYQjQ

Finally, much has been written recently about the transformation of Israel’s 8th Grade schoolchildren’s performance in recent international math and science tests.  In math alone, Israel’s position rose from 24th in 2007 to 7th in 2011 and Israel is now top of the western world.  “What about Israeli-Arabs?” came the cry from the pessimists.  Well the answer is that Israel’s Arabs achieved the highest scores of Arabs anywhere in the Middle East.

Join the transformation process.  Change the conversation and spread positive messages about Israel.

Michael Ordman writes a free weekly newsletter containing Good News stories about Israel.

www.verygoodnewsisrael.blogspot.com

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