A Healthy and Good News Year

Today I present to you my predictions for Israel’s medical achievements that will take place in the forthcoming new Jewish Year of 5776.  They are reliable predictions, as they mirror actual events that occurred in 5775.  I have only sufficient space here to include detailed evidence for three of these predictions.  Please visit my website if you would like to view the remainder.

Here is my summary list of medical predictions in full.  The ones I expand here are highlighted 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 continue to 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 will diagnose disease and injuries earlier and quicker.

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

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

The most promising Israeli news on cancer treatment in 5775 included Weizmann Institute’s triple treatment to stop tumor growth.  Also, the Technion’s use of the body’s natural chemicals to suppress malignant growth and protect healthy cells and its tiny silicon containers that deliver chemotherapy without damaging healthy tissue.  Vaxil Biotherapeutics’ continues to make progress with its anti-cancer vaccine and so are Israel’s Compugen with its five candidate antibody therapies and cCAM (just bought by Merck) with its CM-24 antibody for many types of cancer.

Further down the road, Israel’s Quiet Therapeutics has developed nano-particles that target biomarkers on tumors; an Israeli scientist has documented which of 20,000 genes are targets to kill tumors. Weizmann scientists have discovered a molecule to prevent “cell membrane spam overload” – a trigger for cancer and Hebrew University of Jerusalem scientists have discovered anti-tumor neutrophils among white blood cells.

Many Israeli treatments target specific cancers, such as the VB-111 ovarian cancer treatment of VBL Therapeutics.  Novocure’s TTFields scalp device slows the growth of brain tumors.  Gamida Cell’s NiCord stem cells treats leukemias and Hodgkin lymphoma and IceCure Medical is now treating breast cancer with its IceSense3 system.  Finally, Israeli researchers have discovered what causes melanoma cells to turn into aggressive tumors and are convinced that it will soon lead to a breakthrough treatment.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rsCxIfZsb4

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

I have included this prediction in detail, as I want to emphasize that Israeli scientists and companies do not just want to ensure a big financial income from selling treatments for ailments affecting millions of patients.

Last year, advances by Israeli biotechs and scientists included:

-          BioBlast’s Cabaletta treatment for oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy (OPMD) and spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3)

-          Advanced Inhalation Therapies’ Nitric Oxide treatment for cystic fibrosis

-          Chiasma’s oral treatment Octreotide, for acromegaly

-          Protalix Biotherepeutics’ PRX-102 treatment for Fabry’s disease

-          Enlivex’s ApoCell treatment to prevent Graft-vs-Host Disease

-          Foamix’s Finacea Foam treatment for Rosacea

-          Nutrinia’s NTRA-9620 treatment for intestinal failure in preterms

-          Tel Aviv University researchers who are solving mysteries regarding rare genetic diseases

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTj-fMyuurg

8. Individual Israeli doctors will save the lives and limbs of thousands of non-Israelis.

Israeli medicine is truly giving light to the nations.  In 5776 we will definitely see more from Israel’s skilled and dedicated surgeons who were repairing shattered lives throughout last year. 

Save A Child’s Heart doctors are currently working at the Wolfson Medical Center in Holon to fix the hearts of 13 children from Ethiopia, 9 from Zanzibar, 6 from Iraq, 5 from Kenya, one from the Palestinian Authority and one from Gaza.  In May, SACH surgeons repaired a heart deformity in baby Lisa from East Timor – the 50th country to send patients to SACH.  In July, 20 SACH doctors, nurses and technicians repaired the hearts of 10 children in Tanzania and examined hundreds more.  In April, heart surgeons at Hadassah hospital saved Iraqi toddler Maryam, who had previously been given little hope of survival.  The doctors at Hadassah’s “Heart for Peace” organization have also treated hundreds of children with congenital heart diseases from Gaza and the PA territories.

To see two contrasting examples of Israelis treating Palestinian Arabs, doctors at Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon helped a 4-year-old girl from Gaza to walk again, while a senior Hamas member had spine surgery at an Israeli hospital.  Israeli doctors certainly have no problem treating patients from Moslem countries – whether travelling to Kyrgyzstan to restore eyesight to 90, or continuing to treat Syrian casualties of their civil war at hospitals in Northern Israel.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NR4Euhzp2lY

Although global natural disasters cannot be predicted, tiny Israel will always be among the first to respond.  It had the largest medical aid team in Nepal after the country’s devastating earthquakes. The 250 Israeli aid workers included IDF medics and doctors from Rambam, Sheba and Sha’are Zedek hospitals.

