Israeli Company Develops Amazing New Bone Replacement Material - from Coral!

 

An Israeli company, CoreBone has come up with a major breakthrough in bone replacement, used for grafts and implants.

“Bone grafts ideally should have four features,” CoreBone CEO Ohad Schwartz explained to ISRAEL21c. “They must be bioactive, not just a passive scaffold, in order to attract new bone cells; they must be strong enough to support the site, especially for implants; they must allow for being replaced as new bone grows; and they must be porous to enable vascularity,” meaning that blood vessels can grow through them naturally and produce growth of bone from the inside out.

“If you have all those features, you have a very good bone graft,” Schwartz continued. “We have all of those.”

 Corebone has patented a new source for bone replacements using a material that has all these qualities - their own farm-grown coral.

The company grows its corals from selected species using patented technology to provide bioactivity and eliminate biological contamination. Different species are used for different applications. The corals are bred in a  farm in the Arava desert near the Dead Sea, so they aren’t susceptible to marine pollution, contamination and or endangerment from human or marine activity. They also grow 10 times faster than in nature. They also avoid some of the difficulties with some organic grafts from animals or humans, the risk  of rejection and transmission of disease.

 Synthetic, man-made materials used in grafts don't have these problems but are much weaker than natural bone.  The global markets for orthopedic and dental bone-graft substitutes are expected to reach $3.4 billion and $1 billion respectively  in 2017.

“Our product offers the best of both worlds, and therefore it is an optimal solution,” Schwartz explained, adding that a European study found CoreBone to be four times stronger than human bone. Studies have demonstrated that CoreBone’s material has a higher rate of bio-integration and connectivity with the host bone than leading products in the market.

One of the most common dental procedures today is socket preservation after tooth extraction, accounting for 20 million cases in the U.S. alone.

“If you don’t fill the cavity you will have major loss of bone,” Schwartz said. “The usual practice is to fill it with different bone graft granules. We found that one of the corals we grow has the exact shape and dimensions of tooth roots. So we’re using the natural design of the coral to find a solution for a major indication.”

The EU has already approved the new coral for use in for dental and orthopedic procedures. Applications to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration are expected by mid-2017. And the cost is expected to be lower than bovine-based grafts now selling for about $100 per cubic centimeter in the United States

“We can offer a very competitive price because nature does the work for us,” Schwartz said.

Who else but those clever Israelis would think to set up a coral farm in the middle of the desert!

(hat tip, TheTower and Israel 21c)

Amazing Israel - Doctors Cure Paralyzed 6-Year-Old Girl

Little Six-year-old Ruthie Rosenthal, who suffered from paralysis after she fell and injured her spine is walking again and has full use of her hands, thanks to some amazingly skilled Israeli surgeons and the Almighty (BH).

Ruthie, who has Down's Syndrome, fell about a year ago. Complicated lumbar spinal fusion surgery was done which used screws to connect her skull and chest but the resulting pressure on her spine caused her to stop walking and she also lost the function of her hands.

Dr. Josh Schroder, a senior orthopedist at Hadassah Medical Center said, "Ruthie had a life-threatening condition when she came to Hadassah for treatment."

"It was clear that she required immediate surgery. I contacted the head of the spinal surgery unit at Hadassah, Dr. Leon Kaplan, in order to draw up a plan for the complicated operation."

The group of specialists decided on surgery in stages on the anterior and posterior areas of Ruthy's neck, performed by Dr. Schroder, Dr. Leon Kaplan, Dr. Moni Benifla, a pediatric neurosurgeon, Dr. Menahem Gross, a pediatric ENT specialist and a group of senior anesthesiologists.

"The last time an operation like this was performed was by Prof. Kaplan himself, the only person who does such surgery in Israel," said Dr. Schroder. "During the surgery we cut away the upper part of the spine and released the previous fusion in order to free the posterior vertebrae. We then performed a new fusion. Spinal surgery on such a narrow spine is very dangerous and sensitive and requires precise and meticulous work."

