Patients who recovered from COVID-19 help care for seriously ill patients, number of serious cases drops dramatically, Sheba Medical Center adds human touch to healthcare, and much more!

By Michael Ordman

ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS

Recovered patients volunteer at hospitals

Israel’s Ichilov and Sheba hospitals are employing volunteers who have recovered from the Covid-19 infection to help look after seriously ill coronavirus patients. They are tested for antibodies and then work in shifts on the Covid-19 wards, providing reassurance and practical support.
http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2021-01/28/c_139704742.htm

Fall in number of serious Covid-19 patients

The number of patients suffering from serious cases of Covid-19 has dropped below 1000, as more people over the age of 60 received their second doses of the Pfizer vaccine.
https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/serious-coronavirus-cases-have-dropped-below-1000-658451
https://www.timesofisrael.com/serious-covid-patients-lowest-in-a-month-as-vaccine-effect-appears-to-show/

The human touch in healthcare

Patients often lapse their health improvement programs. Israel’s Well-Beat (reported here previously) recently completed a pilot at Sheba’s Cardiac Rehabilitation Center where it proved to triple adherence to recommended care. Well-Beat recently received its 3rd Israel Innovation Authority grant.
https://www.geektime.com/this-israeli-startup-deploys-behavioral-ai-to-add-a-human-touch-to-healthcare/
https://www.well-beat.com/

‘This can change the fate of humanity’

Israel’s PM heralded the latest Israeli Covid-19 therapy, EXO-CD24, developed at Tel Aviv’s Sourasky (Ichilov) Medical Center. When given to 30 moderate to severe Covid-19 patients, 29 were discharged 3-5 days after having the treatment and one recovered a little later.
https://www.ynetnews.com/health_science/article/rJoYyaYeO

https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/296479

Treatment for deadly bacteria approved

Following successful Phase 3 trials, the US FDA has approved Reltecimod from Israel’s Atox Bio (reported here previously) for the treatment of NSTI (Necrotizing  Soft  Tissue Infections), commonly referred to as flesh-eating bacteria. (fast-tracked in 2012!)
https://www.atoxbio.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Atox-Bio-Reltecimod-NDA-Filing-PR-Dec-10-2020-FINAL.pdf

A mission to end food allergies

Israel’s Ukko is working to re-design gluten proteins so that they do not trigger an immune response in people with celiac and other gluten sensitivities. In addition, Ukko is developing an edible medicine that can promote immune tolerance for people with peanut allergy.
https://nocamels.com/2021/01/israeli-biotech-ukko-40m-food-allergies/

https://www.ukko.us/
https://www.forbes.com/sites/johncumbers/2021/01/27/synthetic-biology-partners-with-ai-to-delete-food-allergies/

The secret to reversing brain damage

Hebrew University of Jerusalem researchers and Seattle scientists have demonstrated the restoration of communication between damaged nerve cells. They implanted artificial connections (synapses) in the nervous systems of tiny translucent C. elegans worms.
https://www.cell.com/cell-systems/fulltext/S2405-4712(20)30504-4
http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2021-02/03/c_139719129.htm

The human touch in healthcare

Patients often lapse their health improvement programs. Israel’s Well-Beat (reported here previously) recently completed a pilot at Sheba’s Cardiac Rehabilitation Center where it proved to triple adherence to recommended care. Well-Beat recently received its 3rd Israel Innovation Authority grant.
https://www.geektime.com/this-israeli-startup-deploys-behavioral-ai-to-add-a-human-touch-to-healthcare/
https://www.well-beat.com/

European prize for pediatric endocrinology

Professor Moshe Phillip of Israel’s Schneider Children’s hospital was awarded the Andrea Prader Lifetime Achievement Prize by the European Society of Pediatric Endocrinology (ESPE) for his outstanding contribution towards pediatric endocrinology.
https://www.schneider.org.il/?CategoryID=1011&ArticleID=4534

Safe testing for healthy babies

Israel’s AIVF has devised a method to test embryos in vitro in a noninvasive manner to detect possible genetic abnormalities. Its scanning device and an AI algorithm avoids the current riskier PGT (Preimplantation Genetic Testing) biopsies which remove cells from the embryo.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3892195,00.html

https://aivf.co/

An end in sight to medical biopsies

Hebrew University scientists have developed a blood test that they say could replace nearly all cancer screenings within a decade. It detects cancer cells and identifies the exact location of the tumor in the body. New Israeli startup Senseera will now perform clinical trials.
https://www.jpost.com/health-science/biopsies-can-be-replaced-with-simple-blood-tests-hebrew-u-research-finds-657971

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41587-020-00775-6

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