To finish, Israeli scientists are also being inspired to achieve some “out-of-this-world” medical goals.  They aim to re-write DNA to correct genetic mutations, eliminate all brain diseases, regenerate organs using stem cells, automatically deliver your medications intravenously, and stop the aging process altogether. 

So I can confidently predict that in the coming years,

Israel’s medical achievements will be amazing!

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

How Lucky is Israel?

Last week, Ben Gurion University researchers made an “accidental” discovery, when testing an experimental anti-inflammatory drug, that could signify a breakthrough in the treatment of deadly infections.  My immediate thought was how “lucky” the BGU scientists were - but in reality, the discovery followed the proscribed use of methodical testing procedures and meticulously careful observations.  Here are some further recent cases of where Israelis definitely do not rely on “luck” when it comes to vital innovations and activities.

Traditional cancer chemotherapies depend on the laws of chance in that sufficient numbers of cancer cells will be destroyed alongside the (unwanted) death of normal, healthy cells.  Several Israeli companies, however, are working on removing this random, “splatter-gun” approach.  One of these, Quiet Therapeutics, has developed the “GAGomer,” a new class of nano-particle that specifically targets tumors and blood cancers.  Another Israeli biotech, Compugen, has announced positive initial experimental results for two Antibody-Drug Conjugate (ADC) treatments.  ADC therapy uses antibodies to target proteins present at high levels in cancer cells, releasing a toxic payload to kill the cells.

Some say that those who inherit a high risk of cancer are simply “unlucky”.  That may indeed be the case, however with genetic screening, it no longer needs to be a question of luck as to whether the onset of cancer is detected and treated early enough to save their lives.  So it is fortunate that researchers at the Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem have discovered a genetic mutation that can identify those at risk of colon and uterine cancers.  Similarly, doctors and researchers no longer need to rely on luck when examining patients for the early onset of Parkinson’s disease.  Patients can now be monitored continuously, using smart watches linked to smartphones. The data is then transmitted to an advanced analytics platform developed by Intel Israel that can handle 300 observations per second from each patient.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJX9f8goIq8#t=139 

On a Syrian street, a 23-year-old man was unfortunate to have been hit by a bullet that shattered his lower jaw and blew his teeth to bits.  Luckily for him, he was rushed across the Israeli border and taken to Haifa’s Rambam hospital where doctors implanted a custom-made 3D-printed titanium jaw in a pioneering operation. One day after surgery, the patient was eating and speaking.  Meanwhile, a Palestinian Arab baby with heart problems suffered a heart attack whilst on his way to Jordan for treatment.  Luckily for him, IDF medics arrived to resuscitate him and evacuated him and his grateful parents to Jerusalem’s Hadassah hospital.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQvH5Saw5ZA 

Many Israeli children were “lucky” to enjoy a couple of days playing in the snow that fell across the country.  Following a request by the Palestinian Authority, the IDF have been helping to clear snow blocking roads to the PA city of Ramallah, helping to clear flooding in Tulkarem and pushing a not-so-lucky Palestinian Arab taxi driver out of frozen mud.  Overseas, the Philippines has been very unlucky with the weather, as typhoon Hagupit (Ruby) has just devastated a country still reeling from last year’s typhoon Haiyan.  Luckily, an IsraAID emergency response team has again responded quickly with medical relief and humanitarian aid.

Anyone unlucky enough to have lost their water supply due to a burst water main will appreciate the monitoring systems from Israel’s TaKaDu.  The water utilities that have engaged TaKaDu’s services don’t wait for a lucky phone call from a dutiful member of the public and instead are saving billions of liters of water otherwise lost through leaking pipes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDsmIhhmE3U 

Having proved that Israelis don’t rely on luck, I will conclude with two recent news stories where fortune (or something else) must have been involved.  First, it was lucky that art historian Nirit Shalev-Khalifa stopped to answer her cell phone when she was driving away from Jerusalem.  The tour guide that called her had just happened to be visiting Jerusalem’s Ades “Great” Synagogue and seen someone begin some very amateurish restoration work.  Nirit made a quick “U” turn, just in time to save the Stark Murals – an early 20th Century masterpiece of Jerusalem’s Syrian Jewry.

Finally, a baby faun in Hebron had a lucky escape from being eaten by poachers.  Israeli police were busy uncovering a weapons and drugs cache when they heard noises coming from inside a barrel.  Instead of dismissing the noise as just rats, they checked the barrel and found the faun (a protected species in Israel) chained up inside it.  The faun was transferred to the Jerusalem Biblical Zoo for medical treatment.

Put your trust in Israeli ingenuity - you won’t believe your luck.