Schroder says that "This is a very rare case. Only due to the capabilities of the multifaceted team we managed to find a solution. Ruthie is now walking and has even strengthened her walking at the Alyn rehabilitation hospital. Her hands function perfectly and she is proving that everything could now be possible for her."

Ruthy's father Pinny said that "We received a new child. I want to thank first and foremost the Creator of the World who guided the doctors, headed by Josh Schroder, to find a cure for our Ruthie." He added that "They succeeded in doing the unthinkable.With G-d's help and with the help of the doctors, my daughter is walking on her feet and that is an unforgettable experience for us."

Amazing Israel...truly a Land of Miracles.

Israelis Save Youngest Premature Baby!

Little Aharon was born prematurely last April in Tel Aviv’s Ichilov Hospital at only 22 weeks. Babies born that early have an infinitesimal chance of survival if any. He only weighed 670 grams.

“The doctors here were honest; they came and told me straight to my face,” the baby’s father, Eli Haba, told Channel 2 news. “They told me that he had a 20 percent chance of survival. And even if was one of the 20 per cent and did survive, there was a 90 per cent chance he would have disabilities.”

Since he was mistakenly diagnosed as being 23 weeks old, the doctors decided to make an extra effort to see if they could save him. At 22 weeks, the odds are are even smaller...but then again, this is Israel, the Land of Miracles.

Aharon’s mother, Roxanne Yun, told Channel 2, “I prayed for him to be strong, to fight. I came here and told him, ‘Be strong! Mom and Dad love you.’ He is my son, my son needs my love.”

Baby Aharon was released from the hospital two days ago, not only alive but thriving. This sort of thing is unheard of globally in medical circles.



Kol Hakavod Baby Aharon! B"H!

Israel To Give Desperately Needed Developmental Aid To...California!

This is not a joke at all. California's Governor Jerry Brown has just signed a strategic cooperation Agreement with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to receive aid from Israel.

California has been going through a catastrophic drought for three years now, which has cost the state's economy at least $2.2 billion and left 500,000 acres of what was once rich,productive farmland fallow.

So where did California turn to for help? Not the Obama White House, but to Israel, the world's acknowledged expert on irrigation and water use.

Prof. Eilon Adar, a world expert in groundwater flow systems, will work to help the state work out solutions to the issue. Prof. Adar visited San Fransisco and Silicon Valley, touring desalination plants in northern California, and participating in a state-wide conference in which a slew of possibly technological solutions were presented.

"If we managed to overcome the water issues in the Middle East, we can do it anywhere in the world," Prof. Adar said. "Nonetheless, (to address the issue) they will need to improve the management and efficiency of the water market and increase and optimize the coordination between the water companies."

He's got that right. Israel is the only country in the entire Middle East that is self sufficient in water. And they did it themselves, in a hostile environment.

"We are pushing ahead with the water issue and branding Israel as part of the solution, an ally with the know how whom can come to help in a time of need," said Andy David, Israel's consul to California.

I hope California's Democrats remember whom their friends are when it comes to voting on President Obama's anti-Israel, pro 'Palestine' agenda. An Israel pushed back to indefensible borders and under attack isn't going to be much help to the world in situations like these.

El Al Flies Parents in Worldwide To Spend Holidays With IDF Lone Soldiers

Israeli airline El Al is doing something very special for the Jewish High Holidays. In an airlift of 21 planes from 10 international zones, they are flying in parents and immediate families of lone soldiers serving in the IDF to Israel to spend the holidays together...free of charge.

Lone soldiers are men and women who have citizenship in other countries but came to Israel to join the IDF and protect the Jewish people in the war with Hamas.

El-Al Airlines, the Israel Hotel Association (IHA) the Association for the Wellbeing of Israel’s Soldiers (AWIS), and the IDF’s Manpower Directorate are all part of this unique project to reunite parents with their sons and daughters.

