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Ugandan pastor attacked by Muslims heals in Israel

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 10:00:01 PST

It is last Christmas Eve. Pastor Umar Mulinde leaves a service at his thriving congregation, the 1,000-member Gospel Life Church International in the Ugandan capital of Kampala. He's anxious to get home to his wife and six children. As he unlocks his car, an unknown man approaches and calls out, "Pastor! Pastor!" As Mulinde turns, a burning acid splashes across his face, and the shouts turn to "Allahu akbar!" (Allah is greater!) The assailant flees.

Some church workers rush Mulinde to the local hospital, where they treat his severe wounds the best they can. A few days later, he is flown to India, and then on January 5 he arrives at the Sheba Medical Center in Tel Aviv, to be cared for by one of the world's foremost hospitals for burn victims.

The Christian Edition visited Mulinde in his hospital room a few days later, to find out more about his condition and why he was attacked. It appears he was targeted by local Muslim extremists because he had converted from Islam, became a minister of the Gospel, and started teaching love for Israel.

The top-notch doctors at Sheba have determined that Mulinde will require a series of skin repair operations over several weeks, as well as an operation on his badly damaged right eye. They are treating him as an Israeli victim of terror, which covers his medical procedures. They hope to save his sight in the right eye and restore his appearance as best as possible. Mulinde could not ask for better care.

"I was born into a large Muslim family. I am the 52nd child of my father, who had several wives and ran two mosques," Mulinde began. "I grew up studying Islam, but at age 18 I met some Christians who opened my eyes to the Christian faith. I soon converted."

Mulinde explained that as a Muslim, he and his friends were taught to hate Israel and the Jews, even though they could not find Israel on a map. Even as a young Christian convert, he was hesitant about loving Israel. But as he studied the Bible, he read much about the wonderful God of Israel.

"I decided if I was going to love this God, I also had to love His people. I began teaching myself and realized the importance of supporting Israel. One key source for my Israel studies was Jerusalem Online University, based on the Web."

Today, Mulinde's ministry is regularly organizing pro-Israel rallies and conferences in Uganda. One such event recently drew 5,000 people to the Nakivubo football stadium in Kampala.

"I am teaching my people about Israel, along with encouraging them to visit the country. Many have developed a strong interest in Israel," he assured.

Muslims make up only 12 percent of the Ugandan population, but they recently pushed for adopting Shari'a law in the parliament. Mulinde helped lobby against it, saying he believes in coexistence, but "wherever there is strict Shari'a rule, there is hatred of Israel and persecution of Christians."

On the day he was attacked, Mulinde had preached at a crusade where more than 300 people came to faith in Jesus, including many Muslims. And on Monday after the attack, he was going to show a film about how the tiny nation of Israel has assisted many nations.

Since the assault, Mulinde and his wife, Evelyn, have received prayers and support from all over the world.

But he is especially grateful to the Jerusalem Online University and its director, Andrea Gottlieb, along with Illan Sharon, a Jewish acquaintance from Minnesota, who made it possible for him to come for treatments in Israel. He also is glowing about the doctors and nurses at the Sheba Medical Center.

"When you are sick, and full of wounds and pain, I believe that relationships with people also contribute to your healing. The way I am able to talk to these people here is a healing medicine for the heart. I really feel at home."

Mulinde is already amped to return to Uganda, as soon as the doctors allow, and resume his work for the Kingdom of God and for Israel. Meanwhile, back in Uganda, the search for Mulinde's attackers is in the national headlines every day.

Ugandan Pastor Receives Medical Treatment at Israel’s Sheba Medical Center Following Heinous Acid Attack

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 16:34:59 PST

Arrival in Israel facilitated by JerusalemOnlineU.com

Umar Mulinde, a 38-year-old evangelical pastor from Uganda who recently began preaching support for Israel, has arrived at the Sheba Medical Center in Israel for emergency medical treatment following an acid attack that severely burned his face and torso, and damaged his right eye.

Pastor Mulinde, who converted to Christianity after spending much of his life as a Moslem, was attacked with acid on Christmas Eve in Kampala. "I was attacked by a man who called out to me shouting 'Pastor, Pastor,' and I turned to see who he was," said Mulinde. "Then he poured acid which burnt part of my face. As I turned away from the attacker, another man poured liquid on my back and ran away shouting 'Allah Akhbar' (God is great)."

After being initially hospitalized at International Hospital Kampala, Pastor Mulinde appealed to come to Israel for more advanced medical treatment. The Pastor reached out to JerusalemOnlineU.com Executive Director Andrea Gottlieb of Philadelphia for help. Gottlieb made contact with Prof. Zeev Rotstein, director of Israel's renowned Sheba Medical Center. Sheba serves patients from across the Middle East and Europe, and conducts humanitarian medical missions around the world, including ophthalmological care and burns treatment throughout Africa. Prof. Rotstein offered to provide acute and rehabilitative care to Mulinde, free-of-charge.

The Pastor arrived in Israel, via India and then Jordan. Visas for Mulinde were arranged on short notice by Israel's Foreign Ministry, thanks to the assistance of JerusalemOnlineU.com board member Ilan Sharon of Minneapolis.

Mulinde arrived at the Israeli hospital on Thursday afternoon (January 5, 2012). Dr. Joseph Haik, chief of the Sheba Medical Center burns unit, and Prof. Joseph Moisseiev, head of the Sheba Eye Institute, examined the Pastor upon arrival, and are directing his treatment. "Pastor Mulinde will require a series of dermatological repair operations over a period of several weeks," says the plastic surgeon and burns expert Dr. Haik. "Our eye specialists will operate on his right eye, as well, next week."

"Healing is deeply ingrained in Jewish history and tradition. So it was only natural that we agree to help Pastor Mulinde," said the hospital director Prof. Rotstein. "Our hospital is very active and experienced in treating patients from around the world, including from Arab countries that have no diplomatic relations with Israel. I trust that we can rehabilitate him and perhaps help him regain his eyesight."

Pastor Mulinde, son of an Islamic Imam, was trained in Islamic theology before converting to Christianity while attending University. He is an outspoken critic of Islam, and has publicly debated many Moslems across Uganda. Mulinde's wife is a prominent gospel singer.

Pastor Mulinde learned about Israel through JerusalemOnlineU.com's course materials. He has since taught the courses at his Gospel Life Church International and to neighboring ministers, and organized a 5,000-person teach-in about Israel in a local stadium.

Andrea Gottlieb, Executive Director of JerusalemOnlineU.com, the organization that has supported Pastor Mulinde in his preaching about Israel, said, "Pastor Mulinde uses our courses to share his love for Israel with others. He is a devoted and loyal friend of Israel. We quickly responded to the Pastor's urgent needs, and are grateful that he is now receiving the best medical treatment in the world."

Organ recipients get life back, at Sheba

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 14:19:20 PST

When German journalist Antonia Boegner died in a car accident in Israel, her family decided to donate her organs. Watch emotional meeting between her brother and organ recipients at Sheba Medical Center

Antonia Boegner, a German journalist who worked in Israel, was killed about two months ago in a car accident. Her family decided to donate her organs, saving the lives of two patients: Haneen Hajo, an Arab-Israeli woman who received two lungs, and Leonid Feldman, a Russian Israeli who was given a liver.

The organ recipients recently met Antonia's brother, Eberhart Boegner, at the Sheba Medical Center near Tel Aviv, where the operations took place. Boegner came to Israel especially to meet Hajo and Feldman.

"We decided to do organ donations because out of such a tragic situation, out of such a loss... In that moment you win some positivity... knowing that Antonia is still with us," he said.

Upon meeting Eberhart, Hajo could not hide her emotions. She came to the meeting with her family who did not know how to thank Antonia's brother. "She feels that someone has given her a life," said Halil Hajo, Haneen's uncle. "She doesn't know what she can give back. She feels that she has to give something back to the family, to the people who donated organs to her, but she doesn't know what."

Feldman, who was unable to make it to the meeting, spoke to Boegner by phone. "I thank all your family. This is my life and I don't know what more I can say. You gave everything to me, to my children and to my family," he said.

At the end of the meeting, Boegner concluded, "Antonia was about to decide on whether to permanently settle in Israel. In a way, this is what she is doing now."

Watch the emotional meeting online at http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4128107,00.html

Sheba's Prof. Shai Izraeli Awarded the Swiss Bridge Award for Research into Rare Tumors and Childhood Cancer

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 14:15:02 PST

Prof. Shai Izraeli of the Sheba Cancer Center and the Sheba Department of Pediatric Hemato-Oncology was this week awarded the 2011 Swiss Bridge Award (150,000 Swiss francs), for his research into rare tumors and childhood cancers, especially leukemia.

The president of the Swiss Cancer League scientific committee, Professor Gordon McVie of the European Institute of Oncology in Milan, presented the award in Zurich.

Also awarded were Professor Jürg Schwaller of the University of Basel, and Professor Monika Hegi of the University Hospital Lausanne.

Prof. Izraeli is an internationally known expert on childhood leukemia, and an associate professor in molecular genetics and biochemistry at the Sackler School of Medicine at Tel Aviv University. He has discovered new and less perilous methods for treating Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, and discovered a novel cause of childhood leukemia, specifically an abnormal activation of a cell surface molecule - the receptor for interleukin 7 - which causes childhood leukemia.

Israeli doctor reflects on saving Palestinian baby

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 14:12:45 PST

TORONTO - Dr. Raz Somech, a pediatric immunology specialist at the Tel Hashomer Hospital in Tel Aviv and a subject in the 2010 Israeli documentary Precious Life, was in Toronto last week to screen the film for local doctors.

Set against the backdrop of the 2007 conflict between Hamas and Fatah, which resulted in hundreds of Qassam rockets being fired at Israeli towns, Precious Life, directed by Israeli television reporter Shlomi Eldar, follows the quest to save Mohammed Abu Mustafa, a four-month-old Palestinian boy from Gaza who was born without an immune system.

When Eldar, a Channel 10 Gaza correspondent, received an urgent phone call from Somech asking him to broadcast a plea to Israelis that Mohammed will die unless he was able to fund a $55,000 bone marrow transplant, Eldar jumped at the story.

His news report resonated with an anonymous Israeli man whose son, a soldier, had been killed in the line of duty. He donated the entire amount.

On Oct 26, Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies invited Somech, who completed his fellowship at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, to present the film to Doctors4Wiesenthal, a group of health professionals concerned about the rise of antisemitism and anti-Israel sentiments.

While Somech has become one of the most recognized doctors in Israel, acting as one of the ambassadors for the film that has been screened all over the world, he still hasn't lost his humble charm, answering questions barely above a whisper.

Although the documentary was filmed during a volatile period between Israelis and Palestinians - when, at one point Somech is seen doing everything in his power to save a Palestinian baby's life, and at another point, he's seen in an army uniform having returned from his reserve duty in Gaza - Somech insists it's a simple story.

"It shows humanity, it shows compassion and it also shows professional success. Shlomi... didn't make Israeli propaganda. That's the reason the film is so accepted. It's balanced and it shows real things."

Somech emphasized that although the film only shows the treatment of one patient, "this is not an isolated incident. We have many patients from the Palestinian Authority."

Having viewed the film last week for the first time in several months, Somech said he tried to think about how Mohammed's mother, Raida Mustafa, felt when she met the Israelis at the hospital for the first time.

"We have to understand how her world was shaken by the things that we did. She could never have imagined that Israelis could behave like that," Somech said, adding that the situation put her under tremendous pressure.

Mustafa revealed in the film that Gazans had been accusing her of collaborating with Israel.

Still, no one, Eldar included, is prepared for a conversation he had with Mustafa during Mohammed's hospital stay.

"For you life is precious, but not for us... After Mohammed gets well, I will certainly want him to be a shahid [martyr]. If it's for Jerusalem, then there's no problem," she tells a dejected Eldar.

Somech, who feels her comments may have come out of her upbringing and prejudices, as well as pressure from her community, is confident that by the end of the experience, Mustafa felt differently about Israelis.

"Whenever they think about Israelis, they'll see a physician or a nurse that took care of Mohammed during his sick days, and they won't think about a solider that is coming to beat them."

Somech said he's maintained a relationship with the family and continues to follow up with Mohammed, who is now three years old and "completely well."

Somech recalled watching the film with the Mustafas last year during the Jerusalem Film Festival during a private screening.

Following the screening, "They hugged me and said, ‘I thought we were just friends. Now we understand that we are family,'" Somech recalled.

While the Mustafas received the film enthusiastically, Somech said he was worried about the family after it aired on Israeli TV, as Israeli TV channels reach the Palestinian Authority.

"The day it aired, I called the family to make sure they are safe and nothing happened to them," he said, referring to the fact that they could be perceived as traitors for having said favourable things about Israelis.

"She told me their neighbours treat them like movie stars. They are very proud of the film and the achievement, and I think they agree with the message that the film has to say."

Although he isn't sure whether the film will improve Israeli-Palestinian relations, the film has helped Somech professionally.

This month, the Jeffrey Modell Foundation, an international organization that supports centers in the field of primary immunodeficiencies, will recognize the Sheba Medical Center at his hospital, which treats both Israelis and Palestinians.

http://www.cjnews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=22351&Itemid=86

Israeli researchers seek to develop 'morning-after-pill' for post-traumatic stress disorder

Wed, 10 Aug 2011 14:48:17 PDT

Treatment intended to prevent psychiatric episodes, similar to the treatments administered today after a stroke to prevent further complications, or after an event that could lead to post-traumatic stress disorder.

An initial clinical trial conducted on 24 people involved in traffic accidents seems to corroborate earlier animal experiments indicating that it may be possible to develop a "morning-after pill" to prevent the development of post-traumatic stress disorder. The Israeli researchers who conducted the trial determined that the administration of a hormone reduces the risk of developing PTSD by 80 percent.

The project, led by Prof. Joseph Zohar, head of the psychiatry department at Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, and chairman of the Israeli Consortium on PTSD, is designed to develop a treatment to prevent psychiatric episodes, similar to the treatments administered today after a stroke to prevent further complications, or after an event that could lead to post-traumatic stress disorder.

"Most psychiatric conditions, such as depression or even schizophrenia, develop gradually and not at a specific point in time, but PTSD appears in response to a specific traumatic event," explains Zohar.

"The treatment of post-trauma in the past several years is rich in myth and thin on facts, especially when it comes to first-aid after exposure to trauma," he adds.

Until recently, it was common practice to treat individuals exposed to traumatic events with tranquilizers from the Benzodiazepine family, such as Valium. But apart from their relaxing effect, these drugs delay the release of cortisol in the body. Animal experiments suggest that this "neutralization" of the hormone reduces the body's ability to defend itself against PTSD. American medical organizations began advising against Benzodiazepine treatment directly after stress exposure, and researchers began looking for better pharmaceutical alternatives.

Prof. Hagit Cohen, head of the anxiety and stress research unit of Be'er Sheva's Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, carried out an animal trial in which mice were exposed to a stress stimulus - in this case, litter soaked in cat urine. Some of the mice developed extreme stress symptoms, which were reduced when they were injected with cortisol shortly after developing the symptoms. The results of the study were published in the Biological Psychiatry journal in 2008, and gave rise to the human trial.

The pilot involved 24 survivors of traffic accidents who showed symptoms of stress after being admitted for treatment at the Sheba emergency room. Of the 12 subjects who were treated with the one-time injection of cortisol, only one was diagnosed with PTSD a month after the exposure to stress; at the end of a three-month period in which their conditions were monitored, none showed signs of PTSD. Of the 12 who received a placebo injection only, three developed PTSD.

The accepted medical definition of PTSD is the presence of an acute stress reaction to exposure to a traumatic event for at least a month after the event itself. Between 10-15 out of every 100 individuals are likely to develop PTSD after exposure to traumatic events; among people considered at high risk, who present with stress symptoms shortly after the exposure, as in the case of the Sheba trial subjects, the risk of PTSD climbs beyond 50 percent.

In the trial, 100 milligrams of cortisol were administered by injection, but Zohar noted that the use of cortisol in pill form will also be examined. Cortisol has a number of medical uses, and in the case of allergic and asthmatic attacks, it is administered in larger doses than the ones used in the clinical trial.

The protocol for the trial called for administering the cortisol within six hours after the exposure to the traumatic event - in this case, a traffic accident.

"In medicine, we call this period 'the golden hour' - in this case, the period during which the traumatic memory is fixed. If the emotional memory is not fixed in place, PTSD does not develop later on," Zohar said.

The results of the trial will be published in the December issue of the European Neuropsychopharmacology journal. The researchers recently received approval in principle for a research grant from the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health.

The results of the clinical trial could pave the way for the development of preventive treatments in psychiatry, similar to the administration of tetanus vaccine after exposure to toxins.

"The work raises the possibility in the future of developing a rapid treatment that could be given to people, such as combat soldiers, who have been exposed to traumatic events. There is a need for an agent that could be administered in the field and that does not impair motor responses or performance and that does not have a soporific effect - and cortisone meets these requirements," Zohar said.

http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/israeli-researchers-seek-to-develop-morning-after-pill-for-post-traumatic-stress-disorder-1.376253

Read more about Sheba Medical Center, Israel's National Hospital, at www.eng.sheba.co.il

Israel Aids Poor Countries; Helps Sick Children from Haiti, South Sudan

Tue, 26 Jul 2011 09:16:18 PDT

Free open-heart surgery at Sheba in Israel for Amy, 12-year-old from Haiti

Israeli hospitals treat many Palestinian children from Gaza, West Bank

Israel set up field hospitals in Japan, Haiti after earthquakes

Amy Mariolata, 12, from Haiti was saved by a critical heart-valve replacement surgery performed by Israeli doctors. Israel's Sheba Medical Center, just outside Tel Aviv, funded the surgery. Nearly half of Sheba's heart center patients are not Israeli.

Watch an online video about this at

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FpYlemPwywU

Jerusalem, July 24 - Amy Mariolata, a 12-year-old girl from a village near Port-au-Prince, Haiti, was recently saved by a rare open-heart surgery performed in Israel. Amy was treated after Israeli doctors learned that she had rheumatic heart disease at the Israeli field hospital in Haiti.

Within days of Haiti's earthquake in January 2010, Israel set up a field hospital and treated hundreds of patients there. Israel also delivered critical medical supplies and equipment to Haiti. Like Amy, large populations of children in Haiti still suffer from rheumatic heart disease.

Dr. David Mishali, head of the International Congenital Heart Center at Israel's Sheba Medical Center that performed Amy's surgery, said that a heart-valve replacement was necessary to save Amy's life.

Sheba Medical Center financed Amy's critical valve replacement surgery and her and her mother's transportation to Israel.

Almost half of the children treated by Sheba's heart center are not Israeli. They are often Palestinian children from Gaza and the West Bank.

"I think children are children everywhere," said Mishali said about Sheba's diverse clients. "When you see what they mean for their parents, it's the same all over the world. It doesn't matter who they are," added Mishali.

Israel has a history of aiding developing countries. Following Japan's tsunami and earthquake in March 2011, Israel was one of the first countries to set up a field hospital and send humanitarian aid and a team of experts there. The team consisted of medical personnel, water specialists, search and rescue specialists and more.

IsraAid, a coalition of Israeli and Jewish groups that provides assistance to developing countries, is sending humanitarian cargoes to the newly independent South Sudan. The group is also assessing a "long term aid mission that would benefit children, women and elders in the most affected communities" for South Sudan.

"It is our mission and Jewish commitment to reach out to our new friends in any way we can" stated Shachar Zahavi, Founding Director of IsraAID.

South Sudan has nearly 90 percent illiteracy and most citizens do not have access to clean water and security. In recent months over 117,000 people were displaced and almost 1,400 killed following the conflict between the South and the North. Over 4 million Sudanese are still internally displaced.

Read more about Sheba Medical Center, Israel's National Hospital, at www.eng.sheba.co.il

Israeli Artist Zigi Ben-Haim Inaugurates the "PoeTree" Sculpture at the Sheba Medical Center

Tue, 26 Jul 2011 09:08:41 PDT

The noted sculptor and painter Zigi Ben-Haim of Tel Aviv and New York inaugurated his unique "PoeTree" sculpture and "PhotoWorks" photographs of Venice at the Sheba Medical Center on May 26.

PoeTrees are a new series of sculptures meant to be symbols of hope connecting people with nature that Mr. Ben-Haim intends to "plant" all over the world. The Sheba PoeTree is the third of its kind (-- the first two are situated in France), and it was "planted" at the entrance to the Leviev Heart Center at Sheba. Chiseled into the stone bench of the PoeTree is a verse from Proverbs 17:22, "A joyful heart is good medicine."

Prof. Zeev Rotstein, director of the Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer, and Prof. Michael Eldar, director of the Olga and Lev Leviev Heart Center at Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer, thanked Mr. Ben-Haim and his wife Tsipi for their artistic contributions to the hospital and their steadfast and ongoing support for additional projects at the hospital.

"I strongly believe in the fusion of art and medicine for healing," said Rotstein, "and Zigi's powerful and innovative art will brighten the lives of our patients."

Israeli researchers identify protein that may slow down pancreatic cancer

Wed, 13 Jul 2011 14:28:27 PDT

Study indicates the naturally occurring hormone klotho may be effective in future treatment of pancreatic cancer; researchers' next goal to reduce side effects.

Israeli researchers have discovered a protein that seems to prevent the growth of pancreatic cancer.

The protein could potentially be effective against other aggressive cancers as well.

Researchers from the Cancer Research Center at Sheba Medical Center in Tel Hashomer studied the behavior of the protein klotho, a natural hormone emitted by the brain and kidneys that is known to retard the aging process. (The protein is named after the Greek mythological fate that spun thread to keep a person alive.)

A study done by Sheba in 2008 found that when injected into laboratory cultures of breast cancer cells, klotho prevented them from multiplying.

Later, researchers discovered that mutations of this protein greatly increase the risk of women developing breast cancer: Women carrying the BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation have a 50 to 85 percent chance of developing breast cancer, while the rate in the general population is only 11 percent.

The current study for the first time examined whether klotho could be used to treat cancer in mice.

The mice used had pancreatic cancer, which is considered a particularly aggressive cancer that spreads rapidly: The average life expectancy of someone with advanced pancreatic cancer is only six months, and there are no effective treatments.

The researchers first noticed that healthy pancreatic cells contained klotho, whereas cancerous cells did not.

That means that testing pancreatic cells for klotho could provide an early indication of the presence of the cancer.

They then injected the cancerous mice with klotho, and discovered that it not only prevented the cancer from spreading, but actually caused it to shrink.

"Within a week or two after the protein was injected, the [cancerous] growths stopped spreading and began to shrink," said Dr. Ido Wolf, the lead researcher on the study, who heads both Sheba's oncology department and one of the labs at the Cancer Research Center. Dr. Lilach Abramovitz and Dr. Tami Rubinek were also on the research team.

The results of the study, which was funded by the Israel Cancer Association, are due to be published soon in the journal "Clinical Cancer Research."

The researchers' next goal is to search for ways to reduce the side effects. "This protein is vital for controlling the level of calcium and phosphorus in the body, and administering the protein is like administering any other hormone: It has the side effect of increasing hormonal activity," Wolf explained.

The researchers are also looking into cooperating with commercial firms to advance the project.

The Israeli study follows recent findings by researchers elsewhere about klotho's role in preventing the spread of liver and cervical cancer.

That hormones play some role in the growth of cancer cells has been known for some time.

"There is a known connection between cancer and diabetes, [a disease] that involves unusual hormonal activity, and the current research provides an additional source for examining the connection between hormones and cancer," Wolf said.

A study by the Maccabi health maintenance organization published in April 2010 found that diabetes raises the risk of women developing some form of cancer by 25 percent, and raises the risk of their developing pancreatic cancer specifically by 89 percent.

On average, 610 Israelis are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer every year.

This form of cancer accounts for eight out of every 100,000 deaths among Israeli men and six out of every 100,000 deaths among Israeli women.

http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/israeli-researchers-identify-protein-that-may-slow-down-pancreatic-cancer-1.372930

Turning up the volume for deaf Palestinians

Wed, 15 Jun 2011 16:33:21 PDT

Israel's Sheba Medical Center pairs with an American foundation to provide hearing aids to a West Bank population affected by genetic deafness.

The plight of hearing-impaired people in the West Bank fell on deaf ears - until a joint American-Israeli humanitarian project outfitted 1,000 Arabs from the Palestinian Authority town of Tulkarm with hearing aids this month.

The hearing aids were distributed in cooperation with the Sheba Medical Center, the US-based Starkey Hearing Foundation, and Physicians for Human Rights-Israel.

A hearing aid means the world to young people like Riham Zuheir Kassem, a five-year-old girl left deaf after contracting viral meningitis when she was seven months old. Her mother had tried to get medical care for the child in Jerusalem, but couldn't afford it. Now, Riham will be able to hear, attend school and live out her potential in life.

A hearing aid will improve the quality of life for older Palestinians as well, like Muhammad Arzall, a 50-year-old farmer whose hearing gradually deteriorated as he got older. Arzall didn't have the money to purchase a hearing aid, so he went without -- until now.

Operating under secrecy because of security concerns in the Palestinian Authority, where it can be dangerous and even deadly for Israelis to travel, the team of 20 Israeli doctors and hearing specialists, with representatives from the Starkey Foundation, traveled to Tulkarem to do fittings in April. They returned a month later to distribute the hearing aids, answer questions and train users over the course of three days.

"It's a population which is in a great need for this hearing aid, and they can't afford them," Dr. Raphi Walden, a key organizer of the operation, tells ISRAEL21c.

The members of the delegation felt safe with an escort by an elite Palestinian force, and got an extremely positive response from the local community, adds Walden, a vascular surgeon who is the son-in-law of Israeli President Shimon Peres and is the deputy director of Sheba Medical Center and a leader of Physicians for Human Rights. "Lacking medical services, they can't afford to buy this equipment, which costs about $1,000 apiece."

Walden estimates that the new hearing aid owners, who range from the ages of four to 75, may experience a profound turnaround in their lives now that they are able to hear.

Rampant genetic hearing deficiencies

Hearing problems are rife throughout the Palestinian Arab population, Walden says. This is the result of "inbreeding depression," the scientific term for the genetic effects of consanguineous marriage -- a common, even encouraged, phenomenon in Arab culture, where a husband and wife are often cousins. In some cases, all the children in a family are clinically deaf.

Deafness renders the children outcasts, as they are not able to make friends, go to school and, when the time comes, get a decent job. In many cases, the problems are solvable with a simple device. But the $1,000 price tag is about equal to the monthly income for a family in the West Bank.

So the American Friends of the Sheba Medical Center appealed to the Starkey Hearing Foundation to donate assistive hearing devices (along with a year's supply of batteries to power them) to the Palestinians. The Physicians for Human Rights located those in need, and the Israelis fitted and trained patients, and will oversee maintenance checks in the future.

The Starkey Foundation donates 100,000 hearing aids around the world each year, so far improving the hearing of half a million people. Starkey's head, Bill Austin, came to Tulkarm to see his organization's gift being implemented.

