Good News Israel presents understanding irregular heartbeats; Israeli snack prevents peanut allergy, and much more.
By Michael Ordman
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
Ovarian cancer treatment works for brain tumors too
I reported in Mar 2014 that Professor Dan Peer of Tel Aviv University had developed chemotherapy using nano-particles to target ovarian tumors. It has now been engineered to target Glioblastoma multiforme – the most aggressive of brain cancer.
http://jewishbusinessnews.com/2015/03/01/tel-aviv-u-researcher-stops-tumor-proliferation-with-nanoparticples/
Israeli snack prevents peanut allergy
Long ago, UK Professor Gideon Lack discovered that hardly any Israeli infants developed peanut allergy. Now his new study has proved that the reason is the common practice of feeding Israeli children the peanut snack Bamba. It reverses conventional “wisdom” of avoiding peanuts.
http://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-kids-help-prove-early-exposure-to-peanuts-prevents-allergies/
http://www.israel21c.org/headlines/israels-top-snack-bamba-prevents-allergy/
Helping premature babies to hear
Without mentioning he is Israeli, the BBC World Service featured Dr. Amir Lahav who has proved that the sound centers in preemies’ brains grow quicker when played recordings of their mothers’ voice. So follow Dr. Lahav’s fascinating journey from the IDF, to volleyball coach, to musician, software designer, neuroscientist and Harvard pediatric professor.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02kbhq0#playt=0h19m49s
http://www.bu.edu/research/spotlight/magazine/06/students/lahav.html
Israelis are among the world’s healthiest eaters
A new study in February’s The Lancet Global Health Journal places the diet of the average Israeli the 9th healthiest out of 187 countries surveyed. The study, led by Dr Fumiaki Imamura of the University of Cambridge, covered 4.5 billion people.
http://www.timesofisrael.com/israelis-among-the-healthiest-eaters-study/
Understanding irregular heartbeats
Researchers at Israel’s Weizmann Institute have revealed the detailed mechanisms that control the beating of the heart. Heart disease can cause individual heart filaments to lose synchronization. Replacing diseased cells in a structured manner can re-establish a regular rhythm.
http://nocamels.com/2015/03/heart-disease-irregular-heartbeat-treatment/
Microlabs in space
Israeli innovations in space include SpacePharma’s laboratory that fits in the palm of your hand and will orbit in a nano-satellite, allowing scientists to conduct experiments and watch them happen on their smart phones.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/04/israel-space-idUSL5N0W040020150304
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRX6MT_EWXs
Boost for ALS and diabetes treatment
Israel’s Kadimastem’s recent news includes success in pre-clinical tests of its stem cell treatment for ALS. The technology also induces pancreatic cells to produce insulin and Kadimastem has begun research with Ramot, Tel Aviv University’s technology transfer company.
http://www.israel21c.org/headlines/stem-cell-therapy-for-als-diabetes/
Click here for all of this week’s Good News from Israel.