by Beth Shalom Progressive Congregation | 6 Sep 2015 – 23 Elul 5775 | Israel - good news
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’sdisease. More of last year’s Israeli advances in brain disease treatments can be found by clicking on these links.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Michael Ordman writes a free weekly newsletter containing positive news stories about Israel.
by Beth Shalom Progressive Congregation | 1 Sep 2015 – 18 Elul 5775 | Israel - good news
I usually publicize the positive achievements of the Jewish State. This week, however, I want to illustrate that much of Israel’s work also goes into counteracting the negative side of life in the modern world.
Disease prevention is a top priority of Israeli medical research. Israel’s Avraham Pharmaceuticals has just announced successful interim results in a Phase 2b clinical trial of ladostigil, which prevents patients suffering mild cognitive impairment (MCI) from progressing to the more serious Alzheimer’s disease. Meanwhile, New Jersey Department of Health has approved the OncoGxSelect diagnostic test for lung cancer developed by Israel’s Rosetta Genomics. The test can help clinicians prevent the disease spreading by detecting genetic mutations responsible for the tumors. The recent innovations of two Israeli companies will help prevent heart attacks. First, Israel’s Eximo has developed a patented hybrid catheter, which is connected to a pulsed laser system, for the treatment of blocked arteriesassociated with Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD). Then Israel’s DiACardio has just won the 2015 Shengjing Global Innovation Award in Beijing China, for its revolutionary software to decode echocardiograms. The mission of “Eye from Zion” is to prevent permanent blindness. Volunteer doctors from the Israeli-Jewish organization performed cornea surgery, plastic surgery and removed tumors and cataracts to restore the eyesight of 90 adults and children in the Muslim country of Kyrgyzstan – many patients had been blind for years. Next, a recent study by the Israeli Health Ministry as to why the incidence of HIV was six times less in Israeli men than those in Netherlands or France, revealed that circumcision prevented the disease from spreading in the heterosexual community. And if you are concerned about preventing potential development problems in your baby, you may wish to join the on-line community launched by Israel Technion Professor Eli Ben-Sasson and his wife Ayelet. With their CROwd-based INteractive Clustering (CROINC) site, parents can check their child’s progress with other parents and compare against actual scientific and medical facts. One disease that Israel cannot prevent is anti-Semitism, but it can prevent Diaspora Jews suffering its effects, by bringing them home to the Jewish State. With help from our Christian friends, 108 Jews from war-torn Ukraine just arrived to a warm welcome at Ben-Gurion Airport, to make a new start in the land of their spiritual forefathers. And children of the on-going massive wave of French immigration were treated to free summer camps in order to prevent problems with childcare during the school holidays. Finally, Israeli lifeguards, naval police and the Shavei Zion diving club all worked together to prevent a tragedy for a dolphin that had stranded itself on the rocks at Acre (Akko) beach. Swimmers watched in amazement as the exhausted animal was rescued and then taken for medical treatment by the Israel Nature and Parks Authority. Israel – where prevention is as good as a cure.
Michael Ordman writes a free weekly newsletter containing positive news stories about Israel.
by Beth Shalom Progressive Congregation | 23 Aug 2015 – 9 Elul 5775 | Israel - good news
When I return to Israel from overseas trips I always marvel how fresh and exciting the discoveries and innovations that I collect from the Israeli news are. But last week, even I couldn’t anticipate the vast number of astonishing stories recently reported in the Jewish State.