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

Freedom Begins Here

http://blogs.jpost.com/content/freedom-begins-here

http://blogs.jpost.com/print/5335

Recent news is full of examples of how freedom continues to be championed by the Jewish State, where the concept began.  This is particularly appropriate at this time of year, in the lead-up to Passover - the Jewish festival of freedom.

Every week, Israeli discoveries and developments gives freedom to many suffering from deadly diseases.  March is Israel’s colon cancer awareness month, highlighting the decline of fatalities due to early diagnosis.  Genetic diseases Progressive Cerebro-Cerebellar Atrophy (PCCA and PCCA2) can now be detected in prospective parents thanks to a simple blood test developed by Dr. Ohad Birk of Soroka Medical Center in Be’er Sheva.  And further breakthroughs in fighting neurological diseases are almost certain, with the establishment by the Weizmann Institute and the Max Planck Society of a new laboratory for Experimental Neuropsychiatry and Behavioral Neurogenetics in Rehovot.

Arabs in Israel have more freedom than in any other country in the Middle East.  20 percent of students at Israel’s Technion are Arab. 100 have graduated from Technion’s NAM (Outstanding Arab Youth) program since 2006 and are now embarking on successful careers in hi-tech and engineering.  And as Chairman of “Druze for Israel” Mendi Safadi explains, Arabs, Christians, Druze and Jews are all equal in Israel. Mendi was born in the Golan Heights on the border with Syria and highlights Israel’s humanitarian aid to the beleaguered civilians of Israel’s neighbor.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYqYlOt-UmE

It is significant that Israeli cooperation with the “Land of the Free” continues to go from strength to strength.  The US House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved the United States-Israel Strategic Partnership Act.  The bill promotes bi-lateral military, energy, water, science, homeland security, and agriculture co-operation.  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also signed a Research & Development agreement with California Governor Jerry Brown, focusing on water, energy, storage and cyber security.  Then, over 1,000 senior executives from around the world came to Israel Dealmakers Summit 2014 in New York to hear about Israeli innovation in Digital Media, Cleantech, Mobile, Internet, Big Data, Semiconductors, Software, Healthcare and Telecom. But the message really came home when it was announced that America’s symbol of freedom - the Statue of Liberty – is to incorporate Israel’s BriefCam in its state-of-the-art surveillance system. Briefcam’s unique Video Synopsis software solution enables law enforcement and security personnel to review hours of video in minutes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrDDqBXy6I4

Freedom of trade is bringing Israeli innovations to other parts of the world too.  Japanese companies Takeda, Rakuten, Samurai Incubate and now the Japan External Trade Organization are investing in the Israeli startup market in search of new technologies to expand their businesses.  Over in Europe, Israeli biotech Insuline has announced a new distribution agreement for marketing its InsuPad product in the Netherlands and Belgium.  InsuPad gives more freedom to diabetics by increasing the effectiveness of Insulin injections, lowering the required dose and allowing flexibility on timing the injections.

One of the most powerful aspects of liberty is “Freedom of the Mind”.  The Israeli education system encourages its citizens to aim for the highest level of achievement.  For example Israel’s National Science Day celebrates the birthday of Albert Einstein with the scheduling of hundreds of events at universities and research institutes.  And Israeli students were in free flight at the 54th Israel Annual Conference on Aerospace Sciences. It included a competition for students to build unique aircraft, which resulted in a mechanical bird, a short take-off drone, an electric passenger plane and an autonomous cluster of satellites.  Israel freely shares its educational developments with the world.  Israeli accelerator MindCet incubates education technology start-ups in Tel Aviv and in the Negev.  Its founders went to SXSWedu in Austin Texas, along with start-ups CodeMonkey, Simlisco and RoadStory to explain how technology can significantly change teaching and learning processes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3TU4MjCgfQ
 

Some sections of the community will benefit from Israeli support and technology in order to achieve maximum freedom in today’s society.  The UpWest Labs Female Entrepreneurship Program, funded by Google, is establishing a network of mentors in Silicon Valley and Israel.  Its co-founder Shuly Galili said, “Israel leads the world in empowering women to take command.”  Meanwhile, delegates at the recent AIPAC conference saw a demonstration of EyeMusic – a tool developed at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem that provides visual information for the blind.  Shapes, colors and locations are converted to music in order to give an audible “picture” of objects.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6bz1pOEJWg&feature=youtu.be 

Finally, here is an opportunity for those who want the freedom to become independent, self-sufficient and resilient.  In this “life-changing experience”, Naale Elite Academy enables students to complete their last three years of high school in Israel. The program, co-funded by the State of Israel and the Jewish Agency, provides a full scholarship with all expenses paid until graduation.

Israel – for the freedom to be yourself.