This small act of kindness by Americans and Israelis to the perceived enemy is just another of tens of dozens of humanitarian projects that Israelis help coordinate on a monthly basis.

http://www.israel21c.org/201105299120/social-action/turning-up-the-volume-for-deaf-palestinians

Read more about Sheba Medical Center, Israel's National Hospital, at www.eng.sheba.co.il

Haitian girl has 'rare and complicated' heart surgery in Israel

Thu, 02 Jun 2011 17:17:08 PDT

Haitian girl has 'rare and complicated' heart surgery in Israel

By Karin Kloosterman, Israel21c.org, May 15, 2011

Doctors at a Tel Aviv hospital arranged to have the child airlifted from Haiti for one of the rarest and most sophisticated heart operations in the world.

Amy Mariolata had just two years to live when doctors from Sheba Medical Center stepped in to give her revolutionary heart surgery.

Even after journalists stopped covering news from the storm-ravaged island of Haiti, Israeli doctors from Israel's Chaim Sheba Medical Center made a pledge to keep the Israeli humanitarian aid flowing.

Now, a 12-year-old Haitian girl recently went back home after one of the "most complicated, super-sophisticated, rare, lengthy, lifesaving heart operations in the world," performed by surgeons at Sheba's Children's Hospital.

Both the $30,000 operation and transportation costs to and from Israel for the patient and her mother were covered by Sheba, which is situated at Tel Hashomer just outside Tel Aviv and is Israel's largest medical center.

All-expense-paid journey to Israel

The story started with exotic diseases expert Dr. Eli Schwartz, who is volunteering at the clinic set up by Sheba personnel in Port-au-Prince. According to Dr. David Mishali, head of the Israeli hospital's department of pediatric and congenital cardiothoracic surgery, Schwartz treats about 400 patients there every week.

Knowing Mishali from his intern days, Schwartz sent an email regarding Amy Mariolata, a young girl with rheumatic heart disease, a condition affecting the heart valves that left her with only a two-year life expectancy.

Under normal circumstances, the two diseased valves would be replaced by mechanical ones. But with little or no access to critical continuing care and pharmaceuticals in Haiti to maintain the artificial valves, this wasn't an option, Mishali tells ISRAEL21c.

So with the support of Sheba CEO Dr. Zeev Rotstein, who "pulled a few strings to get the financial support," as Mishali recalls, "eventually we managed to bring her here and we performed a very complex operation and it looks like it was very successful."

Instead of using mechanical valves, Mishali's team performed "quite a complicated surgery. One valve was replaced with the other, and one valve was repaired, and we ended up with nice results that can give her 20 or 30 years of a normal, quality life."

Rivaling the best medical centers in the world

Pediatric rheumatic heart disease is believed to be caused by rheumatic fever, brought on by an immune system malfunction. It was the leading cause of death 100 years ago in the age group of five- to 20 year-olds in the United States. Worldwide, it remains a problem leading to some 90,000 deaths each year.

That's one reason that for Mishali, life as a heart surgeon for children can be summed up as a "big excitement." He says the Congenital Heart Center at Sheba's Edmond and Lily Safra Children's Hospital, established in 1952, rivals the best treatment facilities in the world and beats them in one regard: Every step of the way, from admission, to the operating room, to meetings with specialists, to checkout, are in the same location -- making the experience less traumatic for the young patients and their families.

Recently, doctors at the Congenital Heart Center saved the life of a one-week-old infant with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (SGLS), using an unusual procedure available in few other countries. It relies on hybrid technology and two methods for correcting the deformity, resulting in less postoperative pain and faster recovery.

Is Mishali ever afraid of the responsibility of holding the beating heart of a child in his hands, a young life counting on his success or failure? Yes. "When I stop being afraid, I will quit," says Mishali.

http://www.israel21c.org/201105159067/social-action/haitian-girl-has-rare-and-complicated-heart-surgery-in-israel

‘House’ cast gets taste of Israeli medicine

Thu, 02 Jun 2011 17:10:00 PDT

RAMAT GAN, Israel (JTA) -- On television Lisa Edelstein, a star of the hit Fox show "House," and her fellow actors work medical miracles every episode. But at an Israeli hospital she stumbled trying her hand at simulated arthroscopic surgery.

"I'm so glad this is not a living person," she said Wednesday, shifting the controls over a robotic dummy, eyes fixed on a computer screen that revealed her would-be patient's internal organs. "I think I just mangled its liver."

Edelstein and three other members of the "House" cast, along with David Shore, the show's creator, are on a weeklong tour of Israel as part of a public relations effort to bring high-profile Americans on visits here.

Among their stops were two Tel Aviv-area hospitals -- the first at the Israel Center for Medical Simulation at the Sheba Medical Center, the only simulation center of its scope internationally, where medical staff, students, and army medics and physicians from around the world undergo extensive training.

The cast members looked on as medical students re-enacted a particularly dramatic scene from the last season of the show in which a patient who was crushed under a falling building has his leg amputated and is rushed to the operating room.

Among the team of medical students was Yuval Lotan, an avowed fan of the Emmy Award-winning "House," which stars Hugh Laurie (who was not available to come to Israel as he was touring elsewhere) as a curmudgeonly genius doctor who leads a team of young physicians in investigating mysterious infectious diseases and other ailments at a New Jersey hospital.

"The show is good entertainment, but at medical school we learn what not to do from it," Lotan said. "After all, this is Hollywood we are talking about."

The visiting cast -- which also included Omar Epps, who plays Dr. Eric Foreman; Jesse Spencer, who plays Dr Robert Chase; and Amber Tamblyn, who will play Dr. Martha Masters in the upcoming seventh season -- also visited the Wolfson Medical Center in Holon.

At Wolfson they visited the pediatric cardiology intensive care unit and met with children from the West Bank, Iraq, Africa and Romania, among other places. All of the children were brought to the hospital by an Israel-based humanitarian project called Save a Child's Heart to receive life-saving treatment.

Save a Child's Heart, also known as SACH, brings children with heart disease from the developing world for cardiac care in Israel while also working to improve cardiac care centers in their native countries, on average saving some 200 children's lives a year.

"The work that Save a Child's Heart is doing is an important reality check," said Shore, who is Jewish and has two brothers living in Israel. "It's good for the Jews, it's good for Israel, but really it's good for humanity."

At the hospital, Edelstein played with two young girls from Zanzibar who had undergone surgery recently and spent time trying to connect with a girl from Iraq. Nearby, Tambly gave her sunglasses to a young Palestinian boy from the West Bank.

The trip was organized as part of a combined effort of America's Voices in Israel, an arm of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, and Israel's foreign and tourism ministries.

Irwin Katsof, director of America's Voices in Israel, said the project's purpose in bringing celebrities on such trips was to make them goodwill ambassadors when they go home.

"We want them to talk to their friends, perhaps do an interview to let people know Israel is more than just wars," Katsof said. "These people have an impact. The amount of free publicity we get from them going back and speaking on a news show is phenomenal."

The visit has coincided with Israel's somber marking of Memorial Day, and the cast members described watching as Israelis came to a halt at the sound of a siren to stand in silence for those killed in the country's wars.

"It was very emotional," said Edelstein, who is Jewish and has relatives in Israel, including descendants of a great aunt who was a founder of Kibbutz Dafna on the border with Lebanon.

Memorial Day was followed by the abrupt shift into celebrations for Independence Day.

"You guys know how to party," said Tamblyn, laughing in an exchange with reporters.

The group had stayed out late the night before exploring Tel Aviv's vast club scene.

Also on the touring list were the Galilee (stopping off in a spa), Jerusalem and the ancient desert fortress of Masada.

And more actors who play doctors on TV are on their way. Katsof said the next delegation he is bringing is due here next month: members of the "Grey's Anatomy" cast.

Sheba Medical Center Scientists Discovered a Key Factor Involved in the Development of Liver Failure Due to Fatty Liver Disease

Thu, 02 Jun 2011 17:06:02 PDT

Sheba Medical Center Scientists Discovered a Key Factor

Involved in the Development of Liver Failure Due to Fatty Liver Disease

Fatty liver, a disease affecting millions of patients worldwide, can lead to liver failure. Dr. Yehuda Kamari of the Sheba Medical Center's Bert W. Strassburger Lipid Center, headed by Prof. Dror Harats, has demonstrated the central involvement of an inflammatory protein in the progression of fatty liver disease.

The identification of the cellular and molecular pathways that mediate the development of the inflammatory form of fatty liver disease, known as non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, is of crucial importance. Cytokines produced by liver-resident and infiltrating inflammatory cells play a pivotal role in liver inflammation. The team's research demonstrated the critical role of proinflammatory cytokines IL-1α and IL-1β in the transformation of simple fatty liver (steatosis) to inflammatory steatohepatitis and liver fibrosis in mice fed a high-fat diet. The team made its discovery while researching the role of Interleukin-1 in atherosclerosis.

The research team published their results to much fanfare in the spring 2011 issue of The Journal of Hepatology: "Lack of Interleukin-1α or Interleukin-1β Inhibits Transformation of Steatosis to Steatohepatitis and Liver Fibrosis in Hypercholesterolemic Mice", authors: Yehuda Kamari, Aviv Shaish, and Dror Harats of Sheba Medical Center, along with Ron N. Apte of Ben-Gurion University, Charles A. Dinarello of the University of Colorado, and others. See http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21354232

Yehuda Kamari, MD, PhD, who heads the Angela and Sami Shamoon Vascular Biology Research Unit at the Strassburger Lipid Center, is a specialist in atherosclerosis, hyperlipidemia and hypertension. He already has won several prestigious awards for his research and is known as an excellent and devoted lecturer. He is a member of the elite Sheba Medical Center Talpiot Program for Young Medical Leaders of the Future.

Fatty liver disease is a silent killer which builds up over time in the liver, and can lead to liver failure. The number of patients with this condition has been growing exponentially around the world, similar to diabetes. This discovery paves the way towards a possible treatment for the disease by neutralizing IL-1α and/or IL-1β to inhibit development of steatohepatitis.

A real hospital experience for ‘House’ cast at Tel Hashomer

Thu, 02 Jun 2011 17:03:41 PDT

A real hospital experience for ‘House’ cast at Tel Hashomer By JOSHUA HAMERMAN, THE JERUSALEM POST, Page 1, Friday, May 13, 2011

Actors, producers from hit medical TV series test robotic tools used in cutting-edge medical procedures at Sheba Medical Center.

Life is imitating art for the cast members of the FOX television series House during their stay in Israel.

On Wednesday, actors Omar Epps, Lisa Edelstein, Jesse Spencer and Amber Tamblyn, along with House creator, executive producer and lead writer David Shore, visited the medical simulation ward in Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer.

After playing clips from the last episode of their show’s sixth season, which featured a patient who required a limb amputation following a building collapse, the famous visitors took turns using robotic surgery tools to simulate the procedure.

“The simulations they do there are just remarkable, and I can’t help but believe that this is the future of medical training,” Shore told The Jerusalem Post. “It’s one of those things you see and ask, ‘Why isn’t everyone doing this?’”

Later that day, the group stopped by Wolfson Medical Center in Holon to learn about the Save a Child’s Heart program, which brings youngsters from all over the world to Wolfson for heart surgeries.

Shore and the cast members met with patients from countries such as Romania and Tanzania.

“I just love coming to Israel – it’s such a diverse place, and it’s filled with so much spiritualism,” said Shore, whose two brothers, including documentary film producer Raphael Shore, made aliya.

Hugh Laurie, who stars as Dr. Gregory House in the American series, was unable to accompany his co-stars to Israel due to other commitments. Shore said, though, “He’d love to come here.”

The House delegation arrived in Israel on Monday, and celebrated Independence Day in Tel Aviv.

On Tuesday evening, they had dinner with local musician Idan Raichel. After their hospital visits on Wednesday, they traveled to Safed and stayed at a spa.

Shore and the actors visited Nazareth and swam in Lake Kinneret on Thursday, and plan to tour the capital’s Western Wall tunnels, Mahaneh Yehuda market and Yad Vashem on Friday, before Shabbat.

On Saturday, they will participate in a walking tour of Jewish and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem.

The group will then visit the Dead Sea and Masada on Sunday, and head to Ben-Gurion Airport to catch their return flight to the US that evening.

The tour was organized by America’s Voices in Israel, along with the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations and the Tourism and Foreign ministries.

Irwin Katsof, director of America’s Voices in Israel, said his organization will bring cast members from another American TV series revolving around doctors, Grey’s Anatomy, to Israel in June.

Sheba's Prof. Shai Izraeli Discovers a Novel Mechanism Causing Leukemia in Children

Thu, 02 Jun 2011 16:57:45 PDT

Sheba's Prof. Shai Izraeli Discovers a Novel Mechanism Causing Leukemia in Children

In collaboration with Italian and German leukemia research groups, Prof. Shai Izraeli of the Sheba Medical Center Cancer Research Center has found a novel cause of childhood leukemia. In the recent issue of the prestigious Journal of Experimental Medicine, he and his colleagues describe their findings: that abnormal activation of a cell surface molecule – the receptor for interleukin 7 – causes childhood leukemia.

This finding is significant not only because of its scientific value in describing a novel mechanism for development of leukemia, but it also potentially points to a new target for anti-cancer cellular therapy.

Like much of the scientific research at Sheba, Izraeli's discovery began with patients – children with leukemia. Prof. Izraeli is an internationally known expert on childhood leukemia, and an associate professor in molecular genetics and biochemistry at the Sackler School of Medicine at Tel Aviv University.

Interleukin 7 is a cytokine (a type of hormone) that is responsible for the proper development of the immune system. It acts by binding to a surface molecule called the receptor to interleukin 7. A rare genetic disease, in which this receptor is lacking, causes absence of these immune cells. Thus children born without this receptor suffer from life-endangering infections and can be cured only by bone marrow transplantation.

This observation led Prof. Izraeli to hypothesize that the same receptor may be hyperactive in the opposite condition, namely leukemia, in which there is uncontrolled proliferation of lymphocytes. His team examined more than 600 cases of European children with leukemia, and identified for the first time activating mutations in this receptor.

While 8 of every 10 children with leukemia are cured by intensive and highly toxic chemotherapy, a major challenge is to cure all children with more specific targeted therapy.

This research is significant not only because of its scientific value describing a novel mechanism for creation of leukemia, but points potentially to a new target for therapy. Indeed this study is the third of a series of studies by Prof. Izraeli and his team published over the last three years and confirmed by many international groups. Based on these studies, the Children’s Oncology Group in the USA has begun an experimental “Phase I” therapeutic study in children with recurrent leukemia with novel drugs called “JAK inhibitors.” Prof. Izraeli believes that in the future such drugs in combination with chemotherapy may provide a targeted specific therapy of this subtype of childhood leukemia.

Read more about Sheba Medical Center, Israel's National Hospital, at www.eng.sheba.co.il

Sheba Partners with U of London Medical School to Launch International Medical Degree Program in Cyprus

Tue, 14 Dec 2010 15:30:31 PST

Sheba Medical Center Partners with St George’s - University of London Medical School to Launch International Medical Degree Program in Cyprus

TEL HASHOMER, Israel, December 14, 2010 – A major initiative for medical education in the eastern Mediterranean has been launched with the support of the Sheba Medical Center.

St. George’s, University of London, one of the leading medical schools in the United Kingdom, has joined forces with the Sheba Medical Center (at Tel Hashomer in Israel) and the University of Nicosia (the largest private university in Cyprus), to offer an international medical program in Cyprus starting in September 2011.

The new medical degree program is expected to attract students from all EU countries, including Cyprus, Israel and Greece, as well as Russia, the United States and Canada.

Students successfully completing the 4-year graduate-entry MBBS (Bachelor in Medicine and Bachelor in Surgery) program will earn a medical degree from St George’s that is recognised worldwide. They will follow the innovative curriculum developed by St. George’s – an English-language program – and will have access to the e-learning medical education resources available to students in London. At the same time, they will enjoy the full privileges and state-of-the-art facilities and resources provided by the University of Nicosia and by Sheba.

The Sheba Medical Center is a full partner in this initiative. Sheba will provide teaching faculty for the pre-clinical study portion of the medical degree program, and clinical clerkships in Israel for the clinical portion.

The three institutions celebrated and announced their partnership at a meeting in Nicosia last week (Dec. 9, 2010).

"The Sheba Medical Center is delighted to be a partner in this project," says its CEO, Prof. Zeev Rotstein. "Sheba is an international centre of excellence for medical care, research and training, with long standing ties with Cyprus. Beyond excellent doctors, this program will produce caring and ethical professionals who will serve as ambassadors for cooperation and goodwill in their communities and beyond."

The new EU-wide program in Cyprus in which Sheba is involved is not Sheba's first international medical educational program. The Sheba Medical Center also teaches students from New York as part of the international medical program at Tel Aviv University's Sackler School of Medicine.

"This alliance combines the strengths of both universities," Professor Peter Kopelman, Principal of St. George’s, explains. "St. George's is justifiably proud of its distinctiveness as a health sciences university in the United Kingdom that is recognised globally for its innovation and excellence in medical undergraduate training. We take great pride in working with the University of Nicosia and with Sheba in Israel to provide the first undergraduate medical training program in Cyprus."

Nicos Peristianis, President of the Council of the University of Nicosia, says: "This is a significant development for higher education in Cyprus – in line with the European Union’s policy to encourage cooperation between European universities, but also in line with the Republic of Cyprus’ policy of turning the country in an educational hub for the region."

Further details about the new program at the University of Nicosia can be found at www.nicosia.sgul.ac.cy

Contact: Prof. Shlomo Noy, VP for R&D and Academic Affairs, 052-666-6500

Amir Marom, Spokesman, 052-666-6090

Dr. Norman Wall Awarded by Sheba: An Untold Medical Story from Israel's Past

Mon, 13 Dec 2010 11:45:10 PST

‘Luck and destiny:’ An untold medical story from Israel’s past

“I had a jeep, I was a Jew, I was an American.”

To hear Dr. Norman Wall tell it, what he did was all very simple. But at a luncheon at Florida Hospital Orlando on Dec. 3, he and the U.S. Army were honored by Israel’s Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer—the Middle East’s largest medical facility—for their essential roles in its founding. The two hospitals also announced their exploration of a partnership to cooperate in research and education.

Wall, a 96-year-old cardiologist who grew up in Pennsylvania as one of nine children in an ardent Zionist family, moved to Central Florida in 1995. His career included rising to the rank of lieutenant colonel in the Army and practicing for more than 50 years at Good Samaritan Catholic hospital in Pennsylvania, where he is still remembered as a beloved chief of staff, chief of medicine and cardiology and director of medical education.

Sheba CEO Prof. Zeev Rotstein, who presented his hospital’s award to Wall, told the Heritage, “Norman Wall brought American technology of the 1940s to Palestine…Everything was dependent on the British Mandate at the time, and the British looked at the local population as second class. Dr. Wall actually pushed forward the ability of the Jewish doctors there to treat military and civilian patients.”

There are two versions of the little-known story of how, during World War II, the U.S. Army helped plant the seeds of what was to become Sheba Medical Center.

The official version is that in October 1943, the Army’s 24th Field Station Hospital at Tel Litwinsky (now Tel Hashomer)—a camp established to treat Allied casualties from the North African campaign—turned over its surplus medical supplies and equipment to Haganah doctors treating patients in a crumbling Ottoman-era facility in nearby Tel Aviv.

British forces took over the U.S. Army’s abandoned Camp Tel Litwinsky medical station and operated it until Israel declared independence in 1948. The hilltop site was then captured and occupied by Israeli forces, where it became Tel Hashomer Hospital, an army treatment center, ultimately growing into the sprawling civilian complex it is today, a hospital and research institute and the primary treatment center for soldiers and terror victims.

The unofficial version is that a Jewish U.S. Army doctor serving with the evacuating unit, Captain Norman Wall, was concerned that if the supplies were turned over to the British they would in turn be handed over to their Arab allies. So—on his own and without authorization—Wall collected the materiel and personally loaded his jeep at least a dozen times with hard-to-find medicines, operating room instruments, supplies and X-ray film, and delivered it all to skeptical Haganah soldiers, who concealed it in the hollow base of a kibbutz water tower (right next to arms and ammunition smuggled from other sources, Wall said).

The Israelis were skeptical for good reason: Wall was wearing an Allied uniform, didn’t look Jewish, and he had an English-sounding name. But the young physician from Pennsylvania’s coal country, a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania’s medical school, persisted in donating the supplies. In the process he formed a lifelong relationship with the legendary Dr. Chaim Sheba, founder of Israel’s Medical Corps who became the army’s first chief medical officer, and for whom the hospital was later named.

“Life is a matter of luck and destiny,” Wall said Dec. 3, repeating a quote he attributes to Albert Einstein.

“The Army in those days, they sent you anywhere. They could have sent me to Japan or the Philippines. But they sent me to Palestine.” He started out in the medical corps with two close buddies, one of whom was killed at Anzio, the other in the Solomon Islands.

The 27-year-old Wall and his friends joined the medical corps before Pearl Harbor “because it gave us 50 bucks a month.” He then shipped out from Newport News, Va. to various posts in Africa and in Palestine, where the British waited for Field Marshal Erwin Rommel and his German Afrika Korps to sweep east. Rommel was on the verge of entering Cairo, Wall remembered, where the notoriously anti-Semitic Grand Mufti of Jerusalem awaited him amid a sea of swastikas. “The British were losing very badly.” And everyone knew what would happen if the Germans were to enter Palestine.

The 24th’s field hospital at Tel Litwinsky was situated in “a beautiful little village in an orange grove,” said Wall. “There were only two buildings: an operating room and the radiology department. The rest was tents, and the wards were in Quonset huts—I believe some are still there.”

After British Lieutenant-General Bernard Montgomery defeated Rommel at the Second Battle of El-Alamein, there wasn’t much to do at Tel Litwinsky.

The one car was designated for use of the commanding officer. There was one ambulance. Wall had charge of the one jeep, “which I used very freely” in his travels as the sanitary officer inspecting restaurants in Palestine, Syria and Lebanon.

“In my jeep, I tried to get as much medical equipment as we didn’t need,” said Wall. The Army would not have been able to take everything when it moved on, and “we didn’t want our materials to be vandalized by the Arabs.” The British, he said, were “very snobby, very pro-Arab and very anti-Zionist and anti-Jewish.” Local Jews “were treated pretty badly” so “they hated anyone in a uniform.”

He tried to identify himself to the Israelis as a fellow Jew. “I said, ‘I want to help you.’ No dice.”

His friendship with Chaim Sheba, then a senior doctor with the Haganah, was one of Wall’s first successes. But Sheba had to do things “very quietly and carefully. If the British had caught him, they would have put him in jail. The most I would have received was a reprimand from the Americans. So I said, ‘The hell with it.’” His resourcefulness is still paying off.

The tools and know-how Wall and the Army left behind for the Israelis in 1943 have blossomed into what Zeev Rotstein calls “an island of peace, tranquility and sanity in a very stormy region. We have had, unfortunately, all too much experience at treating victims of terror and war. Yet at Sheba we practice peaceful co-existence on a daily basis.”

The hospital provides equal levels of care to Palestinians and Israelis, Muslims, Christians and Jews. One million patients—including citizens of Arab countries—enter its doors each year. It serves as Israel’s national blood bank center and the official hospital of the IDF. One-quarter of Israel’s medical research is conducted there, and its center for medical simulation trains professionals from health facilities worldwide.

Wall has revisited Israel many times. His three children all married Israelis, and he has Israeli grandchildren and great-grandchildren. During his years heading Good Samaritan Hospital in Pottsville, Pa., he brought dozens of Israeli medical students over to study—two of them now serve at Sheba.

Wall was also instrumental in the development of Ben-Gurion Hospital and Medical School in the Negev.

In the late 1960s, at the request of the National Conference on Soviet Jewry, he and his older son, Jay, smuggled medical supplies, especially insulin and digitalis, to Jews in Russia and the Ukraine.

During the 1973 Yom Kippur War, with the assistance of Mossad, he arranged for a surgical company in the Midwest to donate highly specialized equipment to Lady Sieff Hospital in Safed to treat Israeli soldiers whose bones were being shattered when their tanks imploded under attack.

An active leader in the Anti-Defamation League, Wall battled anti-Semitism many times in his career. But he remembers being warmly welcomed by the Catholic sisters at Good Samaritan decades ago.

“Sister, I’m a Jew,” he said to the nun in charge.

“’You take care of the medicine,’ said Sister Mary Agnes, ‘and I’ll take care of the praying.’”

Wall welcomes the partnership between Sheba and Florida Hospital, a Seventh Day Adventist organization. He reflected on the advances in his own lifetime from the “primitive medicine of Hippocrates” he saw being practiced in his medical school days to the advent of penicillin and modern surgical techniques, and said that the two hospitals will “make a future that none of us can see.”

The night before the ceremony, Wall told a small group of family and friends that, in deference to his Florida Hospital hosts and Gen. Gamble, he intended to finesse the ambiguity about whether the Army knew it was donating supplies to the Jewish underground. Since there is no one else alive today who was there, only Wall himself knows the truth.

So it was left to Wall’s rabbi, Steven Engel of Congregation of Reform Judaism in Orlando, to make light-hearted reference to Wall’s donation, saying that after all these years the Army should send the nonagenarian an invoice for the medical supplies they contributed.

Lyn Davidson is associate editor of the Heritage Florida Jewish News. Mark I. Pinsky was formerly religion reporter for the Orlando Sentinel, and is currently a freelance writer for Politics Daily and a variety of other online news sources.

http://heritagefl.com/2010/12/12/luck-and-destiny%E2%80%99-an-untold-medical-story-from-israel%E2%80%99s-past/

Joint effort leads to rehab clinic in Haitian capita

Tue, 23 Nov 2010 11:37:39 PST

Joint effort leads to rehab clinic in Haitian capital

Jewish and Israeli organizations open prosthetic workshop to help victims of earthquake.

NEW YORK – A newly renovated rehabilitation clinic and prosthetic workshop was opened last week in Port-Au- Prince by Jewish and Israeli organizations to help the victims of Haiti’s catastrophic earthquake.

The facilities, developed by the American Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), Magen David Adom, Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer, the Haitian Red Cross and the Hopital De L’Universite D’Etat D’Haiti, are the first of their kind in the Caribbean country.

“The rehab center has helped hundreds of Haitians regain their mobility and independence,” Judy Amit, JDC global director of international development, told the Jerusalem Post. “Additionally, we have brought hope to many amputees and to their families, enabling them to continue their lives in a productive manner.”

The clinic is staffed by rotating teams of Israeli orthopedic doctors, physiotherapists and occupational therapists.

Prosthesis experts work to train local Haitian physical therapists, as well as a doctor being trained as the center’s director. The prosthetic workshop, donated by German NGO LandsAid, is used by amputees who have their prosthetics produced on site.

At a dedication ceremony for the facility last Wednesday, dignitaries praised the Jewish and Israeli response to Haiti’s tribulations.

“The Jewish and Israeli response to the plight of the Haitian people has been outstanding and we are heartened by the outpouring of critical support and aid at this time,” said Haiti Minister of Public Health and Population Alex Larsen. “We are fortunate to have JDC – a steadfast partner in times of great disaster – stewarding this project, which is restoring health to many Haitians.”

http://www.jpost.com/International/Article.aspx?id=196406

Another Haitian patient healed at Sheba

Thu, 11 Nov 2010 11:34:14 PST

The dance king of Port au Prince

Haitian earthquake victim, former dance champion, back on his feet and returning home after successful surgery in Israel

While the whole country was gushing over the visit of American actress Pamela Anderson, who was in Israel this week to participate in the local version of Dancing with the Stars, little did we know that we had a bona fide dance champion visiting the country for entirely different reasons.