 

“We initiated this project in order to show our appreciation to the lone soldiers, who bravely decided to leave their home country and protect Israel,” said David Maimon, chief executive officer of El-Al Airlines, which provided the parents of lone soldiers with the free flights. The parents are also receiving free accommodation for a five-night stay.

 

The Chairman of the Association of the Well-being of Israel’s Soldiers (AWIS), Avigdor Kahalani, added that lone soldiers will always be supported.

“The lone soldiers are not alone – AWIS, El-Al Airlines, the Israel Hotel Association and the IDF’s Manpower Directorate are there to embrace them after Operation Protective Edge and just before the New Year, we managed to bring them their loved ones from home.”

Can you think of any other country that would do this? I can't.

Intel Bets On Israel - Invests $6B To Upgrade Facilities

Intel, the leading chip, microprocessor and computer hardware manufacturer has decided to spend $6 billion to upgrade its Kiryat Gat chip manufacturing plant, in one of the biggest single investments ever by a foreign company in Israel. The deal is expected to generate thousands of jobs.

Intel will get a grant from the Israeli government of $300 million over a five year period, and be eligible for a significant reduction in corporate tax rates over a ten year period. Intel will also guarantee to hire at least 1,000 workers, and to spend hundreds of millions of shekels on products and services in Israel. In addition, under the agreement Israeli contractors and workers will get priority on the upgrade work.

This is nothing new for Intel, which is by far the largest international firm operating in Israel and knows a win-win when it sees one. Over the past 40 years, the company has invested over $10 billion in in Israel, and employs some 10,000 people directly, as well as indirectly employing about 30,000 Israelis whom work for subcontractors and other Israeli companies that do business with Intel.

This comes on the heel of other good news. Standard and Poors, the international ratings agency reaffirmed its high 'A+/A-1' rating for Israel's bonds and sovereign debt, making it a better bet for investment than many EU countries.

S&P's forecast for Israel? :

"In our view, the recent Gaza conflict will lead to only a modest weakening of Israel's fiscal trajectory,” the agency wrote in its report. “Although Israel may temporarily reverse its fiscal consolidation, we expect its gross general government debt ratio to remain largely flat in the next three years.”

"Although the recent fighting in Gaza is a reminder of the long-term threat posed by geopolitical risks, we consider that in the short term, the effect will only be to accentuate the economic slowdown and modestly weaken the fiscal account,” the report continued. “The fighting has not changed our view of Israel's core credit strengths, such as its prosperous and diverse economy, the contribution of natural gas production to a healthy external balance, and its relatively flexible monetary framework,” it added.

The BDS freaks that demand their institutions  and pension funds divest from the booming Israeli economy are not only revealing their inherent anti-semitism - they're cutting off their noses to spite their faces.

Breakthrough! Have The Israelis Developed A Cure For Cancer?

Israeli researchers have developed an  entirely new approach towards fighting cancer - and a brand new drug that uses this approach with what appears to be amazing success.

The new approach is called immunotherapy and involves enhancing the body's natural immune systems to destroy the cancer cells. This is a 180 degree turn from contemporary methods like chemotherapy and radiation therapy,that seek to destroy the cancer cells and unfortunately usually end up destroying useful cells and even damaging organs, and producing harmful side effects as well.

Known as Keytruda, the drug that halted Ben-Shabbat's aggressive cancer is viewed today as the great hope for patients with metastatic melanoma, and just recently received US Food and Drug Administration approval. According to many experts in the field, Keytruda is likely to lead to a significant breakthrough in the treatment of cancer.

Unlike in the past, the innovative treatment does not focus on trying to destroy the malignant tumor by means of dangerous chemical drugs that come with serious side-effects. Instead, it serves to initiate gentle and sophisticated manipulations of the body's natural immune system, with the purpose of spurring it on to attack and destroy the cancerous cells itself. If the new treatment mechanism, known as immunotherapy, lives up to expectations, the world of oncology could undergo a real revolution within just a few years.