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

Israel says “No” to the Status Quo

http://blogs.jpost.com/content/israel-says-no-status-quo

http://blogs.jpost.com/print/4262

I will continue last week’s theme where I ridiculed UN General Secretary Ban Ki Moon’s speech, blaming Israel for the stagnation of the Arab World.  Last week we saw Israel’s neighbors continuing to self-destruct and PA Chairman Abbas extending his obstructive preconditions for restarting peace talks. In contrast, Israel was busy pushing ahead with its technological advances to make the world a better place.

Even at walking pace, Israel is making giant strides.  Israeli start-up SensoGo has developed a device that, when strapped to a patient’s leg, performs medical gait analysis.  It records and uploads data about factors such as the patient’s gait, speed, and style of walking. Doctors can diagnose a patient more quickly and efficiently than from current video methods.  Next, here is a news update about the ReWalk exoskeleton from Israel’s Argo Medical that allows paraplegics to walk upright.  Version 2 of ReWalk has just been released to help them walk even better.  New software programs make the device easier to use.  Also one device can now be resized to fit and help train different users.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Xd27c-pz4Y&feature=player_embedded

When aging bones are too fragile for fast walking, Israel’s Bonus Biogroup can generate new bones from a patients’ own fat cells.  Hospitals in Tzrifin and Afula, have agreed to trial the implanting of engineered bones back into patients. Meanwhile, Weizmann Institute researchers have solved a major piece of the puzzle as to why one in 4000 babies is born with DiGeorge syndrome, the cause of various abnormalities in the heart and face.

The top medical story of the week really emphasizes the message that we must never stand still and become self-complacent.  Tel Aviv’s Sourasky Medical Center screened 1,000 apparently healthy Israelis for 11 of the most common cancers. 2.4 percent (24) were diagnosed with early stage malignancies and then treated successfully – potentially saving their lives.  And don’t stick with the notion that a fatty diet is always bad for you.  A five-year study at Israel’s Beilinson Hospital says that for the elderly, higher levels of cholesterol mean a longer life, not a shorter one. Patients of average age 82 with higher cholesterol levels (including high LDL) lived longer than those with lower levels.

Israel’s Council for Higher Education continues to invest in building research institutions that will make tomorrow’s breakthroughs.  It has added 11 more research centers into its ICORE research excellence program, to reinforce Israel’s intellectual capacities and promote synergy among Israel’s leading research centers at universities, colleges, hospitals and research institutes.  And in the Israeli-Arab town of Sakhnin, NASA’s administrator Charles Bolden, participated in the launching of the Moona science, environment and space center.  Also in the Arab sector, the Wadi Attir eco-village project completed its “preparation phase” with the inauguration of the Arab Bedouin village of Hura in the northeast Negev desert. Ironically, one of the village’s main sponsors is KKL-JNF - a current target of anti-Israel BDS campaigners.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QwH34JffFE

Israel keeps stimulating innovation by investing in start-up companies. To get a feel for how funding works, read this excellent article in TechWeekEurope, which described how the Tel Aviv Time Incubator brings the Israeli government and venture capitalists together to maintain the momentum of the country’s technological advances.  And should you be worth several million dollars and have the odd $10,000 available to invest, you may be interested in joining OurCrowd.  Israeli entrepreneur Jon Medved has founded this exclusive club to fund and grow Israeli start-ups into global giants.  Over at one of Israel’s flagship companies, Strauss Coffee, the caffeine buzz may have been responsible for the company’s rapid rise to become the world's fourth largest coffee company, even prior to their recent Russian acquisition.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_W7Y9DVeu8

Israelis, of course, are also pushing the boundaries in the International arena.  A team of eight scientists from the Hebrew University, the Weizmann Institute of Science, and Tel Aviv University are participating in the Human Brain Project, chosen by the European Commission as one of its flagship projects.  And Israeli professor Jonathan Rabinowitz, of Bar-Ilan University has been appointed to the European Medicines Agency’s Advisory Group. He will also co-chair of the Program Committee for the Biennial Schizophrenia International Research Society Conference to take place in Florence, Italy.

Visitors to Jerusalem from June 13-14 will witness the fastest race ever around the timeless city.  Herod’s chariot races are long gone – to be replaced for two days, by sleek Formula 1 cars screaming past the Old City walls, going through Mamila, and buzzing by the King David hotel.

Finally, he could have submitted to his fate, sat back and simply received an honorable discharge, but Captain Ziv Shilon was not going to give in to the Gaza terrorists who planted the bomb that blew off his arm in October.  Today, the Givati IDF officer is back with his soldiers and in a special ceremony he presented them with their combat soldier pins.

Israelis never accept “no” for an answer!

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

www.verygoodnewsisrael.blogspot.com

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