On Sunday, George Exanesuis, a former dance champion and choreographer in his native Haiti, will be boarding a plane from Ben Gurion International Airport back to the earthquake ravaged city of Port au Prince. Exanesuis, who was pulled out of the rubble of his home three days after the Earthquake shattered the city in January and had to have his right leg amputated, was in Israel for a month undergoing complicated surgery to restore the use of his crushed hand.

“We brought George here because there are no operating rooms in Haiti that are equipped to perform the type of surgery he needed,” said Dr. Itzhak Siev-Ner, director of orthopedic rehabilitation at the Sheba Medical Center.

“Treating his leg was a fairly straightforward procedure, but the serious damage was done to his hand. His hand was crushed under the rubble, the pressure causing him severe nerve damage that threatened to paralyze it completely. Here at Sheba we performed an operation to extend his ligaments, which had contracted, and return movement and control to his hand. The rehabilitation process is still long, but he will be able to receive the necessary physiotherapy treatments back in Haiti.”

Siev-Ner first met Exanesuis during his first visit to Haiti, immediately after the Earthquake that caused the death of 230,000 people and injuries to hundreds thousands more. Siev-Ner was part of an Israeli medical mission that went to Haiti to assist in the massive rescue and aid operation, with the Israeli field hospital receiving international recognition for its state of the art equipment and the dedication of its doctors.

“When I was there, I was approached by the manager of the hotel we were staying at and he told me about George's case. The manager had a son who was George’s age who was uninjured in the earthquake and felt guilty that his son had survived unscathed, while George was so severely injured. He introduced me to his case and we began treating him at the local hospital,” said Siev-Ner.

According to Siev-Ner, Exanesuis was back on his legs and even back to dancing after the doctors equipped him with a prosthetic leg at the hospital in Haiti, but his hand would have been lost if he hadn't been brought to Israel for the surgery.

With the aid of Magen David Adom, the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee and the Friends of Sheba in the United States, funding was raised to sponsor Exanesuis’s flight and medical expenses and last month he arrived in Sheba for the surgery.

Siev-Ner estimated that the cost of the flights together with the month-long stay at one of Israel’s top rehabilitation establishment cost upwards of $20,000.

Exanesuis met with The Jerusalem Post right after the farewell party held for him and another Haitian survivor by the patients and staff of the rehabilitation center. With the aid of a fellow patient, who translated his words from French, Exanesuis told of his experience and his gratitude to the doctors who helped give him back his quality of life.

“I am 29 years old. In Haiti I studied computers and managed a dance company. I specialize in classical dancing and teach a range of Latin dances including Rumba, Cha cha, Salsa, Tango and Mambo. In the past I won several dance competitions and was the Haitian champion,” said Exanesuis.

“At the time of the earthquake I was at home and the building crashed down on me. The building contained 10 or 11 rooms and I don’t know what happened to any of my neighbors or if anyone else was injured or died there. I was trapped under rubble for three days and on the third day friends came and rescued me, pulling me out. I had the luck of meeting the Israeli doctors and receiving treatment from Dr. Siev-Ner. They equipped me with a prosthetic leg and in the beginning of October, brought me here for the hand operation,” said Exanesuis.

During his stay, the doctors at Sheba also shipped in a special prosthetic leg from Germany that would enable him better movement in the foot. They decided to give him a leopard-print leg, so that he would look cool.

“I was able to dance with my old prosthetic, so with the new one I should have no problem. I hope to return to Haiti and resume my teaching career,” said Exanesuis.

Exansuis said he would have been happy to stay in Israel longer and continue receiving the best possible treatment from the physiotherapy and rehabilitation staff, but that he was looking forward to returning to Haiti and his family. “I know that I could never have received this treatment back in Haiti, where there are thousands of people in just as bad, if not worse condition. I wish to express my thanks to the staff at Sheba and the generous help of the donors,” he said.

Siev-Ner, who was leaving for a third visit to Haiti on Thursday, said he would meet Exanesuis back in Port au Prince, where he would continue to receive treatment from the Sheba staff there. “We have rotating teams in place in Haiti, continuing to care for the earthquake victims. Conditions there are pretty bad, especially after a Hurricane struck the city in early November causing widespread flooding and the outbreak of a cholera epidemic because of the sanitation conditions, but all of our people I speak to say they wouldn’t give up on the opportunity for anything,” said Siev-Ner.

“Friends have urged me not to go back because of the cholera, but I am determined to go. We were in far worse conditions immediately after the earthquake and it is precisely because the conditions are bad that we are needed there.

http://www.jpost.com/International/Article.aspx?id=194984

Zabludowicz Center for Autoimmune Diseases Dedicated at the Sheba Medical Center

Thu, 04 Nov 2010 10:27:34 PDT

The Zabludowicz Center for Autoimmune Diseases was dedicated today the Sheba Medical Center in Israel, in the presence of the donors, Poju and Anita Zabludowicz of Britain. Celebrations were also held to mark the significant contributions of three additional donors to the center: Mr. Victor Changuiz, Mr. Leon Shaller, and Mr. Itshak Rasin – each of whom is over 90 years of age.

The Zabludowicz Center for Autoimmune Diseases will centralize under one roof at Sheba all aspects of autoimmune research and treatment, and bringing together physicians and researchers from multidisciplinary fields such as internal medicine, clinical immunology, autoimmunity, rheumatology, ophthalmology, neurology, obstetrics and gynecology.

The center is headed by Prof. Yehuda Shoenfeld, one of the leading clinical immunologists and experts in rheumatology and allergy. A prolific author, he has published more than 1,500 papers in the top scientific journals, and authored and edited 25 books. Some of these volumes are considered cornerstones of science and clinical practice, such as The Mosaic of Autoimmunity and the Autoantibodies textbook. He is also the founder and editor of the Israel Medical Association Journal and the internationally known journals Autoimmunity Reviews and the Journal of Autoimmunity.

Prof. Shoenfeld has developed novel approaches for the treatment and prevention of several autoimmune diseases, including the discovery of autoimmune pathways that lead to miscarriages. Recently, he even discovered a new syndrome, which has been formally named after him by the international scientific community – Shoenfeld's Syndrome.

Among the prominent public personalities who participated in the dedication ceremony were the Israeli Deputy Minister of Health, Rabbi Yaakov Litzman, and Celia Gould, the wife of UK Ambassador to Israel Mathew Gould. Mrs. Gould read aloud a letter of congratulations from British Foreign Secretary William Hague.

Autoimmune diseases afflict an estimated 20 percent of the population. These diseases result from a dysfunctional immune system in which the body attacks its own organs, tissues and cells. Autoimmune diseases include rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, type 1 diabetes, Crohn's disease, lupus, and about 80 other syndromes. Poor quality of life, high health care costs, and substantial loss of productivity are some of the social and financial burdens imposed by these debilitating diseases, which quite often are fatal. There can be viral, bacterial, parasitic, fungal or other type of infections that trigger an autoimmune disease, along with genetic factors. There are also various environmental factors such as the sun (which can trigger lupus attacks), paints (scleroderma), and even living near an airport. Women are much more susceptible than men to autoimmune diseases, Shoenfeld notes, because their sex hormones strengthen their immune systems.

"Two decades of advanced research now allow us to identify genetic, environmental, and infectious causes of certain autoimmune diseases and to develop novel approaches for treatment and prevention," says Prof. Shoenfeld. "There is a revolution in biological drugs for autoimmune diseases, and these discoveries are developing in Israel and at Sheba."

Israeli hospitals train African doctors in AIDS treatments

Fri, 15 Oct 2010 09:59:05 PDT

Israeli hospitals train African doctors in AIDS treatments

The project has trained 105 physicians from Ethiopia over the past five years; now expanding to six other countries.

Three Israeli hospitals joined forces this week in an effort to teach doctors from eastern and southern Africa how to deal with the AIDS virus that is ravaging the continent.

The hospitals involved are Sheba Medical Center in Tel Hashomer, Hadassah University Hospital in Jerusalem and Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv.

The project, called the Israeli Consortium on AIDS Medicine in Africa, has trained 105 physicians from Ethiopia over the past five years. But this week, it entered a new phase, expanding to six other countries.

Altogether, 10 doctors from other African countries arrived in Israel this week for continuing professional training, from Botswana - whose AIDS problem is the worst in the world - Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and Uganda.

"In light of the terrible AIDS problem in Africa, we are augmenting our cooperation," said Prof. Shlomo Maayan, who initiated the project and heads the AIDS center at Hadassah Hospital's Ein Karem branch. "The project also now involves increased cooperation among Israeli universities that are working with the three hospitals and six East African universities."

He added that the effort has been assisted by the American Jewish Committee's Project Interchange and is being funded by a U.S. government program, the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief.

According to Dr. Peter Mugyenyi of Uganda, who heads the Ugandan AIDS center and is currently in Israel under the auspices of the Israeli Consortium on AIDS, for every two patients who begin AIDS treatment in Africa, another five are infected. He said treatment is not reaching all of those who need it, and international assistance is necessary.

Israeli physicians also benefit from the experience they gain through the project, Mugyenyi added.

Altogether, there are more than 6.7 million AIDS patients in Africa.

http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/israeli-hospitals-train-african-doctors-in-aids-treatments-1.319173

Iraqi Child Saved at Sheba

Wed, 13 Oct 2010 09:52:56 PDT

Iraqi child saved in Israel

Following life-saving surgery, child's mother says: We love Israel, not afraid to return to Iraq

A three-year-old Iraqi child is lying in his hospital bed in Israel and smiling, after his life was saved thanks to a surgery performed by Israeli doctors.

The child, Boland, suffers from an inborn heart defect that requires intense cardiovascular effort for any small effort, as if he was running a marathon.

The level of medicine in Iraq is not advanced enough to handle the problem, prompting the international Shevet Achim foundation, which cares for sick children in Iraq and Gaza, to fly him to Israel for surgery given the Jewish state's advanced capabilities in the field.

The child arrived in Israel with his mother about a month and a half ago, and was hospitalized in the Safra Hospital for Children at the Sheba Medical Center near Tel Aviv. He underwent the surgery in recent days and now feels better – he is smiling and his eyes express his gratitude.

'We love Israel'

Dr. David Mishali, who manages the center for inborn heart defects at the hospital, says that Boland would not be alive today without the surgery.

"When he arrived here, he was already at an almost irreversible condition," said the doctor, who personally operated on Boland.

The child's mother, Ranjin, is smiling too. "We love Israel and are not scared to go back home," she says. "We have good doctors in Iraq too, but the technology is not like in Israel. We had a possibility to undergo the surgery in Iran for thousands of dollars, but we are a family without such means."

Meanwhile, the Shevet Achim foundation is working at this time to bring another 30 Iraqi children to the Safra Hospital at Sheba for life-saving operations.

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3968830,00.html

Bereaved father transports ailing Palestinians to Israeli hospital (Sheba)

Sun, 10 Oct 2010 09:50:29 PDT

Bereaved father transports ailing Palestinians to Israeli hospital

Buma Inbar, whose son was killed in Lebanon, helps transfer Gazans in life-threatening condition to hospital just outside Tel Aviv. 'Leaders from both sides don’t care about people,' he says, 'I feel I’m doing the peace.' Palestinian patient's negative opinion of Israelis hasn't changed: 'Ask me how I feel when we have electricity and water in Gaza'

TEL AVIV - It’s 5 pm on a recent Thursday and Buma Inbar has spent an hour chatting with pediatric doctors at the Chaim Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer, outside Tel Aviv. The bearish 64-year-old former paratrooper wanders down a brightly lit corridor in the cancer ward and spies Hamuda Narem al-Fara sitting in the same chair the Gaza sheikh has occupied for weeks while his four-month-old grandson receives successive treatments for a gastro-intestinal disorder.

The baby is an exception. Dozens of the other children who have occupied adjoining rooms at the hospital in the past three years were picked up and taken there by Inbar, riding in the back seat of his beat-up white Mitsubishi Sedan.

Inbar, who lost his oldest son to fighting in Lebanon in 1995, calls out a greeting in Arabic and the white-bearded sheikh walks up and clasps him in a tight embrace, each kissing the other’s cheeks in a warm greeting. Al-Fara shows him a donated stack of tin-foiled dinners he will serve when he breaks the Ramadan fast.

This year, there were fewer recipients. Until July, about 65 children and teens from Gaza occupied the beds here, sharing the corridors with Israeli children. Now just 20 remain and there will be “much fewer” in the next several weeks, predicts Raied Baloum, a social worker who coordinates Gaza patients’ stays at the hospital.

More are being denied from entering Israel at a time when hospitals in Gaza are buckling under a shortage of medical equipment, drugs and trained doctors, according to the World Health Organization. Many of those who do get through are now being sent elsewhere by the Palestinian Authority.

Largely as a cost savings measure, it has referred more than 900 patients to Egypt since the Rafah crossing opened in June. That month, it stopped paying for the treatment of all Palestinians at the hospital at Tel Hashomer, Baloum said.

Gaza patients are also now being sent to Palestinian-run hospitals in east Jerusalem and the West Bank and a handful of other Israeli hospitals, where they are expected to have shorter and less expensive stays.

Baloum notes that at Chaim Sheba, children are first run through a battery of tests because many have been misdiagnosed by doctors in Gaza. Most are suffering from cancer and heart disease.

'So close and yet so far'

Gaza’s only children’s hospital has 300 cancer patients, but only 15 beds, said Dr. El Alul, its deputy manager and one of only three pediatric oncologists there.

“It’s getting worse,” said Alul. He is one of six Gaza doctors being trained at Chaim Sheba and other Israeli hospitals as part of a program run by the Peres Center for Peace. Virtually all other exit permits for such training have been blocked during the blockade.

Before the blockade, “we had enough drugs and it was easier because we dealt with the Israeli Health Ministry,” he said. “There was a better chance to be trained and refer patients to Israeli hospitals, and we had access to equipment.”

Israel has since allowed only patients facing life-threatening conditions to cross its border. Children must be accompanied by a family member, and that person is subjected to extensive screening, often including interviews by its security service, the Shin Bet.

Before this summer, Israeli officials rejected about 2% of the roughly 1,000 Gaza patients a month seeking treatment outside the territory, said Physicians for Human Rights, an Israeli medical organization that advocates for these patients. Since May, this has risen to about 12%.

The Palestinian Authority ultimately decides where each will be sent, and pays for their care out of an Israeli government account of Palestinian money that it has collected in value-added taxes.

The Palestinian Health Ministry said it is saving money by keeping patients away from the Chaim Sheba medical center, where leukemia patients are usually hospitalized for six to eight months. Those at the highest risk of dying are often kept for a year.

“This costs millions,” said the Palestinian Health Ministry's general director, Dr. Muhammed al-Kashif. He also accused it of keeping alive patients with no prospects of survival.

Patients needing emergency treatment will still be sent to Israel, he said, but most funds will now go to Palestinian hospitals instead. He added he thinks patients prefer to be in the hands of fellow Palestinians.

Pediatric doctors at the Chaim Sheba Medical Center disagree and express concern that children’s health will be compromised.

“They are treated with compassion, as if they were our sons,” said Dr. Raz Somech, director of the pediatric department and its immunology center, which he says is the only one in the region. “Tel Hashomer must make its best efforts to bring our patients back. It’s ridiculous.”

He said he is getting 50 calls a day from parents of children who are back in Gaza and face difficulties following instructions for after-care or have been rejected from returning for further treatment or surgery. “Sometimes we know if we send them home they will die.”

Until he left several weeks ago, Ahmed Rian was one of the “million dollar” patients. Inbar picked him and his father, Riyad, up at the Erez crossing about a year ago after the 16-year-old was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s disease. Riyad donated his blood, but a month and a half later, the cancer returned.

In July, after rounds of chemotherapy, he stood quietly next to his father as they greeted Inbar in a lobby filled with colorful animal murals. That Friday, as he always does, Inbar had driven a circuit of restaurants to pick up food for Riyad, who, like other patients’ relatives, was confined to the hospital for the entire duration of his son’s stay and slept by his side.

He was sent home in August with instructions to return soon for further treatment. Palestinian officials plan to send him to Ichilov Hospital instead, where they have just sent his older brother, Nashad, who also has the disease.

Riyad complained about the decision to send the boys to Tel Aviv's Sourasky Medical Center, saying the doctor at Chaim Sheba was “gold” and has all of Ahmed’s paperwork.

Unlike Ahmed, Rim al-Masri’s family has a connection to the ministry’s office in Gaza and she is expected to return to Chaim Sheba soon. She is awaiting a bone marrow transplant from her sister after undergoing surgery to close a hole in her heart.

Heavy-lidded and reed thin, she looked far younger than her 17 years in July, before her surgery.

“I was scared both to come to here and to have the surgeries,” she said then, adding she missed her three brothers and four sisters at home.

A group of volunteers, Orthodox Jews and their children, wheeled food down her corridor that night and she rose from her bed, dressed and wearing a headscarf, to receive it. Despite this and her doctor’s care, Rim’s negative opinion of Israelis has not changed. Her father, who worked in Israel before the blockade, is more charitable. Rim said half of the children in her extended family were killed during the 2008-2009 war.

“Ask me when we have electricity and water,” she said.

“Leaders from both sides – they don’t care about people,” said Buma. “I feel I’m doing the peace."

This year, he secured permission for a handful of the Gaza patients to join one of his annual visits for 1,400 boys from the West Bank to the turquoise waters off Jaffa on the Israeli coast. He was inspired when a boy there once told him it was his dream to see the ocean – just an hour’s drive away.

“So close and so far,” he said.

His wife, he said, has accused him of caring more for the Palestinians – who killed his son – than his own people.

He grew especially close to Hassan As-Saleya, a gravely ill four year old, as he frequently sat by the boy’s bedside during the year he was at Chaim Sheba. His father, initially barred from Israel for security reasons, was allowed in for several days after Inbar told Shin Bet contacts that doctors expected the boy to die soon. He was forced to return a day before Hassan succumbed, on a Friday. When the staff refused to drive his body to the Gaza border in an ambulance on the holy day, Inbar persuaded them to let him drive the boy’s body to the border so his family could immediately bury him, in keeping with Muslim practice.

“I wanted to hug Hassan’s mother when I gave her the body, but I didn’t want to offend her, so I just put my hand on his back.” His expression softens. He notes she became pregnant six months later and had a little girl.

On Tuesday, he made his weekly visit to Yotam’s grave in a soldiers' cemetery outside Tel Aviv. About 20 feet away is the grave of son’s best friend, Itay Shahal, who committed suicide just days after Yotam’s death.

“I wonder sometimes what he would think about what I’m doing,” Inbar said. “I know he would be proud.”

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3963478,00.html

Medical cannabis revolution in Israel, including Sheba

Fri, 01 Oct 2010 16:35:04 PDT

Medical cannabis in Israel: Revolution or evolution?

This country could become not only one of the few countries manufacturing marijuana-based medicines but also a key world pioneer in the field.

The standard image of cannabis is twofold. First is the one presented in the West’s films and pop subculture. Cannabis, also known as marijuana and “grass,” has been famous for centuries as a psychoactive, dreamy substance which, at the same time, is illegal in most countries and attracts a penalty if the user is caught.

Several generations of anti-establishment youth got off on hiding it and being part of a subversive underclass. Their non-cannabis-using peers were relegated to the term “squares” and accused of being boring.

The second attitude is one of recreational use in places like the Netherlands, where cannabis is openly ingested in the infamous cafes, with a denial that it is any more harmful than alcohol.

INNOVATIVE ISRAEL has taken a third path and put the nefarious weed into its proper place by recognizing it as medicine. And like all medicine, it has the potential for misuse. In any case, the use of cannabis derivatives as medicine is causing a small, silent revolution among hippies, squares and Dutch cafe users alike.

What is apparent, from much of the recent research, is that Cannabis sativa (the plant) has many properties that, administered correctly, offer a multitude of remedial benefits. In taking this forward, Israel is placing itself leaps ahead of worldwide competition, both scientifically now and commercially in the future.

Israel is one of the first countries to have permitted the use of medical marijuana. Tel Aviv’s cannabis clinics have been open for some time on an experimental basis, with government support. They offer treatment for cancer, multiple sclerosis, HIV, colitis and other ailments.

Recently too, Israel’s first-ever hospital to offer cannabis as a treatment, Sheba Medical Center in Tel Hashomer, started its pilot program. There patients obtain the necessary government permit, according to a strict protocol that the hospital developed, and then are provided with cannabis.

Soon smoking will be replaced with machines which vaporize the marijuana compound so they can inhale it with steam.

Cannabis for medical purposes is supplied by a Health Ministry approved, charitable company in Safed called Tikkun Olam, aptly named after the kabbalistic concept of restoring the world. Bags of neatly wrapped cannabis cigarettes from the company are distributed to licensed patients from various locations. The process is carefully controlled and monitored by the government under the watchful eye of Dr. Yehuda Baruch, director-general of Abarbanel Mental Health Center.

Medical cannabis guru Prof. Raphael Mechoulam of Hebrew University in Jerusalem famously pioneered research in 1964 to isolate tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main active ingredient in cannabis, which he was able to synthesize.

In 1993, he and his research team discovered another compound called anandamide, which occurs naturally in the brain and acts in a similar way to THC. Recent research has found this to link to neonatal appetite stimulation in the womb.

Now Mechoulam uses cannabis provided by the police to create different chemical compounds that may be useful in treatment.

The benefits of cannabis as medicine lie in reducing pain, increasing appetite, modulating mood and various positive effects on the nervous system, as identified with sufferers of multiple sclerosis.

The uses are wide and the potential benefit is huge, but what are the risks? THE CASE against cannabis is wholly based on harm-related research and legality. The first, most obvious, risk is crime. Security on cannabis clinics is high (no pun intended). Recently, reports suggested that there was a “cannabis drought” in the Middle East. When illegal cannabis does arrive in Israel, most of it is courtesy of Egypt, Lebanon and Jordan. The likely consequence, if there is indeed a drought, is a growing black market. The potential for sale of medical cannabis in such a market might prove too tempting for some. Criminal raids on legitimate cannabis providers may become an issue. Whatever happens, these factors will require careful monitoring.

Misuse and addiction are other issues. Usually, cannabis treatments are given in low doses to those with a significant health problem where other treatments may no longer be effective.

Often patients are over 30 and the expected benefits outweigh any harmful side-effects of the substance.

Clinics may have to monitor increasing trends in demand and ensure assessment is always rigorous.

Risks from cannabis lie in its mild hallucinogenic effect and potential to induce psychosis and paranoia in a small percentage of the population, particularly if ingested in large amounts. Its dependence potential has been questioned but exists at least psychologically, if not as a physical addiction.

There are also physical risks in the method of ingestion. Inhalation gets the active ingredients into the bloodstream rapidly but doing this using cigarettes can add damage from the other chemicals present in the smoke, such as various carcinogens and carbon monoxide. There may be risk to others of passive smoking. It should be noted, however, that most medicines have some kind of risk.

Israel’s innovation in treatment using cannabis derivatives really has the potential to be revolutionary. Clearly, cannabis is a substance that has significant risks attached to it and will need to be carefully regulated. The risks may decrease as cannabis derivatives are understood more and are made into safer formats, such as steam inhalation, tablets or liquids. It would seem further research is needed in many areas, in relation to benefits and risks, treatment methodology and outcomes, but then this is true for many new medicines.

If the risks are managed, through a solid process of clinical evolution, then the potential for the economy is significant. Israel could become not only one of the few countries manufacturing cannabis-based medicines but also a key world pioneer in this field. So it’s good-bye hippies and good-bye squares. Welcome to the new world of mature medicine, using plant derivatives as perhaps nature originally intended.

The writer is a freelance writer, therapist and former UK National Health Service manager. He has an MSc in clinical and public health aspects of addiction and a special interest in social marketing in health. He spends much of his time in Tel Aviv when he is not working in London.

http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Columnists/Article.aspx?id=189638

Cardiac research center holds promise for patients

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 11:23:56 PDT

Tamman Cardiovascular Research Center at Sheba hopes to produce hormones that repair damaged hearts.

Researchers at Sheba Medical Center’s new Tamman Cardiovascular Research Center expect that in another two or three years, heart patients will benefit from their discoveries, among them the production of adult stem cells from a small amount of adipose (fat) tissue around the heart, to produce hormones that repair damaged hearts.

The center was donated by the children of Gabi and Lina Tamman, Jews of Egyptian origin who are in real estate in Geneva. Five generations of Tammans were present at the dedication ceremony at Sheba last week of the research center, on the spacious top floor of the new Leviev Heart Center.

The multimillion-dollar research facility at Tel Hashomer, which includes state-of-the-art labs and is apparently the only one in the country to focus on cardiovascular research, is staffed by 20 physicians, scientists, investigators, students and assistants.

Sheba director-general Prof. Ze’ev Rotstein, who attended the ceremony with heart institute director Prof. Micha Eldar and Tamman Center director Prof. Jonathan Leor, said that management decided on the unique project a few years ago and “finally it has been implemented in a breathtaking way. It is the diamond in the crown.”

Solomon Tamman, the couple’s son, said that all the family members were called on to help in the project.

“We are here, five generations of us, to see from close up the wonderful work going on in this leading center. A strong Israel is the source of power and hope for all Jews in the world.”

Leor told The Jerusalem Post that the research will eventually benefit not only older people with heart disease but also young people with congenital heart defects, as well as victims of other diseases.

“Basic genetic, molecular and other research on unexplained findings in hospital patients will lead to better treatments,” he said.

Among the methods and subjects besides the use of stem cells that are being developed are engineering of cardiac tissues, study of the genetics of cardiovascular diseases, angiogenesis (growth of new blood vessels) and work on irregular heartbeats at the cellular level.

“There is potential for treating peripheral vascular diseases, atherosclerosis, ischemia, cardiomyopathies, congenital defects and other diseases,” he said.

Cardiac research has been carried out in other Sheba facilities for two decades and more, but the additional space and equipment, as well as more students will make it possible to boost that considerably, Leor added.

The center has cooperation agreements with other Israeli institutes and with foreign ones in places like Harvard University, the University of Virginia, New York University and the University of Southern California, as well as others in Europe, he said.

http://www.jpost.com/HealthAndSci-Tech/Health/Article.aspx?id=186635

Israeli doctors arrive in Romania to treat babies burned in hospital fire

Wed, 18 Aug 2010 11:08:35 PDT

Seven premature babies were in critical condition after a fire in an intensive care unit at a Bucharest hospital, in which four babies died.

Israeli doctors who rushed to Romania on Wednesday said they feared there was not much they could do to help seven premature infants who were critically burned in a hospital fire that left four other babies dead.

Romanian doctors at Bucharest's Grigore Alexandrescu children's hospital where the injured babies are being treated said the infants weigh just 1 to 2.5 kilograms (2.2 to 5.5 pounds) and are burned on up to 80 percent of their bodies and respiratory tracts.

Monday's blaze at Giulesti maternity hospital forced the evacuation of dozens of babies and women - some in labor. The accident provoked a wave of public indignation, throwing light on Romania's poorly funded and understaffed health system.

Doctor Josef Haik, part of a team from Tel Aviv University and the Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer, told reporters that he doesn't think they can do any more.

"Their condition can change at any moment, but they are cared for by a professional team," he said. "We've treated premature babies, but we have not seen so many cases in one place."