"The new drug creates real potential for curing one of the deadliest forms of cancer, at the negligible cost of light and tolerable side-effects," says Prof. Jacob Schachter, head of Sheba Medical Center's Ella Institute for Melanoma. "Moreover, it completely alters the working assumptions in oncology treatment, as its working mechanism is effective in the war against other types of cancer too. There's no doubt today that the holy grail of oncology lies in immunotherapy, which helps the body's immune system to destroy the tumor's cells itself.

"At this stage, we can only imagine the therapeutic potential of a combination of a number of such drugs, each acting on a different system, and some of which are already at an advanced stage of development. Among doctors, too, the scope of the breakthrough has yet to be digested."

And it's a breakthrough that is likely to revolutionize oncology:

Unlike chemotherapy, which is designed to destroy the malignant cells by means of chemical drugs, immunotherapy does not go to work on the tumor itself, but rather the healthy cells of our immune system. The new therapy centers on the knowledge that cancer cells are produced in our bodies all the time, and are immediately destroyed by the immune system. In other words, our bodies have the ability to destroy such cells, but sometimes lose this ability for some reason. Immunotherapy is designed to act in various ways to restore this lost ability.



"Every second, our bodies produce defective cells that do not follow the regular rules of the body," says Dr. Gal Markel, chief scientist at Sheba's Ella Institute. "One of the jobs of the immune system is to locate these defective cells and to destroy them. This process occurs on a daily basis in each and every one of us, but sometimes things go wrong. For various reasons – genetic or environmental – irregular cells that are a little more durable can be produced."

According to Dr. Markel, the immune system studies the new cell and adapts itself in an attempt to destroy it, but the cells, too, respond accordingly, and thus survive. This process, in which cancerous cells remain under the control of the immune system in some kind of mutual balance of terror, can continue for years.

This means that when I, as a doctor, see a patient who has just been diagnosed, his immune system has already lost the ability to control the cancer. When a woman feels a lump in her breast, it's a sign that her cancer cells have already defeated her immune system, and that the delicate balance between the system and the rogue cells has been upset. The moment this happens, the cancer begins to run rampant."


Cancer research up until now has always focused on trying to destroy the cancerous cells and/or find out what causes the immune system stop destroying the dangerous cells.

What the Israelis found out is how to overcome the immune system's natural restraint mechanism and get it to focus on the cancer cells that have managed to fool the immune system into not attacking them as it would a virus or infection.

"The efforts to activate the immune system by force failed because the fundamental problem does not lie with the system itself, but in the fact that the cancer can withstand it," says Dr. Markel, who delivered an address on the subject last week at the TEDMED conference on innovativeness in the field of medicine. "An instance in which a cancerous tumor develops is not an instance in which the immune system has stopped functioning, as was thought in the past, but rather a case of the cancer managing to effectively avoid it. The big revolution offered by the new drugs, some of which are still in the developmental stage, is that they help the immune system in various ways to snare the cancerous cells that try to slip under the radar."

Keytruda, the drug that was recently FDA approves has the ability to neutralize the immune system's natural brakes and rev up its cancer fighting ability.

"There are other elements that help the cancer cells to survive in the body, but the brakes are a critical element," Prof. Schachter explains. "Once they are out the way, the system begins to function like crazy. The new drug is more effective than the old one; it has fewer side-effects; and it works very quickly. Within weeks, the tumors shrink and the patients go back to living normal lives."

Not the end of the tunnel, as Dr. Markel says, but the light at the end can already be seen.

I demand that every BDS screecher, every Hamas and 'Palestine groupie' and every 'anti-Zionist' avoid this drug. Just boycott it,along with all the other innovations that have come out of this amazing country.

What a paradox - that a nation that has brought so much good to the world and humanity is the one that is regarded as illegitimate and worthy of destruction by so many people.

Selah.