In the operating theatre at Petah Tikva’s Beilinson Hospital, Israeli doctors performed two groundbreaking procedures. Firstly, they surgically removed a 15cm long tumor from a woman’s womb midway through her pregnancy without harming either her or the fetus. Then in a first of its kind event, Beilinson doctors used innovative technology to remove a massive blood clot from the lungs of a 43-year-old woman who was declared clinically dead after suffering an amniotic embolism during a C-section. Both the mother and her new baby daughter are now doing well. Would it surprise you to learn that Israeli hospitals are uniting Israelis and Arabs? A study conducted at Schneider Children’s Medical Center found that parents from the Arab sector, whose children have been treated in Israeli hospitals, feel a stronger sense of solidarity with the State of Israel. It really would be unexpected if Hamas senior member Nayef Rajoub’s recent spine surgery at Israel’s Assuta hospital changed his negative attitude towards the Jewish State. That was indeed the case with Mohammed Dajani, who heads Israel’s tiny Wasatia political party. He was educated to hate Israelis, but completely changed when his father had his cancer treated in an Israeli hospital. Israel’s major research breakthroughs often come out of the blue. Israeli bio-tech MeMed has developed a simple blood test to reduce the overprescribing of antibiotics that is the chief cause of resistant bacteria. MeMed has discovered a protein in blood called TRAIL that dramatically increases in patients infected with viruses but decreases in bacterial infections. Another Israeli bio-tech, NRGene, together with Tel Aviv University scientists took just 3 months to map out the genome for wild Emmer wheat – a task that had eluded dozens of scientists from 55 countries. It will now be easier to develop varieties of wheat that will thrive in drier, hotter climates and help relieve world hunger. Recent unexpected international events include that of Hebrew University Professor Renata Reisfeld accepting an invitation to join the editorial board of the Tehran-basedInternational Journal of Environment, Energy and Waste. And international plane spotters were amazed to watch the mid-air refueling by an Israeli tanker plane of a flight of Jordanian F-16 Vipers, which were flying together with Israeli Air Force planes on route to exercises in the US. But hats off to Master’s graduate Haisam Hassanein, an exchange student from Egypt, who defied expectations in becoming the valedictorian of Tel Aviv University. He delivered a remarkable speech, emphasizing that Arabs must question their assumptions about the Jewish State. Here now are three relatively new Israeli-developed apps that could help you out of an unexpected situation. Tens of thousands of Israelis have used the app Polly to find a car parking space in Tel Aviv’s congested streets. Polly uses GPS, crowdsourcing, municipal information and its own algorithm to guide drivers to streets where spaces are more likely to be available. Polly is now being expanded to Jerusalem. Next, why should children expect to play on their computer rather than take regular exercise? Israeli Eylon Porat hooked up his daughter’s computer to an exercise bike that she has to pedal in order to unlock games on the computer for a certain time period. And if you suddenly get an unexpected problem, Angels Nearby will connect you to somebody who wishes to help. Angels Nearby uses a search engine to connect people based on the type of help needed, “trust level” (everyone, Facebook friends only, friends of friends), and location. To conclude, Felix and Feige Bandos certainly didn’t expect to make Aliya at their time of life. But at ages 94 and 90 respectively the two Holocaust survivors arrived in Israel to a warm welcome from their family. “I’m glad I’m here,” Felix said upon arrival. “This is the right place to be.” Finally, I certainly didn’t expect Israel to host a global UN event next week, but 200 scientists from 40 countries will be in Tel Aviv to attend the Animals Committee of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). It coincides with a related unexpected event – Rotem, a rare Israeli sand cat, has just surprised staff at Ramat Gan Safari by giving birth to a litter of three kittens. Israel – surpassing expectations.
Michael Ordman writes a free weekly newsletter containing positive news stories about Israel.
by Beth Shalom Progressive Congregation | 2 Aug 2015 – 18 Av 5775 | Israel - good news
In contrast to Iran’s destructive ambitions and manipulative nuclear activities, Israelis are working from the microscopic to the atomic level, in order to develop vital medical treatments and life-enhancing technology.
Israeli scientists are working with international organizations to eradicate cancer at the cellular level. One Israeli scientist at the Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT has identified which of the 20,000 genes are essential to particular cancer cells, and are therefore weak spots to target with treatments. And an International team, including researchers from Tel Aviv University and Israel’s Interuniversity Institute for Marine Sciences (IUI), has discovered that fluorescent pigments in Eilat’s rainbow coral are ideal for use as biomedical markers for tracking cancer cells.