Thousands of doctors have left Romania in recent years for better paid jobs abroad. Hospitals are understaffed and cannot hire, as the government battles a sharp economic downturn and tries to keep the budget deficit down.

Relations with Israel have become closer in recent months, after six Israeli airmen died in a helicopter crash in July during joint training exercises with Romania. Romanian President Traian Basescu promised Israeli President Shimon Peres that his country would be a loyal partner of Israel in the event of a conflict with Iran.

Romanian health official Marius Savu said he had discussed transferring some of the infants to Israel, but was advised against it.

Dozens of people gathered outside the hospital, where the fire occurred, to light candles and leave flowers and fluffy toys.

Responding to calls for his resignation, Health Minister Attila Cseke called on Bucharest city hall to fire the managers of the maternity hospital.

It is still not clear what caused the fire, but unconfirmed media reports pointed to a malfunctioning air conditioning unit. An investigation is still under way to determine the cause of the blaze.

http://www.haaretz.com/news/international/israeli-doctors-arrive-in-romania-to-treat-babies-burned-in-hospital-fire-1.308807

Sheba heart transplant patient has twins!

Tue, 27 Jul 2010 10:58:24 PDT

Jerusalem woman is first in Israel and fifth in the world.

A 33-year-old woman from the Jerusalem area became the first person in Israel – and just the fifth in the world – to give birth to twins after previously undergoing a heart transplant.

The woman, who is from a nationalreligious background and insisted on having children even though it posed a risk to her life and could have harmed the fetuses, was treated before and during pregnancy at Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer. She delivered her baby girls at Hadassah University Medical Center on Jerusalem’s Mount Scopus on Sunday.

Prof. Jacob “Jay” Lavee, head of Sheba’s transplant unit, told The Jerusalem Post that the pregnancy had been risky not because of the woman’s heart – which she received four years ago – but because the high doses of immune suppression drugs she’s needed had to be lowered to the point where they did not harm the fetuses.

The dosage was adjusted by Sheba heart transplant clinic director Dr. Yedael Har-Zahav two months before the woman became pregnant, and she was closely monitored throughout.

“We had to walk the fine line not to give her too little immune suppressants and not too much to endanger the twins,” said Lavee. “We really discourage women from getting pregnant after undergoing a heart transplant, but she was determined. If she wants more [children], we would try to discourage her, but we would help her if she insisted.”

The new mother, a teacher who has been active in encouraging organ donations, underwent a cesarean section at Hadassah. The babies weighed 1.5 and 2 kilos at delivery and were in good condition.

Two of the four previous cases of heart transplant patients giving birth to twins were in the US, with one in France and another in Italy. Lavee said his Sheba team carefully studied the medical literature to determine how much immune-suppressant drugs their patient required.

http://www.jpost.com/HealthAndSci-Tech/Health/Article.aspx?id=182595

For a Haitian amputee, life-changing aid is in sight

Sat, 24 Jul 2010 11:04:07 PDT

Across Haiti, a vast global relief effort continues for the 3 million people affected by the Jan. 12 quake. Those receiving the largesse are often the last to know what it all means.

Sounlove Zamor was scrubbing laundry under an acacia tree when a stranger arrived to ask her about the good news.

The news was this: Foreign benefactors had arranged to fly Zamor, a 19-year-old student who lost both legs in Haiti's earthquake, to a top-notch hospital in Israel to be fitted with prosthetic limbs and get rehabilitation for as long as four months, fully paid.

Zamor and her sister soon would fly to Tel Aviv. On the far side of the ocean, new legs awaited.

But here in the Haitian countryside, at the end of a dirt road that surrenders to a weedy footpath, Zamor was hearing for the first time the details of a journey that would change her life. Beneath a spray of tight braids, her round face betrayed neither surprise nor joy at word that the plan was coming true.

"They told me that when I was in the hospital, but I haven't heard anything since then," she said.

"Thank you."

Across this broken, impoverished land thrums the machine of a vast global relief effort to provide water, tents, latrines, medical care and police protection to the 3 million Haitians affected by the Jan. 12 quake. Those on the receiving end of the largesse are often the last to know what it all means.

In Zamor's case, the wheels of charity began turning after The Times featured her in a report in February about the plight of thousands of quake victims who had undergone amputations. The article generated a number of offers from readers wanting to help.

Among them was Jack Saltzberg, executive director of a Los Angeles-based foundation affiliated with Israel's Sheba Medical Center. He thought the Israeli hospital, with a high-tech rehabilitation center and a long history of treating those gravely wounded in Middle East violence, was just the place to get Zamor walking again.

At the time, Zamor lay in a hospital to the north, where she had been taken after being pulled from the rubble. When the quake struck, Zamor was on the second floor of a house in Port-au-Prince, the capital, where she stayed part time with her father, the caretaker.

The building opened like jaws beneath her feet, she recalled, then closed just as suddenly, chewing off her left leg. They never found it.

Her right leg was mangled, her father was dead.

Doctors amputated the crushed leg, leaving Zamor a double amputee in a country where the disabled face monumental physical and social barriers. Both legs now end a little below the knee.

Before the earthquake, she was a vivacious young woman who liked kicking a soccer ball, dancing and practicing modeling struts with her friends. Now, the thought of dancing seemed a cruel joke.

Saltzberg relayed word to Zamor, through a Times translator, that the Israeli hospital would treat her and house her older sister, Baranatha, during her rehabilitation.

Over the next several months, staying in touch with Zamor from abroad would be a complicated task, conducted through intermediaries across barriers of language, distance and unreliable phone service.

"It's been daunting," Saltzberg said by telephone. "I was hoping to get her out in three weeks and it's taken several months."

There was another hitch: Zamor didn't have a passport. But her birth certificate and other documents survived at the family's ramshackle compound here in Ganthier, a rural stretch of sugar cane fields and papaya trees an hour-and-a-half drive east of Port-au-Prince. Zamor has lived here with relatives in tents since March.

Israeli diplomats in Port-au-Prince and the neighboring Dominican Republic helped speed the passport application. When Zamor and an Israeli official went to Haiti's passport office, she was able to skirt the line in her donated wheelchair.

Zamor was aware that the passport had been issued, but knew nothing about the planned departure until the visitor showed up to ask about the trip, which is scheduled for early August.

If she was weary of waiting, Zamor did not let on. She spoke with a matter-of-factness that was just shy of laconic. A soft smile peeked through now and then.

For four months, Zamor has slept in one of the donated tents next to her family's quake-damaged concrete houses. The group spends lots of time watching the balky television they have set under the trees. The death of Zamor's father meant the loss of the main breadwinner. Without the charity of neighbors, she said, "we would probably starve."

When she needs to go somewhere, Zamor's sisters steer her wheelchair over the bumpy terrain. The other day, she was debating whether to attend an annual party of her church-sponsored youth group. She wasn't sure she could bear it.

"Last time I was around a lot of my friends," she said, "I couldn't stop crying."

The farthest she has traveled before is Gonaives, the city up the coast from Port-au-Prince where she was hospitalized. Zamor can't place Israel on a map but knows it's mentioned a lot in the Bible. "They said it's a godly place," she said.

Zamor thinks about new legs, about snatching back a piece of the life she was supposed to have. She'd like to finish high school, find a career.

She imagines sashaying with her friends again. She worked the idea like a lozenge.

"Yes," she said, as if assuring herself. "I would like that."

www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-haiti-amputee-20100725,0,5117674.story

Israeli doctors in Congo to aid burn victims get slammed for occupation

Sun, 18 Jul 2010 10:34:55 PDT

Israeli doctors working in Congo learn locals turned out to be good hosts - but working with Western volunteers is more complicated.

Uvira, Democratic Republic of Congo - Having never visited Africa before, Israeli burn specialist Dr. Eyal Winkler was apprehensive about what was in store for the delegation of five medical specialists which he led this week to Congo. The locals turned out to be good hosts - but working with Western volunteers proved more complicated.

“I came to save lives, but also because it’s important to me to show that Israel is not the Flotilla Country that it is painted out to be,” said Winkler, deputy director of the department of plastic and reconstructive surgery at Sheba Medical Center.

On Tuesday Winkler arrived at the city of Uvira to treat 50 Congolese who were severely burnt in a fire that claimed more than 230 lives in the nearby village of Sange, where an oil truck had overturned and caught fire. Winkler’s five-man squad was the first team of specialists to arrive in the district of South Kivu to treat the injured.

They were there with Daniel Saada, Israel’s ambassador to Congo, as an official delegation of the Israeli foreign ministries Mashav aid agency. The team crossed remote border crossings with ease under the supervision of South Kivu’s governor, Jean-Claude Kibala. The president of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Joseph Kabila, telephoned the delegation to thank them.

But the relationship with the volunteers of Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders) Netherlands, who arrived at Uvira the previous week, began on a sour note, according to Winkler and the other Israeli specialists.

Winkler said he got the impression that some volunteers for MSF - which has accused Israel of war crimes and obstructing medical care for Palestinians - did not want to be around him or the other team members, Drs. Shmuel Kalazkin, Gil Gragov Nardini and Ariel Tessone, and nurse Noa Anastasia Ouchakova.

“This is the reality today: Doctors from international aid organizations treat a delegation of volunteer Israeli doctors to Congo as though we were occupiers”, Winkler told Nati Harush, the foreign ministries deputy chief security officer who accompanied the delegation.

Inevitably, perhaps, this lead the eight Israelis seated around the breakfast table at a hotel situated on the shores of Lake Tanganyika to engage in that popular Israeli pastime: Arguing loudly about politics. Some of the participants in this political discussion - surprisingly, the first to break out since the group left for Africa 72 hours earlier - blamed the occupation for the perceived situation. Others said it was unrelated.

“This is an emotional time, and there are obvious political sensitivities,” Dr. Geert Morren, a doctor from Belgium who arrived at Uvira with MSF Netherlands, said after meeting the Israeli delegation. MSF has accused Israel of "devastating disregard" for civilians during its 2009 Gaza invasion.

"Unfortunately, it's true. International aid organizations here are very pro-Palestinian and not too friendly to Israelis," said Gila Garaway, an American training specialist who immigrated to Israel in 1983 before leaving for Congo in 1997. She has worked in cooperation with the Israeli foreign minister on various aid projects over the past 15 years.

Morren and the other MSF team members declined to be interviewed about their cooperation with the Israelis, explaining they needed authorization from the main office.

When the Israeli doctors told Morren that they felt as though an MSF anesthesiologist from Canada would not stay in the same room with them, he explained she had not been feeling well.

Despite the initial tense atmosphere, the Israeli doctors forged a partnership with Morren, one of the 10-odd MSF volunteers working in Uvira and Sange.

Morren, a surgeon, stayed with the Israeli team the first and second day. Together they completed a total of five complicated operations requiring extensive skin grafting. The Israeli team was wearing heavy protective gear for fear of contracting HIV and other diseases in the stifling heat of a makeshift operation tent. After consulting with the local Congolese doctors, they took off some layers, realizing risk was lower than they initially assessed.

“Politics is only politics, and you have to know how to make it melt away,” Winkler said. “Our mission is a humanitarian operation through and through, as part of the vision of Sheba and its director general, Professor Ze'ev Rothstein.”

He said that Dr. Morren “helped us a lot at the hospital - he took over communicating with patients and with hospital authorities and did stuff for us that we could never have done ourselves.”

Still, some MSF volunteers were not too pleased about the musical selection that the Israeli team brought with them, to play on their iPod during the operation. Asked what she though about the Israeli singer Gidi Gov, Julie, an MSF anesthesiologist from Canada, said: “I’d rather have some quiet so I can hear myself think.”

The Israeli team members were not moved. “The anesthesiologists at Sheba aren’t always pleased with the musical selection either,” said Winkler. “But it helps us cope with the intense pressure that we experience during these complicated, messy and life-saving operations.”

During their stay, the Israeli medical staff trained Congolese doctors in performing skin grafts. They will leave behind approximately one ton of medical equipment.

http://www.haaretz.com/news/features/israeli-doctors-in-congo-to-aid-burn-victims-get-slammed-for-occupation-1.302585

Baby saves mother from blood clot, at Sheba

Wed, 14 Jul 2010 10:29:41 PDT

A new miracle birth in the Holy land?

In a land well known for the biblical story of a holy birth, The Israeli media is trumpeting a new modern miracle from a baby to be.

There were no three wise men or a manger this time but there was one smart yet to be born child waving at the doctors – look there is something wrong. ‪

On Sunday, mom to be Hindi Gross was undergoing a routine sonogram at the Sheba hospital in central Israel, a day before her pre-planned C-section.

She felt good, there were no indications of any problem, but when the doctor looked at the sonogram screen he was very surprised.‪‪

"I saw something floating in the amniotic fluid and the baby grabbed and waved it, as if trying to tell us - take a look at that, something is wrong. I have seen blood clots in the uterus before but I have never seen a baby grabbing it and waving it like that", Dr. Yinon Gilboa, obstetrics and gynecology specialist, told Fox.‪‪ ‪‪

The doctor soon realized that the baby was holding a 2.75 inch blood clot and the mother was rushed to the OR.‪‪ ‪‪

The little baby girl was delivered safely and is now 4 days old. She does not have a name yet but she is already known through out Israel as the little heroine who miraculously saved her mother's life.‪‪ ‪‪ ‪‪

Take a look at the baby sonogram (courtesy of Sheba Medical Center, Israel) online: http://liveshots.blogs.foxnews.com/2010/07/14/a-new-miracle-birth-in-the-holy-land/

Israeli doctors are first foreign specialists to treat victims of Congo oil blast

Tue, 13 Jul 2010 10:27:23 PDT

Government agency sends 4 doctors and a nurse from the Sheba Medical Center to the area surrounding the village of Sange in eastern Congo

Bujumbura, Burundi - Two weeks after the death of more than 200 people in an oil tanker explosion in Congo, Israeli doctors will be the first specialists sent to treat the dozens of burn victims who survived the blast.

Congolese President Joseph Kabila telephoned the Israeli delegation to the region to thank its members on Monday night, but activist said it was too limited in scope to make a lasting impact.

On Monday, the Agency for International Development Cooperation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, MASHAV, sent four doctors and a nurse from Sheba Medical Center to the area surrounding the village of Sange in eastern Congo, where a truck carrying hundreds of kilotons of petroleum caught fire last Friday.

“We’re carrying half a ton of equipment to treat 30 injured in two locales,” said Dr. Eyal Winkler, deputy director of Sheba’s department of plastic and reconstructive Surgery. With Winkler are Drs. Shmuel Kalazkin, Ariel Tessone and Gil Gragov Nardini, and nurse Noa Anastasia Ouchakova.

The new arrivals will be working with a U.S.-born Israeli woman who lives in Congo and works with the foreign ministry, Gila Garawy. She says not all the patients are receiving anesthetics in the rural hospitals where they are treated, where electricity and running water are unreliable.

“When I came to visit them I could see their eyes light up with hope because they mistook me for the doctor from Israel they’d been expecting,” said Garaway, whose two sons live in Israel with her seven grandchildren. She also said that she had seen cases in which burn victims became “psychotic from pain.”

Jean-Michel Bolima, a social activist who was born in the eastern Congo city of Kisangani, said: “Any help is welcome and important, but we want to see actions that benefit more people than 31. This is a limited operation. Israel is always first to offer aid, and this is admirable. But it is not constructing a hospital there. Yet this would have made a serious impact on people’s lives.”

Haim Divon, head of Masahv, said that the agency has been supporting Gila Garawy in her efforts over the past year to open a burn-treatment center in Bukavu, near the village of Sange.

http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/israeli-doctors-are-first-foreign-specialists-to-treat-victims-of-congo-oil-blast-1.301553

Sheba's Prof. Eli Schwartz pens new book on travelers and tropical diseases

Sun, 20 Jun 2010 10:48:41 PDT

A new book on Israeli travelers' risks of contracting tropical diseases on their travels.

They go to have fun, make friends, discover the world, test their abilities and learn about themselves – and some come back unwell or even rushed to an Israeli hospital. Every year, hundreds of Israel backpackers – including some middle-aged adults – return from Third Worldavd “paradises” not only with memories and memorabilia but also with serious tropical diseases due to apathy, negligence or bad luck.

An infectious diseases specialist and an educational psychologist teamed up to write a book, in Hebrew, about these travelers and the malaria, bilharzia, dengue fever, leishmaniasis and other potentially fatal diseases they pick up. One hopes they pack up and read the 248-page, softcover volume along with their maps and travel guides so they can stay healthy during their treks in the Far East, Africa and South America.

Titled Nosaya Samui: Sipureihem Shel Nos’im Veshel Mahalot Tropiot Nilvot (A Hidden Traveler: Narratives of Travelers With Tropical Diseases), the NIS 78 book was written by Sheba Medical Center Prof. Eli Schwartz and Dr. Orna Schatz-Oppenheimer and published by Ramot-Tel Aviv University. It makes an interesting, often fascinating read as the authors combine their talents to provide a lot of laymen-friendly clinical information intertwined with personal stories of Israeli victims.

The main aim of the book, they write in the introduction, is to explain the risks of catching unfamiliar diseases that even many Israeli doctors have never seen. “For those who intend to go on a journey or trek, worried parents of backpackers, medical staffers, company workers involved in the Third World and just those who are curious and enjoy reading – to all these, A Hidden Traveler opens a window” on the relatively new field of tropical medicine.

MALARIA, which is derived from the Italian words mala aria (because it was thought “bad” or polluted air caused it), is still one of the most fatal diseases, killing about two million people a year. It was in Israel’s swampland too, and whole settlements were abandoned due to the toll taken by Anopheles mosquitoes carrying the plasmodium parasite and spreading the disease. But in 1966, the World Health Organization declared it eradicated in Israel; since then, it has been diagnosed only in Israelis and foreigners bringing it from abroad.

There are three million types of mosquitoes in the world, they write, and 400 belong to the Anopheles family. About 25 of these can carry the parasite and transmit it to humans. The plasmodium parasite come in four types – ovale, malariae, vivax and falciparum, but the last two are responsible for 95 percent of all cases. Charles-Louis Alfonse Laveran, a French military doctor, first identified the parasite in 1880 in red blood cells of a malaria victim; 27 years later, he received the Nobel Prize for his achievement.

The female Anopheles mosquito needs blood for the protein “meal” the eggs she lays can feed on. She sucks the blood through a hole in the victim’s skin, and if she carries plasmodium, two weeks later the first symptoms appear – a high fever, weakness, headache, chills and possible pain of the joints and lower limbs. As these symptoms are influenza-like, doctors may misdiagnose the problem as flu, especially if it occurs in the autumn/winter flu season, the authors note.

IF UNTREATED or unsuccessfully treated, malaria can result in severe headaches, epileptic attacks, respiratory difficulties, kidney failure, loss of consciousness and then death. Only a specific blood test can confirm the diagnosis – and unfortunately, in far-off Third World countries, such a test is not readily available. It is more difficult to diagnose if the Ovale or Vivax parasite is involved, as it may show some symptoms, then “sleep” in the liver and awaken months later. This has produced misinformation among trekkers that malaria can be treated, only to reappear later, but there is no scientific basis to this, insists Schwartz.

The first effective drug for treating malaria was identified by the Indians of Peru, who used the bark of a local tree – Cinchona or Chinchona – to treat it.

The active ingredient in Peruvian bark is quinine. It was synthesized at the end of the 19th century and called quinidine and shown effective as an injected drug not only against malaria but also against irregular heartbeat after heart attacks. But as the parasite developed resistance to the drug, there has been a constant search for new, safe and effective ones. A drug called mefloquine (Lariam) developed by the US army and taken once a week has proven very efficient; it sometimes causes dizziness and stomach discomfort and should not be prescribed to people with neurological disease, especially epilepsy, or psychiatric problems. Two other malaria drugs are malarone and a Chinese concoction named sweet wormwood.

When visiting places where malaria is endemic, one must also take pills to reduce the risk of infection, but they don’t prevent infection, as they hinder the parasite’s development and halt the disease. Many backpackers believe that the pills’ side effects are more unpleasant than the disease, but this is untrue, according to the book. No protective vaccination has been developed so far, as the parasite “knows how to escape” from the immune system. Thus the best prevention is wearing long-sleeved shirts and long trousers, using mosquito repellant and sleeping in rooms whose windows are screened (as the bugs bite at night).

The authors include a chapter taken from a book produced by the Foreign Ministry about how successful malaria treatment at Sheba Medical Center of Isaias Afewerki, the president of Eritrea, led to diplomatic relations with Israel.

In 1993, Afewerki visited disease-infested parts of his country and took sick with malaria that reached his brain and put him into a coma. The Americans, fearful that Afewerki’s death would end the peace process with Ethiopia, pressed for hospitalization in Israel, despite Muslim countries’ opposition. He was flown to Sheba along with senior ministers and advisers; excellent treatment was provided, and he recovered fully, even chatting with then-foreign minister Shimon Peres. He was able to return home in an Israel Aircraft Industry jet, and liked it so much that he bought it on the spot. When he suffered a rare complication due to the severity of his illness, he returned to Israel for a checkup and was successfully treated. In May 1993, two months after his second visit, diplomatic relations between Eritrea and Israel were declared.

MICHAL, a 30-year-old Israeli who took very ill with malaria in India, gives a frank interview while in an Israeli hospital. A graphic artist, she decided to leave her routine and trek with a boyfriend and alone. The patients’ personal stories are printed in italics, with the authors giving helpful commentary on the medical aspects.

She had been away for many months and returned for her birthday, but spent it in an Israeli hospital feeling awful. She had diarrhea, ringing in her ears and low blood sugar in addition to the better-known symptoms of malaria.

“I presume it will be much more difficult to return to India after I got sick there,” she says, “but it was an incredible experience and I’m sure I will return.

What is clear is that one has to be very aware that the minute one’s temperature rises and one can still travel, get on a train or a plane or hire a jeep for NIS 600 or NIS 1,000 and get to a hospital... and not some clinic.”

Drora, a divorced woman in her 50s, is not the typical Israeli trekker. She spends many months traveling alone, making friends with people her children’s age and dancing and doing meditation in ashrams. Suddenly she felt she was losing her strength, but though the number of red blood cells in her body had dropped, malaria was not diagnosed. She became so apathetic that her daughter had to fly in to take her home. Yellow from the decomposition of blood cells, she was covered up in the plane going home so as not to frighten other passengers. She could hardly breathe when she arrived at the hospital, and was immediately admitted to intensive care. Drora thought she was dying – but was not alarmed. Only when a friend visited her and demanded that she fight the disease did Drora decide to get well.

An Israeli who lived in Angola buying raw diamonds from local dealers and living in a well-guarded villa got malaria for the fourth time, but the last was very severe, harming his kidneys. Even though he was hospitalized there, doctors didn’t know what type of parasite was involved and gave him drugs on a trial-and-error basis. Fortunately, he got back to Israel in time, and his kidney function recovered. But he decided not to live in Africa any more.

Bilharzia is a tropical disease known scientifically as schistosomiasis, produced by the trematoda worm that lives in water polluted with human excrement.

The worm, only 12 to 14 millimeters long, passes through the skin to internal organs. The eggs are eliminated in the urine and stool and, when they meet up with a certain type of snail, breed inside and are excreted. A month after they enter the human body, the victim develops a high fever as an allergic reaction to the worms. When eggs are released by the worms, the disease spreads, producing itching, burning and blood in the urine. Some patients are misdiagnosed with a tumor. The eggs can wander into the prostate in men and genitals of women, causing more problems. A drug called praziquantel (Biltricide) is recommended when the worms reach adulthood.

Bilharzia existed here in the 1920s, apparently brought by pilgrims, Beduin and soldiers who came from Egypt. In some Arab villages, nearly everybody was infected. Just bathing in the Yarkon was enough to infect 170 pupils in 1928. But ironically, the heavy organic pollution that developed in the Yarkon killed off the snails, and the cycle of infection was halted. Eventually, it disappeared from the country, only to appear in Israeli travelers and foreigners.

Tali, a 30-year-old student, went to Africa for over a year and picked up bilharzia while bathing in a Malawi lake. She retells her experiences as a single woman travelling to Uganda and other countries, with the local married women protecting her from macho males. Feeling unwell, she returned to Israel and suffered greatly. “It was really scary; I was weak and couldn’t do anything.”

It took months until she was correctly diagnosed and treated by a tropical disease expert, who asked for photos and a full description of what she did during her travels. Finally, she recovered.

Dengue fever is spread by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, their bites causing high fever, joint and muscle pain and sever headache. It is common in the Caribbean, Far East and Latin America but less so in Africa. The import by the US and European countries of cheap tires from the Far East led to the mosquitoes’ “import” as they lived in their wet hollows. The most serious type of the disease is dengue hemorrhagic fever, which is often fatal. There is no vaccine or specific drug; people are given supportive care to recover.

Leishmaniasis is spread by the bite of the sand fly and is common in the Middle East, known in Israel as the Rose of Jericho because of the rash. But other types affect not only the skin but rather internal organs, membranes and cartilage. Various drugs are available, depending on the type, but the body can sustain serious permanent damage.

At the conclusion of the book, Schwartz and Schatz-Oppenheimer note that every year, some 100,000 Israelis visit Thailand and 50,000 go to India. Latin America is also popular, with 55,000 trekkers, and 20,000 more go to Africa.

Poor hygienic conditions do not deter them.

Israeli doctors who treat returning trekkers are frustrated by the fact that the supply of drugs is minimal as companies have to go through much red tape to be scientifically tested, approved and registered; in addition, “only” hundreds of Israelis a year need them. With an inadequate supply of drugs, treatment that would have taken only a few days drags on.

As the Third World is brought closer by travelers, a change in thinking is required, the authors conclude. “From the personal stories we have presented in the book, it is clear that diseases that used to exist in far-off regions of the world are coming here quickly. This book exposes some hidden travelers’ diseases that have become visible guests in our home.”

http://www.jpost.com/HealthAndSci-Tech/Health/Article.aspx?id=178915

Sheba scientists: Teen-age Boys Have Greater Risk Than Girls Of High Blood Pressure As Adults

Tue, 15 Jun 2010 10:36:16 PDT

Teen-age boys with normal blood pressure are three to four times more likely than girls to develop high blood pressure early in adulthood, according to a large scale study published in Hypertension: Journal of the American Heart Association.

Researchers examined the natural history of the development of blood pressure from adolescence to young adulthood in 23,191 boys and 3,789 girls from average age 17 to 42 years, with regular and repeated readings of blood pressure and body mass index (BMI).

Participants were part of the Metabolic, Lifestyle, and Nutrition Assessment in Young Adults (MELANY) Study, conducted by the Israeli Defence Forces.

Previously, systolic blood pressures (the top number in a blood pressure reading) of 100, 105 and 110 were considered within the normal range for adolescents, researchers said. However, the study found that elevations in blood pressure within the normal range can be consistent with pre-hypertension and represent higher risk of developing hypertension in early adulthood (20s and 30s).

"Blood pressure values well below the hypertensive range already can serve as good predictors for future hypertension," said Amir Tirosh, M.D., Ph.D., one of the study's lead authors and a fellow in the Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Hypertension at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, Mass.

[Dr. Tirosh is a clinician and researcher in endocrinology and diabetology at the Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer in Israel, currently in the United States on a fellowship from Sheba Medical Center's Talpiot Medical Leadership Program. Tirosh's co-authors Afek, Grossman, Karasik, Shamiss and others are also on staff at the Sheba Medical Center.]

