Good News Israel presents good and bad white blood cells; Norway awards prize to Israeli cancer expert.

By Michael Ordman

ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS

There are good and bad white blood cells

Hebrew University of Jerusalem researchers have discovered that neutrophils (a form of white blood cell) contain many different subtypes. Some of these prevent cancer and others promote it. It opens avenues for therapies that increase anti-tumor neutrophils and limit pro-tumor ones.
http://new.huji.ac.il/en/article/25078

Graft-vs-Host disease treatment gets boost

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has granted Israeli biotech Enlivex “orphan” status for its ApoCell treatment to prevent Graft-vs-Host Disease. It will speed up development of the Israeli innovation that stops rejection of transplanted cells and bone marrow.
http://www.nasdaq.com/press-release/enlivex-granted-eu-orphan-drug-designation-for-lead-product-apocell-for-graftversushost-disease-20150126-00574

Norwegian charity prize for Israeli cancer expert

Norway’s largest charitable organization, the Olav Thon Foundation has chosen Tel Aviv University cancer geneticist Professor Yosef Shiloh as one of the two recipients of its very first international medical research award.
http://www.israel21c.org/news/israeli-cancer-geneticist-wins-first-olav-thon-foundation-prize/

350,000 people to benefit from new medicines

Israel’s Health Council has added an additional 73 medicines and technologies into the Government’s subsidized “Health Basket”. The changes will benefit 350,000 Israelis at a cost of NIS 324 million.
http://www.health.gov.il/English/News_and_Events/Spokespersons_Messages/Pages/01012015_1.aspx

Mapping the brains of the blind

Scientists at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem are studying brain activity of blind people in order to shed new light on how our brains can adapt to the rapid cultural and technological changes of the 21st Century. Already they have found that reading Braille utilizes “visual” areas of the brain.
http://new.huji.ac.il/en/article/25101

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