Knowledge of the minute interactions in the brain will lead to the next medical breakthrough. So it is timely that Canada has just announced a multi-million program to fund joint Canadian-Israeli neuroscience research projects. Staying inside the brain, Israeli biotech Pharma Two B has announced positive results in its trials of P2B001 for the treatment of early stage Parkinson’s disease. Hardly a week goes by without an Israeli breakthrough with tiny stem cells. Weizmann Institute scientists have used embryonic stem cells in clinical tests to repair damaged lung tissue and help alleviate chronic respiratory disease. And Israelis such as Tel Aviv University Professor Udi Qimron are at the forefront of exciting antibiotic research using bacterial viruses (phages). Professor Qimron has published how phages transfer “edited” DNA into resistant bacteria to kill off resistant strains and make others more sensitive to antibiotics. And if you are worried that your dog has an infection, the PCRun molecular detection test kits from Israel’s Biogal Galed Labs will diagnose it in 75 minutes instead of previously several days. Researchers from Tel Aviv University and Israeli medical centers have developed a groundbreaking method for sealing the incisions in the eye following cornea transplant surgery. They used tiny silver halide optical fibers to deliver an infrared laser beam at the precise temperature needed to bond the tissue. And scientists at Israel’s Technion have injected the heart with light-stimulated genes and used pulses of light to regulate the heart, just like a mechanical pacemaker. But the most fascinating microscopic device could be the implanted microchip being developed jointly by Israel’s Teva and US firm Microchips Biotech that will deliver Teva-made treatments direct to patients. The technology avoids having to measure out meds or to even to remember to take them – perfect for the elderly and forgetful. We now launch into the world of water, where Israeli micro-biological technology has the potential to save half of the planet from drought. Israeli startup Ayyekahas developed a unique water chemical pollutant monitoring kit that is being piloted in Israel. And H2energy Now is the first Israeli startup to be invited to the European Union-sponsored Alpine High-tech Venture Forum. H2energy’s technology uses radio waves to break the hydrogen-oxygen bond in salt water. The hydrogen produced is a source of clean energy. And it is definitely worth watching this video featuring Israel’s Netafim and its drip irrigation system that is globally transforming unproductive land into flourishing agricultural centers.
In addition to Israel’s work with the H2O of life, Israeli agri-tech companies are addressing the core issues involved in feeding a hungry world. Dr. Zvi Peleg, of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem screened over 100,000 sesame seed variants to develop a new elite variety with enhanced yield and seed quality. But maybe I should leap over the news that Israeli startup Steak Tzar Tzar is solving the world’s critical shortage of sources of protein compounds – using grasshoppers!
Israel’s Adama has just received Israeli approval to market NIMITZ, a low-toxic, eco-safe chemical to control nematodes, one of the most destructive and problematic pests in agriculture. Meanwhile, toxic pesticides in the rice fields have devastated Japan’s bee population. Which is why Israel’s Bio Bee, at Kibbutz Sde Eliyahu, is exporting bumblebees in spacious hives, each with an impregnated queen bee and 50 worker bees. Israel’s Phytech has developed its Plantbeat sensors to measure how healthy a plant is and what to do to improve it. Phytech is to sell its PlantBeat alert system to farmers in North and South America. And if you want to know the fundamental constituents of any food item, you will be pleased to hear that, after 4 years of development, the new SCIO scanners from Israel’s Consumer Physics are now being shipped to customers.
Finally, there is likely to be the usual “nuclear reaction” by the Palestinian Authority leadership as they try to deny more evidence of historical Jewish existence in the Jewish State, following the discovery by the Shimshoni family of a perfectly-preserved 2,000-year-old Jewish ritual bath (mikvah) directly under the living room floor of their Jerusalem home.Explosive stuff, no?
Michael Ordman writes a free weekly newsletter containing positive news stories about Israel.