"The rate of progression to hypertension is higher in teen-agers whose systolic blood pressure is 110 versus those whose blood pressure is 100 and is different between boys and girls."

During the follow-up period, 14 percent, or 3,810 people, developed hypertension. Researchers examined the interaction between BMI and blood pressure, because of concerns about the current epidemic of overweight and obesity.

For boys, the risk of high blood pressure as young adults increases throughout the entire range of BMI, including what's considered normal weight, a BMI of 18.5 to 25.

For girls, only the sub-group considered obese had substantially higher risk of high blood pressure. The sex hormone estrogen may protect against hypertension, explaining the sex differences researchers said.

"BMI is considered an independent risk factor that interacts with blood pressure to predict future risk of hypertension," Tirosh said. "Together, these factors provide a simple and useful tool that can serve as a red flag to detect sub-groups of teens at high risk of hypertension as adults while in their teens."

For boys already in the upper range for normal weight, with systolic blood pressure 110 and above, the risk of hypertension increases at about 1 percent per year. So, already before the age of 30 years about 10 percent of that group will develop hypertension, Tirosh said.

"It is never too early to start lifestyle modification and intervene to prevent hypertension, heart disease and diabetes," he said. "Hypertension, heart disease and their prevention have been perceived as more relevant to an older population, but now we know that slight changes in blood pressure and weight should represent an alert for pediatricians to begin prevention as early as possible. It is better to prevent a disease than treat it."

The study findings apply to the United States and other industrialized nations, researchers said.

The Talpiot Medical Leadership Program, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, Israel and the Israeli Defence Forces Medical Corps funded the study.

Co-authors are: Arnon Afek, M.D., M.H.A.; Assaf Rudich, M.D., Ph.D.; Ruth Percik, M.D.; Barak Gordon, M.D.; Nir Ayalon, M.D.; Estela Derazme, M.P.H.; Dora Tzur, M.P.H.; Daphna Gershnabel, M.D.; Ehud Grossman, M.D.; Avraham Karasik, M.D.; Ari Shamiss, M.D., M.P.A. and Iris Shai, R.D., Ph.D. Author disclosures are on the manuscript. (Afek, Grossman, Karasik and Shamiss are also on staff at the Sheba Medical Center).

Source: American Heart Association

Article URL: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/191784.php

Sheba's Prof. Achiron Preempts Multiple Sclerosis

Sun, 13 Jun 2010 10:40:09 PDT

A breakthrough finding from Israel may lead to earlier diagnosis, more effective intervention, and perhaps even a cure for the autoimmune disease multiple sclerosis.

"Those who will develop MS will show a different blood signature from those who will not," Prof. Anat Achiron, director of the Multiple Sclerosis Center at Sheba Medical Center.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) has devastated the lives of two million people around the world. The disease is more prevalent in cold climates and attacks twice as many women as men. There is currently no cure. Now, research from Israel may pave the way for a diagnosis before symptoms appear and debilitation sets in. Earlier diagnosis of the disease will allow earlier medical intervention - and perhaps even lead to a cure.

Prof. Anat Achiron of Tel Aviv University's Faculty of Medicine and director of the Multiple Sclerosis Center at Sheba Medical Center has uncovered a new way of detecting MS biomarkers in the blood. Her findings were published in the journal Neurobiology of Disease and are expected to pave the way for a diagnosis of MS before symptoms can appear, allowing for earlier treatment.

MS attacks the central nervous system and eventually renders most patients disabled. The National MS Society estimates that there are currently about 400,000 cases in the US. In Israel there are an estimated 5,000 cases, according to the Israel Multiple Sclerosis Society.

"We are not yet able to treat people with MS to prevent the onset of the disease but knowledge is power," Achiron says. "Every time we meet a new patient exhibiting symptoms of MS, we must ask ourselves how long this has been going on. We can diagnose MS by brain MRI, but we've never been able to know how 'fresh' the disease is," she says.

If doctors can predict the onset of MS early enough, intervention therapies using immunomodulatory drugs such as Copaxone (produced by Israel's Teva Pharmaceuticals) or beta-interferon drugs that stave off MS symptoms might be used.

"We theorized that if we looked at the gene expression signature of blood cells in healthy people, we could look for possible biological markers that characterize those who subsequently developed MS," Achiron explains.

Examining blood samples of 20 19-year-old Israelis who were inducted into the army as healthy soldiers, and the nine of them who later developed MS, Achiron and her team at Sheba were able to use a "high throughput analysis" with more than 12,000 gene transcripts expressions. The screening compared similarities and differences in the blood of those who developed MS and those who did not, eventually establishing biological markers.

"Those who will develop MS will show a different blood signature from those who will not," states Achiron. "When we compared the gene expression signatures, we saw a similar pattern of the same working biological processes."

These early genetic markers may now be used to test for MS up to nine years before healthy young adults start developing symptoms. And because MS is thought to have a genetic component and a tendency to be found in siblings, Achiron foresees that the biomarkers will be used as a tool for brothers and sisters of patients.

Why test in advance of a cure? "The idea is that we'll know more about the genetics of MS through this new discovery, with the hope that early intervention therapies may be more effective, and help advance medicine toward a cure," responds Achiron. This new insight into who will develop MS in the future is a first step on the path of finding a cure to the disease.

By the time a person notices symptoms, significant and irreversible nerve damage has already occurred. MS is classified as an autoimmune disease that afflicts the brain and spinal cord. Symptoms vary, because the location and severity of each attack can be different, and until now, there has been no way of knowing who it will strike.

The disease causes the body's immune system's T cells to mistakenly regard the myelin sheath around our body's neurons as foreign, so the immune system starts attacking the sheath, causing neurons to short circuit.

Two of the most important drugs that shorten multiple sclerosis attacks were developed in Israel, and Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer / Tel Aviv University is considered a center of excellence in MS research. Other researchers in the study include David Magalashvili and Anna Feldman of Tel Aviv University, and Drs. Itamar Grotto and Ran Balicer of the Israel Defense Forces.

http://www.israel21c.org/201006138028/health/pre-empting-multiple-sclerosis

Sheba doctors: Experimental treatment successful in half of melanoma cases

Wed, 09 Jun 2010 10:45:09 PDT

Israeli researchers have found that an experimental skin cancer treatment can reduce some tumors and cause others or disappear entirely, doctors at Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, wrote in a recent article in the scientific journal Clinical Cancer Research.

The treatment has been tried on melanoma patients who have been told they have only a few months to live because other treatments have failed. It uses the cells from the patients' own immune systems to attack the cancer.

In nearly half the cases in the experiment, the treatment caused the tumor to shrink or disappear entirely. Twenty-nine patients received the treatment over the past two and a half years. Doctors at Sheba's Ella Institute for Treatment and Research of Melanoma and Skin Cancer reported their findings in the May issue of Clinical Cancer Research.

"Melanoma is considered one of the most difficult cancers," said Prof. Jacob Schachter, head of the Ella Institute and deputy director of oncology at Sheba. "At its late stages it metastasizes to many other parts of the body, unlike, for example, cancer of the large intestine, which metastasizes mainly to the liver. In addition, about half of metastatic melanoma patients are young, and their life expectancy is six to eight months on average."

Sheba is the second medical center in the world to implement the treatment, which was developed over the past decade by the National Cancer Institute in Maryland. The treatment, approved by the Health Ministry and Sheba's committee on human experimentation, was offered only to patients whose cancer had spread and for whom other treatments, including surgery and chemotherapy, had failed.

The treatment involves taking cells from the patients' immune system, known as tumor infiltrating lymphocytes. These cells, which kill cancer cells and are found in cancerous organs, are developed in a laboratory and then returned to the patient's body to attack the cancer. At the first stage of the treatment, a cancerous organ relatively easy to remove by surgery is removed, and its lymphocytes are isolated. They are then grown for three to four weeks in the laboratory in bags with 40 liters of fluid until there are 1,000 times more than the initial number. A week before the end of the cell-generating process, the patients are given aggressive chemotherapy to suppress their natural immune system, so that the body will easily accept the laboratory-grown cells.

About a week after the chemotherapy, with the patient still hospitalized, the patient is given one infusion of a concentrated dose of the laboratory-generated cells. The patient is also given interleukin-2, which restarts the immune system.

"The cells that are inserted into the body already know the metastases of the cancer, because they came from one of them. They therefore head, like guided missiles, toward the metastases and take it apart," Schachter said.

After the cells of the metastases are destroyed, white blood cells called microphages take apart their remnants and turn them into refuse. The immune system recovers within two to three weeks, when the patient goes home. A month later the patient undergoes a CAT scan to see how the treatment has affected the cancer.

The Sheba team reported that 48 percent of the patients responded to the treatment. Out of 29 patients, three experienced the complete disappearence of the tumor and the metastases a month after treatment. In 11 other cases the response was partial, but the patients are still alive and are now functioning again. The first patient whose metastases disappeared is still alive after more than two years, and the other two are still alive after 16 months and 10 months. Among the patients whose tumors partially shrank, four have been alive for 18, 24, 27 and 16 months, respectively, and report improved quality of life. All patients undergo CAT scans every three months.

In addition to Schachter, the team reporting the findings includes Dr. Michal Besser, head of the Ella Institute laboratory, and Dr. Avi Treves, Ella's scientific director and deputy head of the Sheba Cancer Research Center. The encouraging clinical findings and the eventual simplification of the treatment will have a significant impact on this generation of cellular treatments for cancer, the researchers wrote.

According to cancer statistics collected by the Health Ministry, 1,300 new melanoma cases were diagnosed in 2008, 100 new cases more than in the previous year. Of these, 830 were of the invasive type of melanoma.

Sheba is expected to submit a request to the Health Ministry soon to recognize the treatment as non-experimental in patients with terminal cancer.

The current findings are based on the second generation of experimental treatment, which makes use of cells that have undergone short-term generation in the laboratory and are injected into the patient's body while the cells are still young.

"The less time the cells grow in a laboratory culture, the more aggressive they are in acting against the metastases after being reintroduced to the body," Schachter said.

Sheba is also working on expanding the technology to other types of cancer, including terminal kidney cancer. "Specific methods must be developed for each cancer to grow the immune system's components," Treves said.

Houston forges cancer research links with Israel

Thu, 06 May 2010 16:52:56 PDT

Israel is the location of world-class cancer research. Historically, Professors Isaac Birnbaum and Leo Sachs in Israel made one of the first groundbreaking cancer research discoveries. They laid the foundation for differentiating between cancer cells and normal cells and under-standing the transformation of a normal cell into a cancerous cell.

Israel continues to make a huge impact on cancer research, said Dr. Raphael Pollock, head of the division of surgery and professor and chairman of surgical oncology at The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. His specialty is oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes in soft-tissue sarcoma.

“Israel is an incubator in the fields of high tech, medical tech, computer science and bio-pharmaceuticals,” said Dr. Pollock. “It’s an environment where young people sit together in close proximity so they can cross- pollinate each other. That’s part of it. There’s also the tremendous respect the Jewish people put on education and learning, including medicine. We can go all the way back to Rambam [Maimonides] for examples.

“Another reason is that as Jews, we have traditionally been interested in taking on new fields. Look at the role of Jews at the beginning of emerging fields such as psychology and neurology, fields that were subsequently borne out to have great importance. Perhaps there is a proclivity to recognize that uncharted fields may hold great opportunity.”

Dr. Pollock will be one of the featured speakers at “Israel: Shaping the Future.” The May 17 program will present Israeli technology and its impact in medicine, energy and high-tech in America. Participants will also include Michael Granoff of Better Place and Ilia Rosenberg of Boeing. The program is part of the American Jewish Committee Houston’s 2010 annual meeting.

Thanks to much of the research done in Israel, we now know that many cancers have a genetic basis. When you look at cancer cells through a microscope, you often find that they have abnormal chromosomes located along the chromosomal chain. These are called translocations, chromosomes that detach and come back together in the wrong place. These translocations can cause normal genes to become oncogenes (cancer cells), often by short-circuiting the normal signals that tell cells when to divide and when to stop dividing. The hallmark of cancer is uncontrolled growth.

Dr. Pollock explained that there are two entities that are normally in a balance in our cells: oncogenes and tumor-suppressor genes. We know today that an absence of tumor suppressor genes and/or the presence of oncogenes can lead to various types of cancer.

The oncogene codes for the production of an oncoprotein. The presence of an oncoprotein is probably an abnormal protein that shouldn’t be there in the first place or has been produced. So that’s one way cancers happen.

The other way is when something goes wrong between the balance of oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes. Normally, we all have tumor- suppressor genes. They act like traffic cops, directing cellular traffic. If there is a mutation in a suppressor gene, it produces an abnormality. The tumor-suppressor genes are extremely powerful and normally they suppress cancer by maintaining a normal balance.

Dr. Pollock works with soft-tissue sar-coma, a rare form of cancer that causes tumors of connective tissue like muscles and blood vessels. There are two broad categories of cancer: sarcoma (from which connective tissue is derived) and carcinoma (formed by epithelial cells).

“About 75 percent of our body is connective tissue, so it’s good that sarcomas are rare,” said Dr. Pollock. He does his research at the Sarcoma Research Laboratory at M.D. Anderson. The Sarcoma Research Lab is headed by Dr. Dina Lev, originally from Israel, who also happens to be married to Dr. Pollock.

Both Dr. Pollock and Dr. Lev spend much of the year in Israel. Over the past several years, M.D. Anderson has developed a sister relationship with Tel HaShomer’s Chaim Sheba Medical Center in Tel Aviv. The relationship focuses on shared lab research programs, professional exchanges between visiting scientists and trainees from both institutions, and new cancer treatments.

Chaim Sheba also has one of the most advanced medical simulation units in the world, said Dr. Pollock.

“This is a facility that can model difficult medical problems and situations. There is a group of 150 professional actors on contract who can simulate medical situations – for example, battlefield trauma. The facility contains a room with vents that push simulations like gunfire smoke. So, they train front-line personnel in these simulators. To qualify for medical school in Israel, you have to take a psychometric exam. They will film prospective doctors interviewing an actor- patient and students will be graded on empathy and compassion.

“We’re working to develop models at Sheba. We will bring the models to Anderson for surgical trainees. Israelis also have some of the best training in the world in how to break bad news to patients. They are also top class in programs that mentor young faculty. These are all programs we’re doing in collaboration. You get to see how Israelis actually manage these situations. And, their programs are used throughout the world in Europe and Latin America.

“I’ve been very involved in helping to develop this relationship. We have similar programs that we’re developing with hospitals in Korea, China, Brazil and the United Kingdom and Mexico. We call this program ‘Global Oncology.’ ”

http://www.jhvonline.com/default.asp?sourceid=&smenu=96&twindow=&mad=&sdetail=8951&wpage=1&skeyword=&sidate=&ccat=&ccatm=&restate=&restatus=&reoption=&retype=&repmin=&repmax=&rebed=&rebath=&subname=&pform=&sc=1291&hn=jhvonline&he=.com

Israelis find MS signs that appear years before symptoms

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 16:45:41 PST

According to neurologists, genetic markers for autoimmune inflammatory disease suggest illness may be identified, screened in future.

For the first time in the world, Israeli neurologists have identified early genetic markers of multiple sclerosis that appear up to nine years before healthy young adults develop symptoms of the disease.

The research led by Prof. Anat Achiron of Sheba Medical Center and Tel Aviv University’s Sackler School of Medicine involved taking blood samples from soldiers and has just appeared in the journal Neurobiology of Disease.

MS is an autoimmune inflammatory disease in which the immune system’s T cells mistakenly regard the myelin coating that insulates neurons as “foreign” and attack it. This causes neurons to “short circuit” and can produce a wide variety of symptoms, which vary from patient to patient and can attack rarely or frequently. MS is more common in people of northern European descent and individuals from colder climates, while women are more than twice as likely to develop MS than men.

It usually affects people between the ages of 20 and 50, and the average age of onset is in one’s mid-20s to mid-30s. There are about 4,000 MS patients in Israel.

Myelin is a protein that allows the nerves to transmit information to and from the brain in a fraction of a second. If the myelin is disrupted in any way, the transmitted information is not only delayed, but it may also be misinterpreted by the brain. The destruction of the myelin sheath leads to areas of plaque in the brain and spinal cord that disrupt the transmission of information and lead to MS symptoms.

Among these are vision, motor and sensory symptoms. Some people have a first attack that never repeats itself, while others get accumulated disabilities as neurological deficits accumulate. Many of the drugs that shorten the attacks and alleviate their power, such as Copaxone and interferon beta, were developed in Israel.

Achiron told The Jerusalem Post that her team took blood samples from healthy young IDF soldiers at an average age of 19 and followed up on them for nine years. Nine of them developed MS, while a control group remained free of MS. Their blood was compared with 31 people during the first clinical episode of MS. The researchers identified genetic markers shared by those who later developed MS and those who were already showing their first clinical symptoms.

Although the number who showed the early markers could be considered a small group, Achiron noted that it is not, considering that in this age group, an average of only 30 people out of 100,000 develop MS. The research, conducted with Drs. Itamar Grotto, Ran Balicer, David Magalashvili, Anna Feldman and Michael Gurevich, suggests that the potentially devastating disease could eventually be identified and screened years before it manifests itself. This would open the way toward interventions that could lead to early prevention of the disease.

The Sheba neurologist said the disease does not pass from one generation to another, but it is more common in a sibling of someone with the disease.

But finding biomarkers is significant, she added. Of 2,500 MS patients given early diagnosis to rehabilitation by a multidisciplinary team at Sheba, there are only four or five families that have more than one case, she said.

“We are not yet able to treat people with MS biomarkers early to prevent onset. But knowledge is power. We are working further in this direction,” said Achiron, who is researching the gene expression of specific biological pathways mainly associated with inflammation and cell death and neuroprotective pathways associated with different disease stages. This work has the potential to discover the mechanistic processes associated with the pathogenic process involved in MS and – it is hoped – would lead to new MS treatments.

http://www.jpost.com/HealthAndSci-Tech/Health/Article.aspx?id=170616

Israeli team reports on return from 10-day Haiti mission

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 16:48:25 PST

4,000 earthquake victims need artificial limbs, doctors say.

An Israeli team sent to Haiti to assess the rehabilitation needs of the population as result of the January earthquake has returned with an estimate of over 4,000 new amputees who need artificial limbs. Haiti, they said upon their return from the 10-day mission, has no training centers for physiotherapists, occupational therapists and prosthetic/ orthotic technicians, and no functioning medical rehabilitation facility.

The delegation proposed the establishment of a joint Haitian-Israeli Rehabilitation Center in Port au Prince based on rotating Israeli medical teams that will both treat patients and train local personnel – at an annual cost of approximately $1.5 million.

The team went on the mission at the request of President Shimon Peres, who has already discussed the report with former US president Bill Clinton (tasked with leading global rehabilitation efforts for Haiti). The delegation suggested that the center be located on the grounds of the Hospital Universite d’Etat d’Haiti (HUEH), which had a planned rehabilitation center with designated space and personnel prior to the earthquake. Unfortunately, the person who was to head that center died in the earthquake. The team said the site was suitable and could open in a few weeks at a cost of less than $100,000.

Leading the delegation was Dr. Tsahi (Itzhak) Siev-Ner, chief of orthopedic rehabilitation and chief orthopedic rehabilitation surgeon at Sheba Medical Center. Others were David Abadi of Magen David Adom, Sheba chief physical therapy supervisor Anat Kristal, Dr. Elhanan Bar-On, an orthopedic surgeon and a specialist in pediatric orthopedics from the Schneider Medical Center and Yehuda Pilosof, a prosthetic and orthotic technician and director of the Gapaim (limbs) rehabilitation institute. The JDC also supported the mission, with assistance from the Foreign Ministry.

http://new.jpost.com/HealthAndSci-Tech/Health/Article.aspx?id=169711

Sheba Proposes Establishment of Haitian-Israeli Rehabilitation Center in Haiti

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 14:21:38 PST

Sheba Orthopedic Specialists Propose Establishment of Haitian-Israeli Rehabilitation Center in Haiti

Two senior specialists in orthopedic rehabilitation from the Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer in Israel have just returned from a ten-day (Feb. 12-19) assessment mission to Haiti. The mission, sent at the personal request of Israeli President Shimon Peres, was tasked with evaluating the stricken country's long-term rehabilitation needs and with developing a plan for meeting them.

The team found that Haiti now has more than 4,000 new amputees and no indigenous capacity whatsoever to rehabilitate them. Haiti has no training centers for physiotherapist, occupational therapists and prosthetic/orthotic technicians, and no functioning medical rehabilitation facility. To remedy this, the assessment team is proposing the establishment of a joint Haitian-Israeli Rehabilitation Center in Haiti, based on rotating Israeli medical teams which will both treat patients and train local personnel, at an annual cost of approximately $1.5 million.

The assessment team's report has been submitted to President Peres, who has discussed the issue with former US President Bill Clinton – who is tasked with leading global rehabilitation efforts for Haiti.

Leading the Israeli assessment team was Dr. Tsaki (Itzhak) Siev-Ner, chief of orthopedic rehabilitation and chief orthopedic rehabilitation surgeon at the Sheba Medical Center (who is also vice president of the Israel Medical Association and chairman of the Israeli Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine Association), and Mr. David Abadi, Magen David Adom representative on the International Red Cross.

Other team members were Ms. Anat Kristal, chief physical therapy supervisor in Sheba's orthopedic rehabilitation department; Dr. Elhanan Bar-On, an orthopedic surgeon and a specialist in pediatric orthopedics from the Schneider Medical Center; and Mr. Yehuda Pilosof, a prosthetic and orthotic technician and director of the Gapaim rehabilitation institute. The JDC also supported the mission, with assistance from the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The team recommends establishing the proposed Haitian-Israeli Rehabilitation Center on the grounds of the Hospital Universite d'Etat d'Haiti (HUEH), which had a planned rehabilitation center with designated space and personnel prior to the earthquake. Sadly, the person who was to head that center perished in the earthquake. The site was found to be adequate and potentially operative within a few weeks for a cost of less than $100,000.

Sheba Medical Center CEO Prof. Zeev Rotstein commented that "Sheba has a long and proud tradition of delivering medical assistance beyond our national boundaries. Sheba doctors have provided international relief and medical training in Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Brazil, Cambodia, China, Equatorial Guinea, Ivory Coast, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Mauritania, Myanmar, Peru, Russia, Rwanda, Sri Lanka, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vietnam and more. These activities stem from the hospital’s commitment for the ailing and needy; from the State of Israel’s long-time tradition of contributing to humanitarian relief efforts abroad; and out of an abiding concern for healing and compassion that is ingrained in Jewish history and tradition."

Born-again Zionist supermodel

Fri, 12 Feb 2010 14:28:12 PST

For former supermodel turned businesswoman Kathy Ireland, her support of Israel stems directly from her faith.

She’s 178 cm. with red hair and blue eyes, a former supermodel with a figure to die for and the owner, founder and CEO of a $1.4 billion lifestyle business: Kathy Ireland might just be Israel’s perfect public diplomacy ambassador.

“I love Israel, it’s very close to my heart,” says the 46-year-old born-again Christian. “Because of my faith it’s very special to me.”

Ireland was here recently to film a promotional documentary for Sheba Medical Center. Titled Holy Land Heroes, the documentary aims to expose the work being done at Sheba with wounded soldiers and victims of terror attacks.

“Holy Land Heroes is bringing awareness of these heroes of Israel to the rest of the world,” says Ireland. “I’ve had some incredible life-changing experiences spending time at the hospital meeting with patients, doctors, researchers, nurses and volunteers who are dedicated and committed to rehabilitating these heroes.”

Ireland is a passionate advocate for Israel, with an unwavering belief in the righteousness of its actions. Her faith is such that even the most adept spin doctor would be hard pressed to come up with so much positive PR.

“I think so often Israel is not fairly portrayed in the media,” she says. “Meeting with the military, the air force, [I saw] the efforts that go into the strategy of not hurting civilians and the heroic efforts of these soldiers who put themselves in harm’s way to rescue the wounded, even when the wounded might be their enemy.

“In America, we’ve been so spoiled not to have really known, our generation, what it is to be at war. But that’s changed, and really regardless of someone’s faith, it’s very apparent that if Israel is not safe, then the rest of the world is not safe.”

Faith is central to Ireland’s attitude.

“As Christians, we have such a debt of gratitude to Israel and the Jewish people,” she explains. But, Ireland adds, there is also another kind of debt owed by the Christian world. “I’ve just come from Yad Vashem, and it’s horrific to think that this could happen just a few generations ago. Israel, which is a chain of generations, saw six million links in that chain destroyed. Look at the present dangers today and what could happen today if threats are not taken seriously, and what responsibility the rest of the world has.”

LOOKING OUT over Jerusalem’s Old City from the business lounge at the David Citadel Hotel, Ireland explains that she became a Christian after her mother put a Bible in her suitcase when she had just started out her modeling career.

“Out of jet lag and boredom [I started to read it], and my life was forever changed,” Ireland confesses. “Sadly, I’ve remained a baby Christian for so long, and I’m still such a baby. It’s a lifelong journey, but what’s very clear to me is God’s love of Israel and His chosen people. They are the apple of His eyes, His chosen people, His bride, His beloved, His firstborn etched on the palms of his hands. The Abrahamic covenant is unconditional and it is forever. As a Christian, it is a privilege to be of service whenever one can.”

After a modeling career that saw her appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated three times – a feat tied by Christie Brinkley and Cheryl Tiegs, and surpassed only by Elle Macpherson – Ireland turned to business.

She started out with a line of socks, or as she puts it, “I worked from the ground up.”

“Socks are so basic, and I liked that,” says Ireland. “Some people didn’t think that was such a great idea. but I liked it because it was so basic, and if women embraced our socks then we might be on to something.”

Today, 17 years on, Ireland’s company, Kathy Ireland Worldwide, designs and markets more than 15,000 products sold in 29 countries, including a line of Dead Sea skin care products.

Her transition from model to mogul was natural, Ireland insists.

“I entered the modeling industry as a business person already, and I always knew I belonged on the other side of the camera,” she says. “When I was four, I sold rocks that I had painted designs on from my wagon with my sister.”

“Modeling,” Ireland reflects, “was never anything I aspired to do. I’m very grateful though. It was a wonderful education, and it was in many ways my college. I was exposed to the best designers in the world.”

Ireland doesn’t miss an opportunity to get in a good word for Israel, and adds that many of the designers she was influenced by were from here.

“This truly is such a place of inspiration,” she says.

WHILE BEING a model might have served as a crash course in design, being a household name didn’t necessarily open doors for her, Ireland says.

“There might have been some people who were curious, and maybe they’d take a meeting. But I think it’s been more challenging than it’s been helpful because oftentimes my ideas might not be taken seriously,” she says. “But that’s OK. I’m certainly not complaining about that, and I’m always up for a good challenge, but I think that an unknown person has a clean slate and doesn’t have preconceived notions and stereotypes to deal with.”

If there is one stereotype that Ireland fits, though, it is not that of a beauty queen wishing to bring world peace, but rather that of a high-powered, fast-moving CEO. “It’s always time to go” is the motto with Kathy Ireland, her personal assistant tells me when the interview moves from the business lounge to the elevator, and along the corridors of the hotel as she prepares to head out for an audience with President Shimon Peres less than an hour after returning from her visit to Yad Vashem, and after squeezing in an interview with Channel 2 news.

