A Healthy and Good News Year

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. 

Here is a summary list of medical predictions in full. The ones expanded on 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 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.

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.

 

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

 

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

 

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