https://verygoodnewsisrael.blogspot.com/
The nation’s achievements in technology, social services, agriculture, medicine are dazzling. And now that the old paradigm for peace, namely, that Israel must offer dangerous concessions in return for “recognition of its right to exist “has been relegated to the dustbin of history by the Abraham Accords, the Arab nations may enjoy the fruits of collaboration with Israel. Thank you, President Donald Trump, for shepherding this magnificent achievement! And Thank you Michael Ordman for compiling this list which never fails to amaze and gratify me. rsk
Israeli surgeons used a new Israeli device to unblock the heart valve of a 96-year-old woman.
An Israeli Arab’s sight was restored by the first transplant of an Israeli artificial cornea.
Despite Covid, Israel is still repairing the hearts of children from Gaza.
Intel announced two more Israeli-developed microprocessors.
An Israeli car safety device prevents its gas tank from catching fire.
An Israeli company is to modernize the training of the Royal Navy.
An Israeli is Belgium’s soccer Player of the Year.
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
Vaccine rollout. 2 million+ Israelis have had their first Pfizer vaccination. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was the first of over 110,000 Israelis to receive the second dose. He also announced that Israel could be the first nation to be fully vaccinated. Inoculation of teachers and the over-50s has begun; the over-40s will start shortly.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/new-vaccine-shipments-arrive-netanyahu-says-over-50s-eligible-from-next-week/ https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/294568
https://www.ynetnews.com/health_science/article/BJ1mN11CAP
Allergies? No problem. (TY Hazel) Some 100 Israelis with severe allergies are being vaccinated at Israel’s Sheba Medical Center as part of a pilot program. Previously, those with severe allergies were turned away from health clinics because of the risk of serious reactions, including anaphylactic shock.
https://www.jpost.com/health-science/100-high-risk-allergy-patients-to-get-covid-19-vaccine-at-sheba-friday-654643
An effective anti-Covid nasal spray. The Nitric Oxide Nasal Spray, developed by Israeli-founded, Canada-based SaNOtize (reported here previously) has proved 99.9% effective in lab tests by Utah State University’s Antiviral Research Institute. Phase 2 trials continue in Canada and are just beginning in UK hospitals.
https://www.thejc.com/news/uk/could-this-israeli-s-anti-viral-nasal-spray-save-the-world-1.510530
A natural Covid-19 treatment? (TY UWI) Israel’s Novel Concepts Medical claims to have developed a combination of natural compounds that significantly decreases the amount of coronavirus spike protein, which binds the virus to the lungs. If its US patent application is approved, it will progress to clinical trials.
https://www.cityam.com/israeli-medtech-firm-claims-it-may-have-found-covid-19-cure/
https://cyprus-mail.com/2021/01/01/cure-covid-19-israeli-medtech-firm-claims-its-possible/
Groundbreaking heart surgery. Instead of open-heart surgery, doctors at Jerusalem’s Shaare Zedek Medical Center performed the world’s first catheterizations to unblock heart valves, including of a 96-year-old woman. They used the “ShortCut” – a tiny knife inside a catheter, developed together with Israeli startup Pi-Cardia.
https://unitedwithisrael.org/in-first-of-its-kind-operation-israeli-doctors-use-micro-knife-instead-of-open-heart-surgery/ https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210107005066/en/Pi-Cardia-Successfully-Treats-First-Patients-with-ShortCut%E2%84%A2-Device http://www.pi-cardia.net/
Improved diagnosis of heart problems. Researchers at Israel’s Technion Institute have developed a way to detect heart problems based on routine electrocardiography (ECG). The new system demonstrated 96 percent average accuracy in diagnosing the various conditions, compared to 80% for currently available algorithms.
https://www.israel21c.org/automated-analysis-of-routine-ecg-detects-cardiac-problems/
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-73060-w
The correct personal treatment for cancer. Israel’s OncoHost (reported here previously) has achieved about 90% accuracy in predicting how melanoma and lung cancer patients respond to various therapies. And now Israeli Nobel Prize winner Professor Aaron Ciechanover has joined OncoHost’s scientific advisory board.
https://www.prnewswire.com/il/news-releases/oncohost-welcomes-nobel-prize-winner-to-scientific-advisory-board-301205142.html https://jitc.bmj.com/content/8/Suppl_3/A11.2
https://www.timesofisrael.com/spotlight/nobel-prizewinner-ciechanover-hails-much-more-precise-cancer-treatment/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3IJFoPW60E
$1 billion for cancer therapies. Israel’s Biond Biologics (reported here previously) has signed an exclusive worldwide license agreement with Sanofi for its innovative cancer therapies. Biond will receive $125 million up-front with more than $1 billion in potential payments. Biond’s plans BND-22 human trials to start mid-2021.
https://jewishbusinessnews.com/2021/01/12/biond-biologics-and-sanofi-enter-into-global-licensing-agreement-worth-1-billion/
Searching for pancreatic cancer cures. (TY EEJH) This article describes the work of 3 Israeli scientists who received grants from the Israel Cancer Research Fund to research pancreatic cancer therapies. They include cell profiling to find early-stage markers; how glucose affects resistance; and cancer spreading along nerve fibers.
https://www.jta.org/2021/01/11/health/israeli-researchers-use-novel-methods-to-seek-treatments-for-deadly-pancreatic-cancer
Artificial cornea restores sight. (TY Hazel & EEJH) Surgeons at Rambam Medical Center conducted the first implant of a synthetic cornea from Israel’s CorNeat (reported here previously). 78-year-old Israeli Arab Jamal from Haifa was able to see clearly immediately after the transplant, for the first time in 10 years.
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/corneat-visions-first-patient-regains-sight-following-artificial-cornea-implantation-at-rabin-medical-center-ending-a-decade-of-blindness-301205312.html
https://www.corneat.com/corneat-vision-primetime-news