With three kids and a career, Ireland, who is married to an emergency-room physician, is used to juggling things around. So much so in fact that she has written a book on the subject: Real Solutions for Busy Moms.

But the author of a “guide to success and sanity” admits that even she has a bad hair day sometimes with a schedule that starts as early as 4 a.m. with a contemplative prayer session, continues with getting the kids ready for school and goes on late into the night with her duties as CEO and chief designer for her Santa Barbara, California-based company.

“Some days, not well at all,” Ireland says when asked how she manages. “I think for me though, what’s key to juggling it all is honoring my priorities. I think it’s important to figure out what your values are, and then put boundaries in place to protect them. For me, my priorities are my faith, my family and then being of service through work. When those priorities are not honored, then it’s very obvious.”

http://www.jpost.com/Magazine/Features/Article.aspx?id=168449

British Medical Journal Discrimnates Against Sheba

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 14:13:59 PST

BMJ's Selective Editing

While the online version includes positive material, why is it missing from the medical publication's print edition?

The tragic story of Dr Izzeldin Abuelaish, a Palestinian obstetrician and gynecologist whose three daughters and niece were killed by Israeli fire during the Gaza conflict, featured prominently in Israeli and world media at the time and subsequently.

To recall, Dr Abuelaish, fluent in Hebrew, worked in Israel's Tel Hashomer Hospital and advocated for peace and coexistence. Even after his terrible personal loss, Dr Abuelaish has continued to promote coexistence and was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize.

As the British Medical Journal's online feature on Abuelaish stated: "Even before the interview began it was clear that his warmth for Israelis was still intact. A few moments before getting into the taxi he saw a pregnant Israeli woman, and although he was in a hurry he stopped to ask her when she was due and how the pregnancy was going."

The article describes Abuelaish's plans to create a foundation to enable women from the Middle East to attend university and for an academic campus located in Gaza. It concludes:

Dr Abuelaish is also raising funds for an Israeli institution. At the end of January he will travel to Germany to seek money to build a conference facility at Sheba Medical Center, near Tel Aviv, where he used to work. He envisages a project that will be named in memory of his daughters. For several years Dr Abuelaish worked part time at Sheba on fertility research and treatment projects.

Asked whether it was difficult to start raising money for an Israeli institution after his experience, he replied that humanitarian cooperation across national divides is the essence of his message. "This hospital is the place where everything melts," he said. "There is diversity, and everyone is equal: Palestinians, Jews, Christians, Muslims, Druze. All are equal, and that is a message we can learn from medicine—the message of equality and justice. "In the end [the conference facility] will help human beings there, it will help sick patients, and this hospital serves Palestinians and Israelis and we must promote more collaboration, more partnership," he explained.

So, with a positive message in the article, what's the problem? Doctors at the Sheba Medical Center contacted HonestReporting after finding that the BMJ's print version (PDF format) had omitted all of the above paragraphs. When asked for an explanation, the BMJ's News Editor responded:

I am sorry that some of your contacts in Israel think that the way that the story about Dr Abuelaish was cut shows bias on our part. I can assure you that was absolutely not my intention. I try to maintain the balance of stories when I cut them to fit the space on the page. The single criterion that I use is: "How essential is this sentence to the crux of the story?" In the case of that feature, the length had to be reduced by about a half, so a huge amount of interesting information had to be removed. I did the cutting, and had to pare the piece down to its essentials.

If it is any consolation to the complainants, the number of people who read the on-line version far exceeds those who read the print version. We have more than a million on-line readers and only 120,000 print readers. The on-line version is also there in perpetuity whereas the print version usually ends up in the re-cyclying bin at the end of the week.

Even if one takes the BMJ's explanation at face value, it is perhaps illustrative of the BMJ's mindset that when it came to the final cut, it was these particular paragraphs that were sacrificed.

In addition, this isn't the first time that the BMJ has demonstrated anti-Israel bias. In February 2009, the BMJ devoted some five articles reviewing the "perils of criticizing Israel" and a substantial amount of print concentrated on attacking HonestReporting itself. In response a medical professional and HonestReporting subscriber did his own research showing that the BMJ has a disproportionate interest in Palestinian deaths over those from other conflict areas where the impact on public health is certainly as great and potentially greater than that of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

ANTI-ISRAEL BIAS IN MEDICAL PUBLICATIONS

It isn't only the BMJ that has exhibited anti-Israel bias in medical journals. As Barbara Kay, a columnist for Canada's National Post writes:

In the February 2009 issue of Commentary (requires a login), an official organ of the Royal College of Physicians of London, for example, an inflammatory "special" article erroneously claims, amongst other falsehoods, that Palestinian physicians were prevented from traveling abroad for training and conferences. This was especially galling to Israeli medical professionals because, as Hebrew University Professor Oded Abramsky wrote in an open letter to the Royal College of Physicians: "The level of cooperation between Israeli and Gazan hospitals and medical personnel and the cross-border treatment of the ill and wounded is without question greater than between any two other entities in the world who are nominally (and sometimes actively) at war. Therefore, please keep medicine and politics separate, for the good of all, as we try to do in Israel." An apology by the journal was later (grudgingly) issued.

To prove that bias amongst British medical research elites is systemic rather than random, a group of Israeli medical academics, led by Prof. Yehuda Shoenfeld, editor-in-chief of the Israeli Medical Association Journal, assessed coverage of conflict-related deaths around the world.

Their study analyzed citations in the British Medical Journal, a wholly owned subsidiary of the British Medical Association, finding that: for Europeans killing Europeans (Bosnia), there was one citation for every 2,000 deaths; for Africans killing Africans (Rwanda), one citation for every 4,000 deaths; for Arabs killing black Africans (Darfur), one citation for every 7,000 deaths; for Arab Muslims killing Kurds, no citation whatsoever; yet, for Israelis killing Palestinians, one citation for every 13 deaths.

Full article may be read here: http://www.honestreporting.com/articles/45884734/critiques/new/BMJs_Selective_Editing.asp

Sheba and M. D. Anderson Sign Cooperation Agreement in Cancer Treatment and Research

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 16:17:09 PST

The Chaim Sheba Medical Center and The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center today (February 1, 2010) signed a pioneering "Sister Institution Relationship" agreement for broad-scale cooperation in oncology training, treatment and research.

Key to the agreement is collaboration in translational research via exchange of technologies and knowledge between the institutions and establishment of joint translational research efforts to improve care for cancer patients. Researchers and clinicians will have access to the large clinical cohorts and tissue banks available at M. D. Anderson and Sheba. In addition, patients at both institutions can participate in clinical trials conducted on novel therapeutics, medical devices and diagnostic tools developed by Sheba or M. D. Anderson.

"M. D. Anderson is one of the most important cancer treatment and research centers in the world. Its association with Sheba will bring enormous benefit to our patients. Our collaborative efforts will significantly advance, I hope, the global effort to combat cancer," said Sheba CEO Prof. Rotstein. "This is the first agreement of its type for an Israeli hospital; it is a pioneering breakthrough that will significantly add to the international-class-level medicine we conduct at Sheba."

“M. D. Anderson’s mission is a global one – and it cannot be fulfilled without deep collaboration at all levels with world-class institutions such as Chaim Sheba,” said John Mendelsohn, M.D., president of M. D. Anderson. “Together, by combining our resources and extending the benefits of our research to more patients, we increase our opportunity to reduce the burden of cancer for many more individuals.”

Signing the agreement for M. D. Anderson are John Mendelsohn, M.D., president and Raymond DuBois, M.D., Ph.D., provost and executive vice president. DuBois visited Israel for the signing, along with Raphael E. Pollock M.D., Ph.D., professor and head of the division of surgery. Pollock will lead the M. D. Anderson side of the program. At the Sheba Medical Center, oncologist Dr. Amir Onn will lead the program.

“Sheba Medical Center, with its Sheba Cancer Center, Hematology Center, and Cancer Research Institute, is one of the world’s finest research and clinical care facilities, with experience in multidisciplinary cancer care, clinical research, drug development, translational research, basic science and medical education,” said Raymond DuBois, M.D, Ph.D., provost and executive vice president at M. D. Anderson. “This is a unique opportunity for the faculty and staff of M. D. Anderson to establish a relationship that will advance our mutual goals of creating outstanding scientific programs focused on the discovery and development of cancer therapies, as well as the education of cancer researchers and clinicians.”

The first Sheba Medical Center doctor to benefit from a fellowship under the new agreement will be Dr. Aviad Hoffman, a Sheba surgical oncologist who will spend three years at M. D. Anderson, beginning this summer. He will conduct two years of research and serve one year of clinical-surgical training and practice.

M. D. Anderson's first collaboration at Sheba involves a cooperative learning relationship with MSR: The Israel Center for Medical Simulation. MSR is the world's first all-embracing "virtual hospital," where health professionals learn from their mistakes in a safe environment while training against role-playing actors and real-life computerized mannequins. MSR will be sharing its expertise in simulation training with M. D. Anderson in a wide variety of clinical domains related to oncology.

Sheba Medical center teams up with University of Texas

Sun, 31 Jan 2010 16:19:59 PST

After three years of negotiations, one of the world’s leading oncology research and treatment centers – the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston – and Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer will on Monday sign a pioneering “Sister Institution Relationship” agreement for broad-scale cooperation in training, treatment and research.

“MD Anderson’s mission is a global one – and it cannot be fulfilled without deep collaboration at all levels with world-class institutions such as Chaim Sheba,” says Prof. John Mendelsohn, president of the cancer center, who will sign on its behalf at Tel Hashomer.

“Together, by combining our resources and extending the benefits of our research to more patients, we increase our opportunity to reduce the burden of cancer for many more individuals,” he says.

MD Anderson’s association with Sheba “will bring enormous benefit to our patients,” says Prof. Zeev Rotstein, Sheba’s director-general, who will also preside at the ceremony. “Our collaborative efforts will I hope significantly advance the global effort to combat cancer. This is the first agreement of its type for an Israeli hospital; it is a pioneering breakthrough that will significantly add to the international-class-level medicine we conduct at Sheba.”

The agreement includes cooperation in physician education and training, clinical services, research collaborations, quality assurance programs, faculty exchange visits, scientific endeavors, nursing and other technical support and staff training. Key to the agreement is collaboration in translational research through the exchange of technologies and knowledge between the institutions and establishment of joint translational research efforts to improve care for cancer patients.

Researchers and clinicians will have access to the large clinical cohorts and tissue banks available at the Texas center and at Sheba. In addition, patients at both institutions can participate in clinical trials conducted on novel therapeutics, medical devices and diagnostic tools developed at either.

Mendelsohn was accompanied to Israel by MD Anderson provost and executive vice president Dr. Raymond DuBois and Prof. Raphael Pollock, who is head of its surgical division. Sheba oncologist Dr. Amir Onn will lead the program from Israel and Pollack from Texas.

DuBois says that Sheba – with its cancer center, hematology center and cancer research institute – is one of the world’s finest research and clinical care facilities, with experience in multidisciplinary cancer care, clinical research, drug development, translational research, basic science and medical education.

“This is a unique opportunity for the faculty and staff of MD. Anderson to establish a relationship that will advance our mutual goals of creating outstanding scientific programs focused on the discovery and development of cancer therapies, as well as the education of cancer researchers and clinicians,” says DuBois.

Dr. Aviad Hoffman, a Sheba surgical oncologist who will spend three years at MD Anderson, will be the first to benefit from a fellowship under the new agreement. He will conduct two years of research and serve one year of clinical-surgical training and practice in the Texas center.

MD Anderson’s first collaboration with Israel involves a cooperative learning relationship with Sheba’s MSR, the Israel Center for Medical Simulation. MSR is the world’s first all-embracing “virtual hospital,” where health professionals learn from their mistakes in a safe environment while training against role-playing actors and real-life computerized mannequins.

Sheba's Colonel Dr. Itzik Kreiss Commands the Israeli Field Hospital in Haiti

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 16:13:00 PST

Colonel Dr. Itzik Kreiss of the Israel Defense Forces has been appointed commander of the Israeli emergency relief field hospital in Haiti. Dr. Kreiss is an internal medicine specialist who trained at the Sheba Medical Center. He is on the fast track to becoming the next IDF Surgeon General, while continuing to carry out a series of senior administrative duties at Sheba.

Kreiss commands Israel's 250-person medical rescue team in Haiti, which includes five other Sheba medical personnel: exotic diseases expert Prof. Eli Schwartz; anesthesiologist Dr. George Kurakin; primary medicine expert Dr. Adar Marom; epidemiologist Dr. Kobi Peleg; and registered nurse Maya Golan.

Colonel Kreiss walks in the shadow of many previous Sheba Medical Center doctors who also were senior commanders of the IDF medical corps. This includes the past director of Sheba, Col. (res.) Prof. Bolek Goldman; the current director of the Sheba general hospital, Col. (res.) Dr. Ari Shamiss (who was Surgeon General of the Israel Air Force); Shamiss' current deputy, Lt. Col. (res.) Dr. Arnon Afek; the current Surgeon General of the IDF, Brig. Gen. Dr. Nahman Ash; Col. (res.) Dr. Ariel Horowitz of the Sheba gynecology department, and many others.

The Sheba Medical Center is closely tied to and integrated with the Israel Defense Forces. Many IDF medical personnel train at Sheba; most IDF medical field teams train at Sheba's Israel Center for Medical Simulation; and the hospital is the main treatment and rehabilitation facility for IDF wounded.

According to news reports, the Israeli field hospital in the earthquake-stricken Haitian capital has been working day and night to save lives. More than 100 survivors have been treated, with three in 10 in serious condition and 50 percent moderately injured. Children comprise more than half of the injured, most with limb injuries and bone fractures. Nearly a dozen lifesaving operations have been performed.

Set up in an industrial park, and staffed with 40 doctors, 40 nurses and medics, the hospital has been constantly treating patients since Saturday. Its army tents house orthopedic, emergency and surgical units. Doctors are equipped to handle pediatric and adult emergency care. There are two operating beds, X-ray facilities and a laboratory.

The Israeli doctors have even delivered a baby boy, whose mother, Gubilande Jean Michel, promptly declared would be named "Israel."

Five Sheba Doctors on Humanitarian Mission in Haiti

Sun, 17 Jan 2010 16:10:46 PST

Five senior members of the Sheba Medical Center staff left Israel this weekend for Haiti, to assist in the international relief and rescue effort.

The Sheba medical personnel now in Haiti are: internist Prof. Eli Schwartz, an expert in exotic and infectious diseases; anesthesiologist Dr. George Kurakin; primary medicine expert Dr. Adar Marom; trauma specialist and epidemiology researcher Dr. Kobi Peleg; and registered nurse Maya Golan.

The five are part of the Israel Defense Forces' 250-person medical rescue team, which landed in Haiti on Friday with a 90-bed field hospital, including a full surgical unit.

Two teams from the IDF canine unit went into action immediately upon arrival, searching for survivors under the rubble, especially at the collapsed UN headquarters and Haitian tax authority building. They were assisted by a religious ZAKA rescue unit. On Saturday, they located and extricated a 58-year old man who had been trapped underneath the rubble for four days.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said this morning that "Our medical aid delegation to Haiti expresses the true heritage of the State of Israel and the Jewish People. This act joins similar action we have taken in the past in Mexico, Kenya and Turkey. We may be a small country, but we are a country with a big heart. This is the expression of Jewish ethics and heritage – to help others."

Sheba Medical Center CEO Prof. Zeev Rotstein also commented that "Sheba has a long and proud tradition of delivering medical assistance beyond our national boundaries. Sheba doctors have provided international relief and medical training in Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Brazil, Cambodia, China, Equatorial Guinea, Ivory Coast, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Mauritania, Myanmar, Peru, Russia, Rwanda, Sri Lanka, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and more. These activities stem from the hospital’s commitment for the ailing and needy; from the State of Israel’s long-time tradition of contributing to humanitarian relief efforts abroad; and out of an abiding concern for healing and compassion that is ingrained in Jewish history and tradition.

Sheba Medical Research Offers New Hope for Treating Childhood Leukemia

Tue, 05 Jan 2010 11:24:18 PST

A team of Israeli scientists at the Sheba Medical Center's Research Center for Leukemia and Childhood Malignancies has discovered a method for developing a more effective and less perilous treatment for those suffering from childhood leukemia, the most common cancer in children. New treatments associated with the research have the potential to impact upwards of 20 percent of those suffering from Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL).

The team, led by Dr. Shai Izraeli, who worked in partnership with scientists at Tel Aviv University and the International BFM Study Group, has published a series of papers examining certain gene abnormalities in children with Down syndrome, which are 20-30 times more likely to develop ALL.

"Our research gives hope to a substantial portion of the children who might be taken by this horrible disease," Izraeli said.

In the most recent paper, published in the leading hematology journal Blood, the researchers found that a gene abnormality called CLRF2 is common in more than 60% of ALL patients with Down syndrome. What makes this finding so significant is that the abnormality is directly connected to an anomalous protein, JAK2, which stimulates the kind of disruptive cell behavior typical of leukemia. Importantly, these abnormalities, which have now also been examined and reported by several research groups in the US and Europe, also appear in the leukemia cells of some children and adults without Down syndrome as well.

The findings indicate that using drugs to block the activity of anomalous JAK2 can effectively treat blood cells transformed by the abnormality. This targeted approach is likely to be more precise and less toxic than chemotherapy.

Currently, children with leukemia, receive intensive chemotherapy over two to three years, and about eight out of 10 recover. But chemotherapy is highly toxic, and does not target the specific abnormality underlying the disease. Treatments associated with this research would be able to address these issues, and importantly the drugs already exist.

Drugs targeting the JAK2 protein are currently in clinical trials - but for a different blood disorder (polycythemia vera). Thus, if preclinical and then clinical trials in those suffering from ALL confirm Izraeli's findings, no new drug need be developed - often a task that can take more than a decade to complete.

Using these existing drugs as a basis, Izraeli and his team are confident that more powerful and safer leukemia drugs for children are only a few years away. "We will know in just a few years specifically what these drugs are capable of, but the research conducted thus far gives me great hope," Izraeli said.

"The breakthroughs we've achieved were made possible by the advantages of our location within the Sheba Medical Center; specifically its proximity to the patients and to the most advanced state-of-the-art research infrastructure which together allow us to quickly translate questions arising from observations in patients to laboratory research," Izraeli said.

The Sheba Medical Center, with 1900 beds, is the largest and most comprehensive tertiary medical center in the Middle East, affiliated with the Sackler Faculty of Medicine at Tel Aviv University. The Medical Center is the largest university-affiliated hospital in Israel and is known for excellence in basic and applicable research. Patients from all over the world, including the US, Europe and the Palestinian Territories are treated at this facility.

Sheba Scientists Publish Important Finding About Human Heart Stem Cells

Thu, 31 Dec 2009 00:00:00 PST

Sheba scientists just published an important scientific paper in the prestigious journal Circulation (December 2009 issue, published by the American Heart Association). The study shows that human heart stem cells can be obtained and grown from small, clinically relevant heart muscle specimens collected during any heart surgery or procedure.

Prof. Jonathan Leor, head of the Sheba Medical Center's Regenerative Medicine Stem Cell and Tissue Engineering Center, and its Neufeld Cardiac Research Institute, and his colleagues, found that the best source for these heart stem cells is the upper right part of the heart and that these cells are more abundant in women.

Stem cells derived from the adult human heart are rare and difficult to isolate and grow. However, they have the potential to repair or cure heart diseases. "Our findings could promote the development of novel therapies in regenerative cardiovascular medicine," explains Prof. Leor.

The paper, "Patient Characteristics and Cell Source Determine the Number of Isolated Human Cardiac Progenitor Cells," was authored by Prof. Leor with co-authors Ayelet Itzhaki-Alfia and Dr. Israel M. Barbash; along with Profs. Ehud Raanani and Jacob Lavee of Sheba's department of cardiothoracic surgery; Dr. Leonid Sternik, Dr. Dan Spiegelstein, Shiri Netser, and Dr. Radka Holbova of Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer; and Meirav Pevsner-Fischer of the Weizmann Institute.

Israeli medical team saves sight in Myanmar

Sun, 27 Dec 2009 12:03:49 PST

NPO organization Eye from Zion sends Israeli senior ophthalmologists to one of the world's most impoverished countries. Two of them offer special insight into their journey.

MANDALAY, MYANMAR - It was 8 pm when we came out of the operating room exhausted, but satisfied. A woman came up to us and although we were unable to understand what she was saying, we could tell from her expression that she was thanking us. We had just operated on her daughter.

This scene was destined to be one of many; gratitude expressed by people who would have lost their eyesight and their place within an impoverished society that cannot care for its poor– if not for us.

The Hippocratic Oath we took when we graduated from medical school takes on a new meaning in a place like this.

We were part of a seven-person mission to Myanmar, sponsored by Eye from Zion, a non-profit humanitarian organization, founded by Israeli businessman Nati Marcus, with aim of providing medical assistance to the world's needy.

Eye from Zion enjoys the cooperation of Mashav – the Foreign Ministry's National Agency for International Cooperation, the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) and Magen David Adom, as well as the support of Hanita lenses (TEVA GROUP) and numerous commercial and private bodies.

Our destination of choice: Myanmar. Bordering Thailand, Laos, China, Indian and Bangladesh, Myanmar is a poor, struggling county ruled by a military junta – a regime which has left it shunned by the West. The only aid it gets comes via private foundations and independent volunteers.

Our mission included four surgical ophthalmologists: Dr. Tzvi Segal head of the Ophthalmology Department at the Nahariya Medical Center, Dr. Shmuel Levartovsky, head of the Ophthalmology Department at the Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon, Dr. Nadav Belfair, senior ophthalmologist at the Soroka University Medical Center in Beersheba and Dr. Nirit Bourla, senior ophthalmologist at the Chaim Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer.

Joining us were medical technician Hovav Nutman and photographer Vardi Kahana. Eye from Zion Founder and Chairman Nati Marcus headed the team.

Bamboo and blackouts

Our journey began in the southern Myanmar city of Pyapon – one of the cities most severely struck by Cyclone Nargis in 2008.

Near the local hospital's main building, under ever-present bamboo sheds, we could see dozens of patients waiting for us. No complaints, no grievances and no favoritism – just waiting patiently for their turn.

Their numbers, as we soon found out, continued to grow.

Inside the hospital, rows and rows of peeling, white iron beds were stationed in every room. With the absence of mattresses, patients lay on mats places on the beds. The operating rooms turned out to share one air conditioner. The temperature in the ORs could climb to 30 degrees Celsius and doubts of whether we could perform under such conditions began creeping in.

Between unpacking the equipment and preparing the ORs, and with the humidity taking its toll, we began patient triage, ahead of the next day's surgeries.

After the first two patients were prepped for surgery, we found out two things: First – one of the two phacoemulsification machines used in cataract surgeries had malfunctioned; and second – the local surgical support staff spoke only the most basic English, making vital communication very difficult.

We were in the middle of a procedure when all of a sudden the lights went out. Power failures are common in Myanmar and the local medical team had flashlights standing by to light the operating field, but they did little to assist, since they could not take the place of the much needed light microscope. And so, our only recourse was to wait.

Our next day spelled another surgical marathon. This time, we demonstrated procedures for the benefit of the local doctors, in hope that what ever knowledge we could share would help them provide better care for their patients.

After intensive week we bid Pyapon farewell and headed 445 miles north of Yangon to Mandalay, Myanmar's second largest city.

Mixed emotions in Mandalay

We arrived in Mandalay on Sunday and headed straight to the local hospital. After meeting the local staff and setting up, we began examining the dozens of patients waiting for us.

We were quickly joined by Mou, the head nurse, who was tasked with helping us communicate with both doctors and patients, thanks to her relatively good English. Here too, we found that the staff spoke only basic English, but with Mou and her fellow nurses' help and efficiency, everything went smoothly.

We spent our time at the Mandalay hospital operating on patients and teaching and advising the local medical team.

Our feelings of helplessness at seeing cases where patients suffering from retinal detachment were doomed to lose their sight simply due to the lack of available medical care, were relieved only by the fact that we were able to aid patients suffering from other problems, by performing procedures to improve or save their eyesight.

Israeli Ambassador to Myanmar Yaron Mayer organized a special reception for us on our last night in Mandalay. It marked the end of two fast-paces week after which were went back to our families, our lives and our daily practice of medicine. But Myanmar, with is warm people and beauty, which seems to be frozen in time, will always be in our hearts.

Dr. Nirit Bourla is a senior ophthalmologist at the Chaim Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer. Dr. Nadav Belfair is a senior ophthalmologist at the Soroka University Medical Center in Beer-Sheva.

Prof. Jacob Lavee's New Organ Donor Prioritization Plan Adopted into Law, and Draws International Attention

Thu, 24 Dec 2009 11:49:46 PST

Getting more people to become organ donors would save lives, but driving up the number of donors is tough. Thanks to Prof. Jacob Lavee, head of Sheba's Heart Transplantation Unit, Israel is about to try a new tack. As of 2011, Israelis who volunteer to donate their organs when they die will be higher on the waiting list if they ever need a transplant.

Lavee's concept adds self interest to the organ-donation equation – giving donor card-carriers a legal right to priority treatment if they should require an organ transplant -- without raising some of the tough ethical questions that come up when the discussion turns to paying people to be donors.

The new Israeli organ allocation initiative, which launches next month with a broad-scale government-backed advertising campaign, has been previously suggested but never before implemented anywhere in the world. As such, the Israeli initiative is gaining international attention. The prestigious medical journal The Lancet featured the policy initiative in its lead pages this month, followed by an article in The Wall Street Journal, interviews on the BBC, and more.

In order to get priority, you have to volunteer to be an organ donor a few years before you need an organ yourself (this prevents people from signing up at the last minute purely out of urgent self interest). If you need a transplant and a close family member donated their organs after they died, you’ll also get bumped up the waiting list. Certain patients who have an urgent need for a transplant will still be given priority over patients who have agreed to be organ donors, but whose medical need is less urgent.

Writing in The Lancet, Prof. Lavee described Israel's current organ donation statistics as "grim". Only one in 10 adults in Israel carries a donor card. Lavee says that the new policy "provides an incentive for individuals to agree to help each other". He acknowledges that it violates the principle of "true altruism", and the "ideal" of care being provided solely according to medical need. "However, this is a price worth paying. If this policy results in the procurement of more organs for transplantation, then it promotes a different but nonetheless important goal of medicine -- achievement of maximum health," says Lavee.

Sheba's Prof. Raphi Walden Awarded the French Legion of Honor

Mon, 07 Dec 2009 17:11:51 PST

The Republic of France has awarded its highest honor, the Legion of Honor Award, to Prof. Raphael Walden, a Deputy Director of the Sheba Medical Center. Prof. Walden received the prestigious award in recognition of his leadership in the Israeli NGO, Physicians for Human Rights, and for his concrete contribution to Israeli-Palestinian reconciliation.

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, a close friend of Prof. Walden's, personally insisted on bestowing the "Officer of the Legion" award himself, during Kouchner's recent visit to Israel. Kouchner himself was one of the founders of the international NGO, Doctors without Borders.