by Beth Shalom Progressive Congregation | 2 Jul 2015 – 16 Tammuz 5775 | Israel - good news
The United Nations published a very misleading report recently. No, not that one – I’m referring to the UN report that showed Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Israel was 46% lower last year compared to 2013. However, if you read the report, it shows that FDI in France, the USA and Austria fell by twiceas much; Germany and Ireland were practically wiped out and the Belgians ought to be going around with begging bowls. So much for UN reports. In contrast, here are some recent news articles that reflect the real economic success of the Jewish State. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is extremely upbeatabout the Israeli economy. Its recent preliminary report noted that Israel’s economy is “performing well” and that the economic outlook is positive. Over at the World Bank, Israel signed an agreement to share best practices on water. And Israel and China are working on a Free Trade Agreement (FTA). China’s Ministry of Commerce spokesman said that Israel is one of China’s major economic and trade partners in the Middle East and an FTA will lift bilateral cooperation to a new height. Cyber security products contributed $6 billion per year to Israel’s 2014 exports and the fifth annual International Cybersecurity Conference in Tel Aviv attracted those seeking Israel’s latest innovations. The Israeli cyber-security start-up Checkmarx, for example, has just raised $84 million of Direct Foreign Investment. Checkmarxcustomers include the US Army, Samsung, Deutsche Telekom, Deloitte and PwC. Commercial success is vital in the life-science industry, even though enhancing life is the true priority. Recent news of Israeli successes include the ApiFix system, which has now been used to correct scoliosis (deformed spines) in 50 adolescents since it was launched in Europe in 2013. Other Israeli developments with excellent financial prospects include BondVax’s universal flu vaccine, which has just received FDA approval to proceed with clinical trials. Another is IBM Israel’s Doctometelemedicine platform, which has turned IBM’s Watson supercomputer into a digital doctor. Finally, Israel’s Crowdsourcing platform for insomniacs Sleep ASAP is already described as “Waze for the sleep-deprived”.
Some Israeli companies have no need of FDI. Frutarom, for example, has bought up seven foreign companies in the last 12 months. The latest is Australia’s Taura, a world leading player in concentrated and texturized fruit ingredients, with factories in New Zealand and Belgium, and offices in the US and UK. The FDI report would probably ignore the growth of Israeli renewable energy company SolarEdge, whose value since its March NASDAQ launch has doubledto $1.5 billion. And several more billion-dollar Israeli companies are in the pipeline. The UN report definitely hasn’t recognized the commercial success of Israel’s TV and Film industry which has been selling virtually every new Israeli series to International studios and channels. The new spy thriller “Kfulim” (False Flag) looks to be the next Israeli “top of the box”. And the Jerusalem Film Fund announced that several long-term animation projects, including a new Walt Disney Studios TV series, will be based in Jerusalem. Innovation is key to Israel’s commercial success. Israeli startup Sound Better is revolutionizing the music business by providing musicians the facility to record themselves at home instead of in a studio and then collaborate onlinewith artists all over the world. And the world of on-line shopping just became virtual 3D shopping thanks to Israel’s Tridshops. The advanced platform allows retailers to quickly set up an on-line store where shoppers “move” on a virtual walkway past 3D images of products which they can pick up, examine and manipulate through 360 degrees. There has been no shortage of commercial visitors to Israel. 100 German industry leaders including from SAP, BMW, Bosch, Deutsche Bank, Deutsche Telekom, Merck, Inc., Mercedes-Benz and Lufthansa have been attending an investors’ conference in Israel. 60 general managers and senior executives of the world’s largest hotel company, InterContinental Hotels, booked Israel for their annual conference and enjoyed pitches from six Israeli hotel-related start-ups. They may have had a few sleepless nights following American tourism magazine Jetsetter’s naming of the Norman Hotel Tel Aviv as the world’s best boutique hotel. The Israeli hotel industry has also experienced an increase in tourism from Arab and Moslem countries, especially Jordan, Egypt, Morocco, Turkey and Indonesia. So how can you best get to share in Israel’s wealth? Well if you live in the USA, you could follow the advice of Izzy Tapoohi, President & CEO of Development Corporation for Israel Bonds. He advocates buying Israel Bondsto counter calls from the BDS thugs to Boycott, Divest from or Sanction the Jewish State. “The best defense is a good offense”, Izzy says. And investing in Israel’s economy is the greatest form of offense. Finally, it was sweet justice at the United Nations when Israel’s Yotam Goren was appointed as deputy chairman of the Administrative and Budgetary Committee to the United Nations General Assembly. The committee functions as the U.N.’s “Finance Ministry,” responsible for a budget of more than $11 billion. Let’s hope he puts an end to worthless UN reports!
Michael Ordman writes a free weekly newsletter containing positive news stories about Israel.