Mr. Shimon Peres, President of the State of Israel, participated in the November 18 ceremony which was held at the French ambassador's residence in Jaffa. Prof. Walden is personal physician to Mr. Peres, while Peres is Walden's father-in-law. Former Israeli deputy foreign minister Yossi Beilin was also similarly awarded at the recent ceremony.

Prof. Walden is a vascular surgeon who for years was chief of surgery at Sheba. He is a professor at Tel Aviv University's Sackler School of Medicine, and has been a visiting professor at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston and at Salpetriere Hospital in Paris. He joined Physicians for Human Rights in 1992 and been one of its leaders ever since.

Sheba CEO Prof. Zeev Rotstein said that "We are all tremendously proud of Prof. Walden and thrilled to congratulate him on this most exalted award."

Israeli Researchers Make Significant Progress in Heart Tissue Engineering

Wed, 26 Aug 2009 13:41:45 PDT

Israeli researchers from Ben-Gurion University and the Sheba and Soroka medical centers have made significant progress in treating heart disease, growing heart muscle in rats' abdomens and using it to patch the hearts of rats that suffered heart attacks.

The experiment, whose results were published this week in an American journal, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, is the first to demonstrate the possibility of rejuvenating the heart after a heart attack. While many researchers have tried to develop heart patches, until now, none of the tissue patches have survived implantation into the heart.

The Israeli researchers were led by Dr. Tal Dvir, who developed the new method for his Ph.D. thesis at Ben-Gurion University and is now at MIT. The researchers planted cardiac cells taken from newborn rats on a laboratory "scaffold" loaded with stem cell factors. Once the cells had grown sufficiently, the entire scaffold was implanted in the rat's abdomen, where the tissue continued to grow and developed a network of blood vessels. A week later, new engineered tissue was removed from the abdomen and transplanted into the damaged heart.

After 28 days, the blood vessels in the patch had linked up with the damaged heart's own blood vessels. This, Dvir said, prevented it from dying of lack of oxygen, as previous bioengineered patches have.

Moreover, the patch appeared to actually improve the damaged heart. A heart attack leaves a scar that usually tightens over time and exerts pressure on the heart wall, which often leads to another heart attack. The tissue patch prevented this deterioration.

The breakthrough emerged from an ongoing research collaboration of stem cell and regenerative medicine researchers from Ben-Gurion University and Soroka Medical Center (both in Beersheba), Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer and Tel Aviv University, led by Prof. Smadar Cohen, head biotechnology engineering at BGU, and Prof. Jonathan Leor, head of the Sheba Center for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine and TAU's Neufeld Cardiac Research Institute.

Stem cell science, or regenerative medicine, is a relatively new and complex area of biology. It was only about nine years ago that the first human embryonic stem cell line became available to scientists. Less than a decade ago, the prospect of "building" any kind of living tissue outside the body was widely considered outlandish. In the brief span of time since then, cell biologists, geneticists, oncologists, materials engineers and others have brought novel insights and techniques from their respective disciplines to the challenge, and made substantial progress.

The field has become a central focus for the top scientists around the globe, with hundreds of millions of dollars devoted to stem cell research. A few mega-centers for regenerative medicine have been established in recent years -- in California, Massachusetts (including Harvard University), and Australia. Israel is also becoming a leader in this field, with a major multi-disciplinary regenerative medicine center at Sheba.

Sheba's Dr. Jacob Kuint and colleagues find that postpartum depression negatively affects infant development

Thu, 20 Aug 2009 12:07:28 PDT

Postpartum depression has long been known to compromise a mother's capacity to optimally care for her newborn. But just how maternal depression can negatively affect infant development and physiological regulation is the subject of a study to be published in the August 2009 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (JAACAP).

Feldman and colleagues at the Bar-Ilan University and Sheba Medical Center in Tel-Hashomer, Israel studied three infant outcomes - social engagement, fear regulation, and physiological stress reactivity, in a cohort of 100 mother-infant dyads at nine months postpartum. These three infant outcomes are considered foundations of social-emotional growth and are associated with the infant's ability to manage physiological stress and regulate negative emotions.

The researchers collected a large community cohort of 971 mothers who reported symptoms of depression and anxiety at 2 days postpartum and again at 6 months. Of these, a cohort of 100 mothers and infants were observed at 9 months and included three groups: Mothers who were depressed across the first nine months and were diagnosed as suffering a Major Depression Disorder at 9 months, mothers who reported high levels of anxiety across the first 9 months and were diagnosed with an Anxiety Disorder at 9 months, and control mothers who reported low anxiety and depressive symptoms across the first 9 months after childbirth. To remove the influence of other known risk factors such as teenage pregnancy or premature birth, which could independently contribute to maternal depression, the researchers only recruited women who were in stable relationships, were physically healthy, educated, and those who delivered a healthy full-term infant.

In the article titled, "Maternal Depression and Anxiety across the Postpartum Year and Infant Social Engagement, Fear Regulation, and Stress Reactivity," the authors reported that infants of depressed mothers scored the poorest on all outcome measures at 9 months: they showed the lowest levels of social engagement during interactions with their mothers, were unable to self-regulate during situations that introduced novelty, fussed and cried more often, and their physiological stress response showed both higher baseline levels and a more pronounced stress reactivity. Children of anxious mothers showed lower social engagement than children of control mothers but higher than children of depressed mothers. However, their physiological stress response was similar to children of depressed mothers.

The mother's sensitive behavior played an important role in shaping infant outcomes. Sensitive mothering was related to the infant's social engagement and protected against the effects of maternal depression on the development of the child's social skills. Maternal sensitivity also had a positive impact on the infant's physiological stress response and reduced the degree of physiological reactivity as measured by cortisol reactivity to stress.

Sensitive mothering is important in an infant's ability to develop social competence and further study of the effects of maternal depression on child development within the first year of life is warranted.

Feldman and colleagues stated, "By recruiting a large community sample, separating maternal depression from typically-occurring conditions, comparing cases of major depressive disorder to those of post-partum anxiety disorders, and assessing the chronicity of the mother's mood from birth, the findings may illuminate specific pathways leading from maternal depression to child outcomes across the first year of life. Furthermore, the unique associations found between maternal depression and each outcome underscore the need to consider maternal depression in the context of the child's global rearing environment and in relation to the attainment of specific developmental goals."

Source article:

"Maternal Depression and Anxiety across the Postpartum Year and Infant Social Engagement, Fear Regulation, and Stress Reactivity. " Feldman R, Granat A, Pariente C, Kanety H, Kuint J, Gilboa-Schechtman E.

The Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. 2009; 48:919-927.

[Dr. Jacob Kuint is a senior physician in Sheba's Buchman Women's and Maternity Hospital.]

The study findings by Drs. Feldman and colleagues were supported by the Israel Science Foundation (#1318/08), the US-Israel Bi-National Science Foundation (#2005-273), and the NARSAD Foundation (Independent Investigator Award, RF).

Article URL: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/161320.php

Sheba's Dr. Shai Izraeli discovers novel alternative to chemotherapy for children with leukemia

Wed, 29 Jul 2009 10:13:43 PDT

Each year, approximately 4,500 children in America are diagnosed with leukemia, according to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. A potentially deadly cancer of the blood, it is the most common cancer in children.

"Modern medicine can cure eight out of 10 cases of childhood leukemia, so parents can still be hopeful when they hear a diagnosis," says Dr. Shai Izraeli of Tel Aviv University's Sackler School of Medicine and the Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer. "Our research gives hope and life to the 20% who might not make it as well as those who may experience a relapse."

The first researchers to discover a mutation of the JAK2 protein in patients with Down syndrome, the Tel Aviv University team suspected that this protein might also be linked to other disorders and diseases ― and they were right. Based on the successful results of this research a drug that is already in clinical trials for a blood disease common in adults may be relevant for acute childhood leukemia. If initial trials go well, the drug could fast-track through approvals and could be available for treating children with leukemia in only a few years.

The recent findings are based on Dr. Izraeli's original discovery of the JAK2 in Down syndrome, published recently in the prestigious medical journal The Lancet.

Finding a model in children with Down syndrome

According to Dr. Izraeli, a similar mutation of the JAK2 in Down syndrome and leukemia causes Polycythemia Vera, a disease common in adults that leads to the overproduction of blood. This discovery of a similar mutation in a subset of pediatric leukemia cases may provide a path to new life-saving medication options.

Dr. Izraeli first discovered JAK2 mutations in children who initially suffered from Down syndrome and subsequently developed leukemia (a child with Down syndrome is 20 to 30 times more likely to develop leukemia during childhood than a child without it). Dr. Izraeli was then inspired to screen for gene mutations that could result in increased proliferation of cells. In collaboration with the iBFM Study Group, a European childhood leukemia consortium, 90 cases of Down syndrome leukemia from all over Europe were studied. A JAK2 mutation was found in 20% of these cases.

The discovery represents a unique biological phenomenon. "This is perhaps the first example of two very similar ― but different ― mutations that apparently do the same thing in a cellular protein. But they're associated with two completely different disorders, one that causes polycythemia in adults and the other that causes leukemia in children," says Dr. Izraeli.

"Those children at the highest risk for leukemia may be treated with inhibitors of JAK2," he says. "And because of the existence of polycythemia in adults, there are already drugs to fight polycythemia entering into trials as we speak. We will know in just a few years what these drugs are capable of."

An alternative to chemotherapy

Dr. Izraeli says the discovery offers "potential hope" to children who suffer from leukemia. "JAK2 inhibitors are not based on chemotherapy. The first experiences with these treatments show very few side effects. All that researchers need to do is to expand these clinical trials to children and adults with high-risk leukemia ― and that can happen relatively quickly," says Dr. Izraeli.

Dr. Izraeli explains that typical chemotherapies for leukemia also have a high "toxicity cost." Children with leukemia are treated with 10 to 12 different chemotherapies over a period of two to three years. Some of them have long-term and irreversible damage, such as neurological, heart, bone problems and sterility. Researchers looking for viable alternatives may turn to Dr. Izraeli's research as a promising avenue for success.

Sheba, NYU researchers to draw genetic map of wandering Jew

Mon, 20 Jul 2009 13:51:22 PDT

Geneticists at Sheba Medical Center and New York University have launched the world's first comprehensive gene-mapping project of the Jewish people, in an effort to trace their wanderings to and from Israel and in the Diaspora over the millennia.

The research may also be used in the future to connect specific genes to certain "Jewish diseases" by providing data on the normal gene to serve as a control group.

Volunteers whose parents and grandparents have the same ethnic origins - including Yemenites, Iraqis, Moroccans, Libyans, Ethiopians, Indians, Georgians, Bnei Menashe, Bucharans and others regarded as close to the Jews, such as Karaites - are being invited to give blood samples and fill out a short questionnaire. So far, 120 samples have been collected, but about 180 more are needed.

The project has been dubbed the "Jewish HapMap" project, "hap" coming from haplotype, a group of closely linked genetic markers located on one chromosome and inherited together.

The project is being carried out by Prof. Eitan Friedman of Sheba's clinical genetics unit and Prof. Harry Ostrer, director of the human genetics program at NYU Medical School's pediatrics department, who is an expert in the origins of the Jewish people.

Sheba will collect blood samples only from Jews of Oriental, Sephardi or other non-Ashkenazi origin, as Ostrer is collecting data from Ashkenazi Jews as well as Jews of Syrian and Iranian origin.

"This is our last chance to do this project," Friedman told The Jerusalem Post on Monday, because of the effects of intermarriage of Jews of different ethnic origins in Israel and intermarriage between Jews and non-Jews in the Diaspora.

Today, about 50 percent to 60% of Israelis are eligible to participate based on their background, but in another generation, that figure could decline to around 20%, the Israeli geneticist said.

"We are studying normal genes, not mutations, to see what the various ethnic groups have in common and how much admixture there was," he said.

The 18-month to two-year project is being funded by the US-Israel Binational Science Foundation. When they reach their conclusions, the researchers will write a study for a major science journal.

Data obtained from the tablespoon of blood, says Sheba, will be kept under lock and key. Volunteers have no need to worry about their personal genome being identified, as the researchers are looking only for normal genes, and in any case, since 2002 there has been a law that prevents employers, health funds and others from discriminating against people due to genetic mutations.

The data, says Friedman, will be computerized and compared to achieve "deep and genuine understanding on the basis of genetics of the Jewish people," with comparisons to be made among the various Jewish ethnic groups, and between the Jews of those ethnicities and the non-Jews who live in those areas.

A recent study abroad, for example, claimed that one-fifth of Spanish residents have genetic links to the Jews who lived there for generations before being expelled in 1492. The Jewish HapMap project could check this hypothesis.

Friedman said that anyone who contributes blood will be able to receive a summary of the research results in "simple, understandable language," but it will be collective and not present his individual genome.

A new school of thought: A plan to open the country's fifth medical school brings opportunities to re-think doctor training

Sun, 19 Jul 2009 14:06:41 PDT

When the establishment of a fifth Israeli medical school - to be located at Safed in the Galilee - was approved by the Council for Higher Education two years ago, all four existing schools protested - arguing that the looming shortage of physicians could be more cheaply relieved by expanding their own classes. Now Ramat Gan's Bar-Ilan University is bidding for a tender to set up the school, competing against a joint bid by the University of Haifa and the nearby Technion-Israel Institute of Technology (which already has its own school and says it wants only to "nourish the fifth school with our experience" during its initial years).

Before Ben-Gurion University's Goldman Medical School was founded in Beersheba in 1973, heads of the three pre-existing schools voiced opposition. Prior to the establishment of the Technion's Rappaport Medical School in 1969, the two pre-existing schools voiced their opposition. Before Tel Aviv University's Medical School was founded in 1964, heads of the country's only medical school objected. Only when plans for Israel's first medical school by the Hebrew University and Hadassah women from the US were released in 1949 did no one protest.

Now, four months after the government approved the plan for a fifth school, a two-day workshop was held in the city to suggest how young Israelis keen on becoming physicians would be educated there. Senior representatives of the four existing schools attended and voiced a positive view. The deans explained that they still feel it would have been better for them to be allowed to take in more students, but that a new school would significantly boost the development of Safed and the Galilee, including Ziv Hospitals and others in the north where students would complete their clinical work. By attending and speaking at the workshop, they were able to have some influence.

THE INTERNATIONAL Workshop on Medical Education in the 21st Century: New Paradigms, Innovations and Challenges - held in English at the Canaan Spa Hotel on top of Mount Canaan - was organized by the Israel National Institute for Health Policy and Health Services Research (chaired by Prof. Shlomo Mor-Yosef), with support from the Gertner Institute at Tel Hashomer and the Rashi Foundation.

The establishment of a medical school is a major academic event; even in the US, only five new ones have been opened in the past two years, and there hasn't been a new one in Israel for 36 years. Medicine has been transformed since the early 1970s, so many participants suggested that the Safed school be created by "starting from scratch" and not merely by building a clone of an existing facility.

Dr. Bishara Bisharat, medical director of the Nazareth Hospital (EMMS) and formerly the physician of Kibbutz Ein Dor in the Lower Galilee, noted that the health situation and medical services in the north are very different than in the center of the country. Fifty-two percent of Galilee residents are Arab, he said, with a high fertility rate and a much younger population. "Arabs have the diseases of developing countries such as infectious hepatitis, brucellosis, gastrointestinal infections, higher infant mortality and lower life expectancy, as well as the chronic disorders of developed countries such as heart disease, stroke, obesity and diabetes," he said.

Nazareth has three venerable hospitals including his own, which was established in 1924 when a "camel was the first ambulance." Today, the area has a total of 2,300 hospital beds. Still, the survival rate after a heart attack is 50 percent lower in the Galilee than in the center of Israel for a variety of reasons.

The "ideal student" at the fifth school "should study medicine in the spirit of unconditionally helping the poor and needy out of love and respect for all human beings. There must be cooperation between Jews and Arabs, community and hospital," Bisharat said.

THERE IS also a shortage of doctors (and nurses), and especially in certain specialties who do not want to settle in the Galilee. The four medical schools currently train fewer than 400 doctors each year due to Treasury limitations, while at least 600 are needed to replace retirees and ensure easier accessibility around the country. Since it takes seven years to train a general practitioner and many more to produce a specialist, BGU president Prof. Rivka Carmi said she expected the first doctors would be minted by the new school around 2025. Eventually, there are plans to open a university in Safed as well, although a bioscience research center is to be established there with the medical school.

Prof. Jonathan Halevy, director-general of Jerusalem's Shaare Zedek Medical Center, who headed a public committee that a few years ago recommended the establishment of a fifth school, called the government decision to do so "the fulfillment of a dream. There will be more competition among the medical schools, and some Israelis who were previously not accepted and went to study in Eastern Europe and elsewhere will come home to study. Today, there are 1,000 of them studying medicine in Hungary alone."

The school was also strongly boosted for years by President Shimon Peres, who flew to Safed by helicopter to greet the 70 or so participants.

Israel Prize winner Prof. Mordechai Shani, head of the Gertner Institute, for decades director of Sheba Medical Center and who twice served as Health Ministry director-general, said he hoped that at least half of what the new medical school will teach will be in community clinics and not in hospitals, as most medicine today is practiced in primary-care facilities. He added that some NIS 500 million shekels would be needed to upgrade medical services in the area so students would learn at a high level.

He predicted that in 10 or 20 years, doctors will rarely touch their patients, and often not even be in the same room with them. Doctors could see chronically ill patients in their clinics annually, and the rest of the time could carry out "virtual visits" using computers and video, Shani suggested. Instead of working alone in the community, there will be a doctor who serves as a "clinical leader," with a "caseworker" integrating the patient's data into an electronic file.

With these different functions, the criteria for choosing whom to admit will have to be changed, stressing not only cognitive abilities but also "teamwork, commitment, integrity, dedication, compassion, communication, self-confidence, honesty, and empathy with patients and family members."

PROF. JORDAN COHEN, a kidney expert and president emeritus of the Association of American Medical Colleges, who came specially for the workshop, told the Israelis that while the US experience may not exactly suit Israel's, "you have a unique opportunity facing you. Don't blow it. Planning a new medical school is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Bypass the resistance to change that typically stifles innovation."

Curricula must be fundamentally changed to suit the era and location, Cohen advised. "Prepare students and residents to be lifelong learners. Provide the scientific foundation necessary for the practice of evidence-based medicine, and assimilate new discoveries. Prefer students with character traits that promote professionalism and sustain medicine as an ethical practice," he advised.

The focus should be on continuously treating chronic disease and disability instead of episodically dealing with only acute disease; preserve health rather than only saving lives; take advantage of the genetics revolution to determine while patients are young when they will develop risks and minimize them, he said, and be aware of the costs of the care you give; be sensitive to cultural diversity in your patients; and develop teaching and mentoring skills.

Canada has empirically proven guidelines to help establish new medical school curricula and competencies, said Dr. Yvonne Steinert, who received her BA in clinical psychology at the Hebrew University 38 years ago and now is on McGill University's faculty of medicine. Called CanMEDS, it views the physician as a medical expert, communicator, collaborator, manager, health advocate, scholar and bearer of professional skills. Medical schools, said Steinert, have to teach all these. "CanMEDS is only as good as what it can do for you. It is a means to an end, not an end in itself." Prof. Eran Leitersdorf, an internal medicine specialist and lipid researcher who has been named the new dean of the Hebrew University Medical Faculty, said that even now, preventive medicine is hardly taught in medical school; he intends to change that. Today's young students feel completely comfortable with digital technologies. "When I was a student, we often spent days in the library looking for a journal article; today it takes seconds. They are also very interested in social conventions, ethics and teamwork. They get bored if they don't get something new all the time." This should be reflected in what is taught and how it is taught, and combined degrees that offer MDs along with master's degrees in health administration, public health, law or biotechnology should also be offered, he said. "I would also like to know more about graduates. Do they practice medicine after graduation? Do they go into a specialty? Some graduates don't go to get their license and disappear."

The choice of students for admission to medical schools has already been revolutionized by simulation, said Dr. Amitai Ziv, founder and director of MSR, (the Israel Center for Medical Simulation), who previously served in the Israel Air Force as a combat pilot and is today a deputy director of Sheba Medical Center. Applicants go through a long series of video taped encounters with actors playing patients to determine how much they know and how they behave. "Simulation is a safe environment, making it possible to forgive mistakes." Simulation of medical treatment with electronic dummies also objectively assesses the skills of graduates, interns and residents. "After a lecture, you retain just 5% of the information, but when learning with practice, you retain 75%," Ziv said.

THE LAST person to launch an Israeli medical school was Prof. Moshe Prywes, who moved from Jerusalem to the Negev and established BGU's faculty of health sciences, said Prof. Carmi Margolis, who himself was later co-founder and dean of of BGU's culturally sensitive International Medical School for International Health in collaboration with New York's Columbia University. Margolis came on aliya with his family to work with Prywes, who insisted that BGU's school differ from the first three by stressing community care, student involvement in the Beersheba region and "producing mentsches." As for what he would advise for the Safed school, Margolis said: "Decide what your central goal is; use methods that have been shown to work; use information technology discriminatingly; and teach cross-cultural competence."

As a large chunk of the Israeli public seek out complementary & alternative medicine (CAM) practitioners and practices, Dr. Opher Caspi - head of integrative medicine at the Rabin Medical Center - said tomorrow's physicians have to learn techniques that have been shown to help patients. Major medical journals recognize acupuncture as helping with some conditions, along with natural products such as fish oil and vitamins, he said. "Even desperately ill patients can feel better if not be cured. CAM cannot be ignored, and should be incorporated into the curriculum."

Perhaps not all medical students and not all residents in a certain specialty should have the same training, suggested urological oncologist Prof. Arie Lindner, chairman of the Israel Medical Association's powerful Scientific Council. "Must a gastroenterologist be required to go through all internal medicine material? Must a pediatric or vascular surgeon have to get general surgeon certification?" he asked. Such issues should be considered by the fifth school, Lindner advised.

As the mass of knowledge in the sciences doubles every 18 months to two years, memorizing facts will be much less important than knowing how to obtain accurate information and applying it, said Dr. Pablo Yagupsky, deputy dean of BGU's health sciences faculty.

"I started medical school in Buenos Aires in 1968," he said, noting that his brain then weighed the average 1,360 grams. It still does, but medical students with the same-sized brain have to absorb much more knowledge, and those in the first class in Safed will be exposed to even more. "Medical education is a moving target. Today's answers may be all wrong and replaced by new answers. We have to be ready to change our views."

Sarah Ferber of Sheba in Israel shows that potentially, patients with diabetes can be donors of their own therapeutic tissue

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 10:18:40 PDT

A ONE-OFF treatment for diabetes is a step closer thanks to a better understanding of how human liver cells can be transformed into something like the beta cells that produce insulin in a healthy pancreas.

The new insights have allowed Sarah Ferber of the Sheba Medical Center in Tel Hashomer, Israel, and colleagues to implant these cells into diabetic monkeys. The ultimate plan is to take liver cells from people with diabetes, reprogram the cells and reinject them. Because they are the patient's own, the cells should escape rejection by the immune system, sparing the individual a lifetime of daily insulin injections. "Potentially, patients can be donors of their own therapeutic tissue," says Ferber.

In 2000, her team discovered that the Pdx-1 gene is crucial for the creation of the pancreas in the embryo. They went on to infect adult human liver cells with a harmless virus engineered to carry Pdx-1. The virus didn't insert the gene into the cells' DNA, but the liver cells produced Pdx-1 protein, enabling diabetic mice to manufacture insulin after injections of the altered cells.

Now the team has found out more about how Pdx-1 operates, which should eventually help them design a human treatment. By repeating the experiment and analysing the changes in gene expression as liver cells are transformed, the team showed that the gene deactivates a range of genes relevant to the cell's function in the liver, as well as activating unexpressed genes vital for beta cell function. A knowledge of this dual ability, which probably arises from the role Pdx-1 plays in the embryo, where pancreas and liver tissue develop from the same family of cells, will be important in predicting how the cells might act if they are implanted into people. Ferber is presenting the work on 9 July at an International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) meeting in Barcelona, Spain.

She also reports that the technique works best in liver cells that are in the process of multiplying. During cell division, chromosomes are exposed, which might make it easier for the Pdx-1 protein to alter their gene expression. Ferber has identified liver regions where dividing cells are more common, which should make reprogramming liver cells more efficient. The transformed cells do not seem to provoke the immune system.

Ferber's team is also looking for the best place for a transplant. Leading candidates, she says, are the liver and the omentum, the sac lining the abdomen.

Jonathan Slack of the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, who has previously used Pdx-1 to turn frog liver tissue into beta cells, doubts whether Ferber's liver cells are completely changed into beta cells. "Rather, it may be the induction of some beta cell genes in liver cells," he suggests. But he points out that this could still have therapeutic value.

Last year, Doug Melton of Harvard University and colleagues reported that they had transformed a different type of specialist pancreatic cell into beta cells. Ferber says liver cells may be more practical because they are more abundant, easier to replace and more accessible.

Meanwhile, Harry Heimberg of the Vrije University of Brussels in Belgium reports at the ISSCR meeting that he is close to identifying elusive pancreatic stem cells in adult mice. If the same cells exist in humans, they might be activated to regenerate beta cells.

http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20327164.300-liver-cells-could-be-reprogrammed-as-insulin-factories.html

Study shows why simple carbs are bad for you

Sun, 28 Jun 2009 10:57:14 PDT

It has long been known that simple carbohydrates that turn into sugars are not good for your heart or your health - but until now, scientists have not understood exactly what they do to the body.

Now a landmark study by Dr. Michael Shechter of Tel Aviv University's Sackler School of Medicine and Sheba Medical Center's heart institute (in cooperation with its endocrinology institute) - just published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology - demonstrates exactly how these foods increase the risk of heart disease.

Like the medical warnings on packets of cigarettes, this new research could lead to food labeling that educates people about the effects of a harmful diet.

Shechter and colleagues used brachial reactive testing - which employs an arm cuff to visualize arterial function in real time - to examine the inside of the students' arteries while they ate a variety of foods. They clearly found that foods with a high glycemic index distended brachial arteries for several hours.

While elasticity of arteries throughout the body is found in young people and is beneficial, this sudden stretching of the endothelium inside the arteries over time causes harm. A sudden expansion of the artery wall can cause a number of negative health effects, including reduced elasticity - which can lead to heart disease or sudden death.

"It's very hard to predict heart disease," says Shechter, "but doctors know that high glycemic foods rapidly increase blood sugar. Those who binge on these foods have a greater chance of sudden death from heart attack. Our research connects the dots, showing the link between diet and what's happening in real time in the arteries."

The researchers divided 56 healthy volunteers into four groups. Over the course of a month, one group ate bowls of cornflakes mixed with milk, a second were served a pure sugar mixture, the third ate bran flakes, while the last group was given a placebo (water).

The results were dramatic. Before patients in the four groups ate, their arterial function was essentially the same. After eating, except for the placebo group who drank water, all had reduced arterial functioning. Enormous peaks, indicating arterial stress, were found in the high-glycemic-index groups: the cornflakes and sugar groups.

"We knew high glycemic foods were bad for the heart. Now we have a mechanism that shows how," says Shechter. "Foods like cornflakes, white bread, french fries and sweet drinks all put undue stress on our arteries. We've explained for the first time how high-glycemic carbohydrates can affect the progression of heart disease."

During the consumption of foods high in sugar, there appears to be a temporary and sudden dysfunction in the endothelial walls of the arteries. The health of the tissue layer inside the arteries can be traced back to almost every disorder and disease in the body, says Shechter. It is "the riskiest of the risk factors."

He advises avoiding simple carbohydrates as much as possible in favor of foods like oatmeal, fruits and vegetables, legumes and nuts, which have a low glycemic index. Their beneficial effect is boosted by exercising daily for at least half an hour.

Study traces high carb link to heart attacks

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 11:00:55 PDT

Dr. Michael Shechter: We knew high glycemic foods were bad for the heart. Now we have a mechanism that shows how.

A landmark research study by Dr. Michael Shechter of Tel Aviv University’s Sackler School of Medicine and the Heart Institute of Sheba Medical Center, with collaboration of the Endocrinology Institute, shows exactly how high carbohydrate foods increase the risk for heart problems. The study found that foods with a high glycemic index distended brachial arteries for several hours.

While elasticity of arteries can point to heart health, when aggravated over time, a sudden expansion of the artery wall can cause a number of negative health effects, including reduced elasticity, which can cause heart disease or sudden death.

“It’s very hard to predict heart disease,” says Dr. Shechter, a fellow of the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association. “But doctors know that high glycemic foods rapidly increase blood sugar. Those who binge on these foods have a greater chance of sudden death from heart attack. Our research connects the dots, showing the link between diet and what’s happening in real time in the arteries.”

It is a first in medical history. The results were published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Researchers looked at four groups of volunteers. One group ate a cornflake mush mixed with milk, a second a pure sugar mixture, the third bran flakes, and the last group was given a placebo (water). Over four weeks, Dr. Shechter applied his method of “brachial reactive testing” to each group. The test uses a cuff on the arm, like those used to measure blood pressure, which can visualize arterial function in real time.

The results were dramatic. Before any of the patients ate, arterial function was essentially the same. After eating, except for the placebo group, all had reduced functioning. Enormous peaks indicating arterial stress were found in the high glycemic index groups: the cornflakes and sugar group.

“We knew high glycemic foods were bad for the heart. Now we have a mechanism that shows how,” says Dr. Shechter. “Foods like cornflakes, white bread, French fries, and sweetened soda all put undue stress on our arteries. We’ve explained for the first time how high glycemic carbs can affect the progression of heart disease.” During the consumption of foods high in sugar, there appears to be a temporary and sudden dysfunction in the endothelial walls of the arteries.

Endothelial health can be traced back to almost every disorder and disease in the body. It is “the riskiest of the risk factors,” says Dr. Shechter, whose practice often treats “medical tourists” from the US who visit to take the heart test.

Dr. Shechter recommends sticking to foods like oatmeal, fruits and vegetables, legumes and nuts, which have a low glycemic index. Exercising every day for at least 30 minutes, he adds, is an extra heart-smart action to take.

In pursuit of a happiness gene

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 09:25:45 PDT

Physorg.com Magazine, June 23, 2009

The pursuit of happiness characterizes the human condition. But for those suffering from stress, money trouble or chronic illness, a positive outlook on life can be difficult to find. Now, Tel Aviv University and Sheba Medical Center researchers say we should look to our genes.

Prof. Yoram Barak of Tel Aviv University's Sackler School of Medicine is engaged in the "attempt to find the happiness gene, the genetic component of happiness," which may be 50% responsible for an optimistic outlook. The research is a collaboration between Tel Aviv University and its affiliated research hospital, the Chaim Sheba Medical Centre at Tel Hashomer, which is the largest hospital in Israel.

Initial research findings have made Prof. Barak optimistic about their ability to succeed. "If something is genetic, it should have a large concordance among twins," he says. "And the twin studies we are looking at show that 50% of happiness is genetically determined." Prof. Barak is now working with Prof. Anat Achiron of the Sheba Medical Center to identify the specific genes that are associated with happiness.

Dr. Barak's current findings in the hunt for the happiness gene were presented at The World Congress on Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis in Montreal, Canada in 2008, and most recently detailed in the journal Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics, April 2009.

Positive psychology

We may be a long way off from being able to genetically engineer happiness, Prof. Barak says, but we can start by thinking positively. Much of his work is based on positive psychology, which is the "fastest and largest growing area of psychology in the United States ― and in the world," he says.

For the 50% of happiness that is not genetic, Prof. Barak is working on a program of positive psychology workshops, with exercises he recently tested in a one-day workshop for 120 participants at the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Israel. Early results indicate that the workshops improved the happiness level of participants by as much as 30%.

This work is dedicated to finding "practical and intervention oriented research and the application of psychology into medicine," says Prof. Barak. His research into the physical affects of mental state on patients with neurological diseases is an attempt to bridge the gap between psychology and clinical medicine.

Feeling good in mind and body

Prof. Barak says that the psychological benefits of the program were accompanied by physical benefits as well. "We were able to raise levels of happiness in these patients so they were just about equal to those of healthy subjects," he says. "If we can apply positive psychology, we can better their adherence to their treatment regime. And we have been able to show that there is a stabilization of the neurological disability as well."

For healthy individuals, Prof. Barak says that his happiness exercises can enrich their lives, too. Meanwhile, his search for the happiness gene goes on.

Read this and other stories about Sheba at www.sheba.co.il

http://www.physorg.com/news164976767.html

Using PlayStation to heal severe burn trauma

Mon, 01 Jun 2009 11:04:14 PDT

Many of the half-million burns treated in the US every year lead to permanent scarring; a physical debility that can leave deep mental scars as well. Now, a new therapy pioneered at Tel Aviv University (TAU) may alleviate the psychological effects of burn injuries and help patients heal faster. Best of all, equipment for this therapy is already available at the neighborhood gadget or toy store.

According to the American Burn Association, there were 500,000 burn injuries receiving medical treatment in the US in 2007. More than 60 percent of the 40,000 US hospitalizations for burn injury each year are admitted to the 125 hospitals with specialized burn units.

Over one-third of burn center admissions (38%) exceeded 10% total body surface area (TBSA), and 10% exceeded 30% TBSA. Most included severe burns to vital body areas such as the face, hands and feet.

That means there are a lot of people, mostly male (70%), suffering major scars and the attendant shame, embarrassment and trauma, not just of the accident itself but of the aftermath: going on living with an appearance that has changed irreversibly.

Because self-image is such an important component of the healing process, Dr. Joseph Haik, plastic surgeon and burn specialist at TAU's Sackler Faculty of Medicine and director of the Chaim Sheba Medical Center-Tel Hashomer Hospital's Burn Unit and Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, has begun prescribing the Sony PlayStation EyeToy to his patients as an important part of the burn treatment protocol.

Using Mii to get used to me

The EyeToy is a digital camera, similar to a webcam, whose technology uses computer vision and gesture recognition to process images, enabling players to interact with games using motion and color detection.

"With our method, patients look into the EyeToy and see their images projected on TV," Haik says. "The game recognizes their gestures and shows them to themselves on screen, helping them adjust to what they look like post-burn. That can help combat depression, improve self-image, and encourage patients to move on when other occupational therapies fail," he explains.

A very important aspect of healing is coming to terms with scars on the face, hands and other exposed body parts. Depression and other symptoms associated with severe burns can make a full recovery more painful and difficult than it may need to be. That's why the EyeToy can be so useful in helping patients to take the first step in accepting a new self-image, Haik says.

"This game, which projects a person's body into the game, presents their injuries in an original way," he explains. "Getting an early understanding of how a patient looks to others is critical for overcoming self-image problems later on. By showing the patient 'inside' the PlayStation game, we distract them from some of the immediate physical trauma and pain, which they gradually learn to accept through game playing."

Haik reported on the therapy in a 2006 study and has presented his approach to the American Burn Association and other associations around the world. New treatment modalities are very much needed, he says, and the technology for one already exists.

A virtual distraction from pain

Intensive occupational and physical therapy is crucial in minimizing and preventing long-term disability for burn patients, but therapists face a difficult challenge in combating the agonizing pain they experience.

With the EyeToy, therapists can speed the process of rehabilitation and the return of functional ability, says Haik, who adds that the cost-effective solution also serves to distract patients from burn-related pain.

The therapy requires no modification to the PlayStation and all games are contact-less, notes Haik. "Some doctors prescribe virtual reality game play that requires the patient to wear special equipment, putting them at risk for infection. But our approach doesn't require the patient to touch a thing."

Haik has used the therapy with his own patients for the past several years at the Chaim Sheba Medical Center-Tel Hashomer Hospital's Burn Unit and Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, and is looking towards the start of formal clinical trials.

Israel, PA and Jordan cooperate as flu threat grows

Mon, 04 May 2009 11:08:39 PDT

The 2,000-mile border between Mexico and the United States is nothing compared to the short distances of about 100 miles between the major cities in Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority.

Borders, distances and how we cross them have taken on new significance lately with the latest outbreak of swine flu, or the H1N1 flu, a global epidemic. Especially severe in Mexico where it is thought to originate, the virulent virus knows no borders, and is a potential risk for people everywhere.

While it might seem that Israelis and Palestinians would have a difficult, if not impossible mission of working together to diagnose and contain H1N1, the reality is far from the truth. Without knowing it, they were preparing for what could become a pandemic, already last September.

The story starts six years ago, when nine top health officials from Israel, the Palestinian Authority and nearby Jordan formed a league - the Middle East Consortium on Infectious Disease Surveillance (MECIDS), to stop the spread of food borne illnesses such as salmonella, across borders.

MECIDS is supported by the Search for Common Ground non-profit organization, the Global Health and Security Initiative, and the Nuclear Threat Initiative.

Making the most of friendships With three officials from each region taking part in MECIDS, rather than open up yet another organization to tackle avian flu in 2005 when the epidemic became a global concern, MECIDS officials from the respective Ministries of Health and Agriculture decided to add the new flu to their initiative.

"We decided to take the infrastructure of MECIDS with its people and friendships," says Dr. Alex Leventhal, director of Israel's Health Ministry Department of International Relations, who is a MECIDS member. Academic research from Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority is now part of the collaboration.

The members all agreed that influenza -- even more than food-borne diseases -- does not respect national boundaries and that international planning against it would be essential. Even after the threat of avian flu went away, the group continued working together and last September held a joint meeting and exercise to simulate how the governments would act if faced with another flu epidemic.

Fully prepared with standardized diagnostic equipment, this past Friday MECIDS officials met in Jerusalem for a five hour meeting to plan how it will monitor and tackle swine flu should it continue to spread. Increasing the efficiency in their laboratories was one concern.

Egypt, which recently called to cull all its pig population, was also invited to join the meeting, as were reporters from Al Jazeera invited by the Palestinian representative Assad Ramlawi, the Palestinian director of public health services, who is now the chair of MECIDS.

Pandemic drills last September

"The idea behind MEDICS is that everybody is equal. So when I decided to be chairman of the group, I suggested it would be a rotating chair," says Leventhal. "This isn't part of the culture in Arab world," he tells ISRAEL21c.

"Last September we had an exchange between the three parties and everyone was explaining what would be the national plan for a pandemic," says Leventhal. What each party would do at each stage and what each country is going to do is now drafted in the plan.

Jordan and the Palestinian Authority now has the proper equipment to test for the H1N1 flu, but still, Israel has offered its lab services at the Chaim Sheba Medical Center - as backup or in the case where a second opinion will be needed, says Leventhal.

There is a common interest among members of this group, he explains. "For instance we have decided we have to upgrade the lab capabilities of the three countries. The organization has bought machinery for diagnostic equipment for the PA and Jordan and we've studied together. Now the same machine [for testing H1N1 flu] will be used in all three countries," he says.

"If one country is stronger, the others will get more in order to harmonize," says Leventhal, about the partnership.

A continued alliance to fight pandemics

"The Jordanians are checking anyone who comes in from Israel. We in Israel only hand out information pamphlets, we aren't conducting tests based on the assumption that the chances of someone coming from Mexico to Jordan and then to Israel is low. We told them that if the need arises, the laboratory at Tel HaShomer is at their disposal," Leventhal said in a previous news story.

He adds that the group is scheduled to meet again in two weeks. At present, there have been no confirmed cases of the flu strain in either Jordan or the Palestinian Authority. The lack of confirmed cases, however, does not rule out that cases do not exist there. It may be a question of education about the virus, and a citizen's willingness to get checked.

"We decided we have to do some work together and will meet in the second week in May. If they want our help we can help provide the answers," says Leventhal, offering Israel's services.

At the time of writing this report, there were three confirmed cases of H1N1 virus in Israel, with none in the Palestinian Authority or Jordan.

Babies given transfusions in the womb do well

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 14:18:11 PDT

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Babies with severe anemia who are given blood transfusions while still in the womb do not show signs of short-term or long-term developmental abnormalities, new research indicates.

Dr. B. Weisz, from The Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel, and colleagues looked at outcomes of 54 anemic fetuses that received between one and seven blood transfusions before they were born.

According to the report in the Archives of Disease in Childhood: Fetal and Neonatal Edition, 33 fetuses had severe anemia and 21 had mild to moderate anemia, based on standard criteria.

The outcomes of the two groups during the newborn period were comparable. Likewise, at follow-up later in childhood, no differences were noted between the groups in motor development score, the percentage of abnormal mental development, and the percentage of children needing supportive therapy.

"It is reasonable to conclude that, although some studies have found cerebral lesions and poor outcome in extremely anemic fetuses, fetuses with severe ... anemia receiving optimal treatment are not at increased risk of neurodevelopmental abnormalities," the authors conclude.

SOURCE: Archives of Disease in Childhood: Fetal and Neonatal Edition, May 2009.

http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSTRE53T76920090430

Decrease In Sense Of Smell Seen In Lupus Patients

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 11:12:49 PDT

The sense of smell is a complex process of the central nervous system that involves specific areas of the brain. In fact, olfactory dysfunction is seen in various central nervous system disorders that involve immune-mediated mechanisms, such as Parkinson’s disease, schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s disease and multiple sclerosis.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease that sometimes involves the central nervous system in a condition known as neuropsychiatric SLE (NPSLE). Research in mice has shown that NPSLE-like symptoms and olfactory impairment might be induced by autoimmune mechanisms that target specific areas of the brain, but this has not been explored. A new study assessed olfactory function in SLE patients and found that there is a decrease in the sense of smell compared with healthy controls.

Led by Yehuda Shoenfeld of Chaim Sheba Medical Center in Tel-Hashomer, Israel, the study involved 50 SLE patients and 50 age and sex-matched controls. Researchers evaluated three levels of olfactory function: threshold (identifying a stick with an odor from among sticks that didn’t have an odor); discrimination (differentiating between two smells); and identification of a smell from among four options. The three scores were combined to form a total TDI score.

The results showed significant olfactory deficits in the SLE patients compared with the controls. SLE patients showed a decrease in olfactory function in both the threshold and discrimination tests. In addition, the study found that patients with more active disease and past NPSLE manifestations had significantly lower TDI scores. Past research in mice has shown that injection of antibodies linked to NPSLE manifestations induced olfactory deficit and that these antibodies can bind and penetrate cells in limbic areas of the brain, which are associated with the sense of smell. In addition, magnetic resonance imaging has recently shown limbic system involvement in SLE patients. “Although the exact mechanism of olfactory impairment has yet to be elucidated, the possibility of an immune-mediated mechanism is intriguing,” the authors note.

The incidence of olfactory dysfunction in the general population is a matter of debate. About one percent of the population is believed to have a loss of the sense of smell; in the study, loss of smell was seen only in SLE patients, 10 percent of whom suffered from this condition. The importance of the sense of smell is easy to appreciate, since the inability to detect odors in daily life, for example in food that has spoiled or leaks in a gas line, could seriously compromise a person’s health.

The authors point out that olfaction is unfamiliar territory for rheumatologists and immunologists, but results from this and other studies demonstrate that an autoimmune mechanism may play a role in olfactory impairment. They conclude that “smell decrement has been found to be an early and predictive sign in several CNS diseases, and therefore, might be a useful and easy tool for the physician in early diagnosis of CNS involvement in autoimmune diseases.”

Sheba Doctor Publishes Inflammatory Breast Cancer Drug Advance

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 09:28:15 PDT

Lapatinib Shows Activity Against Inflammatory Breast Cancer

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - New research suggests that lapatinib, an inhibitor of epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinases, may be an effective treatment for HER2-overexpressing relapsed or refractory inflammatory breast cancer.

Although none of the patients experienced a complete response to the drug, 39% had a partial response, defined as a 50% drop in the extent of skin disease. Side effects, however, were fairly common, including a few fatal complications that may have been drug related.

Inflammatory breast cancer is known to be a highly aggressive malignancy and for patients with resistance to first-line chemotherapy, treatment options are limited, according to the report in the April 27th online issue of The Lancet Oncology.

In an earlier study of 30 patients, treatment with lapatinib produced a 50% response rate, lead author Dr. Bella Kaufman, from The Chaim Sheba Medical Center in Tel Hashomer, Israel, and colleagues note. To better gauge the effectiveness of the drug, the cohort was expanded to 126 patients.

Subjects in the phase II, open-label study were treated with lapatinib 1500 mg once daily. The skin disease response was assessed every 4 weeks and the response in sites of locally advanced or metastatic disease was evaluated every 8 weeks using the response evaluation in solid tumors (RECIST) criteria.

The median progression-free survival and duration of response were 14.6 and 20.9 weeks, respectively. Prior treatment with trastuzumab did not affect the likelihood of a lapatinib response.

Ninety-two percent of patients had at least one adverse event during treatment. Nearly one third of patients had a serious event, most often dyspnea and pleural effusion. Five patients died from adverse events that may have been drug related.

"Lapatinib monotherapy," the authors conclude, "is potentially clinically effective in heavily pretreated patients with inflammatory breast cancer with HER2+ tumors. The objective response rate noted in these treatment-refractory patients coupled with the median duration of response and median overall survival supports a role for lapatinib in these patients."

Sheba's Prof. Mordechai Shani to be Awarded Israel's Top Award: "The Israel Prize" for Lifetime Achievement

Tue, 07 Apr 2009 09:26:05 PDT

"Shani: The guiding light and father figure of Israel's health system"

The Sheba Medical Center is delighted to congratulate Prof. Mordechai Shani on the State of Israel's decision to award him with the prestigious Israel Prize for "Lifetime Achievement." The decision was announced this week by the Minister of Education, and will be awarded by the President of the State of Israel on Israel Independence Day (Yom Haatzmaut), April 29, 2009.

The Israel Prize is the highest, most distinguished award given by the state, granted annually in a range of fields from music to science. "Lifetime Achievement Awards" are rare and especially coveted.

The Israel Prize committee for 2009 said that it was awarding Prof. Shani "for a lifetime of exemplary public service, and for being the guiding light and father figure for medicine and the health system of Israel."

"Prof. Shani was central to the establishment and development of the Sheba Medical Center; the reorganization of Israel's psychiatric services; the founding of the school for health policy at Tel Aviv University; the drafting and passage of Israel's national health insurance policy and legislation; and the founding of many medical research institutes and scientific foundations (that have produced hundreds of scientific studies); and the mentoring of generations of doctors at Sheba."

"In all these capacities, and through his tenures as director general of the Israel Ministry of Health, Prof. Shani had an enormous impact on the health and welfare sectors in Israel, and specifically on the care for Israel's weakest strata and most vulnerable populations, in Israel's peripheral areas and all across the country. He is an enormously impressive and accomplished man by any international standard; the natural and undisputed leader of Israel's health system. Nobody has had a greater influence than him," concluded the prize committee in its formal award citation.

Professor Mordechai Shani, was director general of the Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer for 33 years; served two terms as director general of the Ministry of Health; was the architect of the 1994 reform of Israel’s health system; was a key player in the creation of the landmark Patient's Bill of Rights; was co-founder of the Alut Israel Association for Autism; founded Israel's "National Institutes of Health", known as the Gertner Institute for Health Policy and Epidemiology, at Sheba; was chairman of the all-powerful Pharmaceuticals Approval Council in the Ministry of Health; and founded the Ziering National Center for Newborn Screening. Today, he heads the Sheba/Tel Hashomer Research Foundation and the TAU School for Health Policy, among many other activities. The Israel Prize committee's formal review of Prof. Shani's career accomplishments (in Hebrew) runs five pages long!

Commenting on the award, Sheba CEO Prof. Zeev Rotstein (who succeeded Prof. Shani as director of the hospital), said that "nobody is more deserving of this exalted award than Prof. Shani. Everybody at Sheba is extraordinarily happy for Prof. Shani, and proud to be associated with him. It is a great honor for Sheba too, which continues to be the leading, most comprehensive, and most advanced medical center in Israel."

Prof. Shani will be attending the Friends of Sheba Medical Center Opera Benefit & Reception on Sunday, April 26 at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.

The Last Soldier Goes Home

Tue, 31 Mar 2009 09:20:07 PDT

Dror Kendelshein, severely injured in the summer 2006 war with Hezbollah in Lebanon, was released today from the Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer

Dror Kendelshein, severely injured in the Bint Jbel battle with Hezbollah during the Second Lebanon War, was released today from the Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer after 32 months of treatment. His friends, family and doctors celebrated the occasion together in the Sheba Rehabilitation Hospital lobby, with many tears of joy.

Dror was the last IDF soldier still hospitalized with injuries stemming from the 2006 war. He was unconscious for seven months, had severe memory loss for another six months, and underwent a series of difficult and very painful operations; followed by lengthy rehabilitation in Sheba's new head and brain trauma rehabilitation department, headed by Dr. Evgenia Agranov.

"This was the most difficult period of my life. I had to focus on survival. I thank my parents so much for standing by me; I adore them," said Dror at the small party organized on his behalf. "I can't thank Dr. Agranov and her staff at Sheba enough," said Dror's father, Itzik. "They are most devoted and professional people I have ever met."

"Beyond a sense of accomplishment that we all feel in seeing you rehabilitated, I want to say that we simply love you Dror, very much. You can see here today how we all feel for you," concluded Dr. Agranov.

For the Hebrew original of this article see http://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-3694578,00.html

Keep on giving: U.S. donor not deterred by financial downturn

Fri, 20 Mar 2009 11:15:48 PDT

Schusterman opens child abuse treatment center at Sheba

Lynn Schusterman's latest philanthropy project is rooted in an experience she had as newlywed. "I first got involved in the whole issue of child abuse when was 23 years old, when volunteered with the National Council of Jewish Women in Tulsa," Schusterman told Haaretz Anglo File in Jerusalem this week. "I worked in police shelter, where children had to be taken out of their homes immediately because they were really badly abused. Bodies were covered with cigarette burns, arms were broken. vowed then that when we were financially able do something, I'd get involved in [treating] child abuse.

"Almost fifty years and many millions of dollars later, Schusterman an illustrious philanthropist is still committed to supporting abuse victims, although she told Anglo File that personally she is more involved with college-age Diaspora Jews because that doesn't require her to be a social worker or pediatrician.

On Tuesday, she opened the new shelter for abused Israeli children at Sheba/Tel Hashomer hospital in Tel Aviv, which is modeled after "one-stop shopping" child abuse networks in the U.S., as the Tulsa, Oklahoma-based Schusterman calls it. Usually, molested children have to tell their story over and over first to the police, then to host of municipal workers, psychologists and social workers which doctors found to exacerbate their trauma. In the new "Beit Lynn, "however, the child finds all these agencies under one roof.

The next day, Schusterman -- who recently celebrated her 70th birthday -- attended ceremony during which the health ministry's director-general certified 18 doctors to be able to testify in court, treat children and teach other pediatricians how to recognize and treat child abuse, "and hopefully start educating teachers about recognizing signs of child abuse," she said. The doctors will work at the Haruv Institute in Jerusalem, which the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Foundation established in 2007.

Schusterman, whose late husband Charles made fortune in the oil and gas business, and ranks 601 on Forbes' 2009 list of the world's billionaires, says she lost more money during the current economic crisis than she thought she previously had, but she does not intend to stop -- or even curtail -- giving money to worthy causes. "While other foundations need to scale back, I've made an active decision that to the best of my ability, at least for the next three years, am going to scale back certain living conditions but continue to give at the same level that I've been giving."

Though her aim is to teach the next generation that "being Jewish is cool" Through programs such as Birthright and Hillel, she reaffirmed her commitment to financially support her other projects and even expand them. "Luckily," she said, "I wasn't affected by the Madoff scandal. I jokingly say that I wasn't important enough for him. I don't have a house in Palm Beach – my second home is Jerusalem."

Israel's first center for child abuse victims opens at Sheba Medical Center

Mon, 16 Mar 2009 10:28:13 PDT

Israel's first all-encompassing center for child and teen victims of sexual and physical abuse will open Tuesday as a separate department at Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer.

Based on the successful US model, where currently 600 such centers are in operation, Beit Lynn will provide abuse victims between the ages of three and 18 with a wide range of services and therapy, including social welfare and legal services.

Its creation is based on a law passed last year, which calls for six more such centers to be set up.

"This is the first center of its kind to be established in Israel, and bringing together medical staff with other responders will provide the capacity to give treatment quickly and effectively in the most traumatic of cases," said Prof. Ze'ev Rotstein, Sheba Medical Center's director-general.

Funded by the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation, together with the Ministry of Welfare and Social Services, Sheba Medical Center, NGO Ashalim, the Israel Police Force and contributions from the ministries of health, justice and education, the new center aims to streamline the initial process rape victims must undergo, whether their attacker is a family member or a stranger.

In the past, victims were forced to visit each office independently, usually being carted around by their parents from the hospital to the police station and on to social workers and lawyers.

The new center will bring all these elements together under one roof, with all first responders sharing information and easing the trauma for the victim.

A pilot center run along similar lines has been operating in Jerusalem for the past several years and was also established by the Schusterman Foundation. It is not based in a hospital, however.

According to the latest information from the Ministry of Welfare and Social Services, there are some 40,000 cases of child abuse reported each year, with child welfare officers following up on roughly one-fourth of those reports.

Last year, child welfare officers investigated 8,716 cases of child abuse, a rise of 12 percent over the previous year.

"This is a very welcomed and essential initiative," Minister of Welfare and Social Services Isaac Herzog said in a statement. "It will provide Israel with a breakthrough in the treatment of children and youth who have been abused physically, sexually or emotionally."

"The new center will allow thousands of children who have gone through a terrible trauma to receive the necessary treatment in an appropriate and holistic manner, all under one roof," he added.

Beit Lynn is expected to treat more than 700 children and teens a year from the area surrounding the hospital.

This article can also be read at http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1237114843849&pagename=JPArticle%2FShowFull

Innovative cardiac valve prosthesis developed at Sheba

Thu, 19 Feb 2009 10:29:38 PST

Prof. Ehud Schwammental, the inventor behind Ventor Technology's innovative cardiac valve prosthesis that has attracted the attention of medical instruments giant Medtronics, will have to pay the Sheba Medical Center 30% of the profit he stands to make on the sale of the startup, as may his brother Daniel, who is also a shareholder in the company. With Medtronics' bid for the four-year-old company standing at $325 million, the hospital could come into some $20 million. Sheba's claim to part of the profit is based on the fact that Schwammental, who heads the cardiac rehabilitation institute at the hospital, developed the valve while in the state hospital's employ. The agreement was reached following negotiations with Finance Ministry Accountant General Shuki Oren and the hospital's director, Prof. Zeev Rotstein.

Higher A1C Levels Linked to Lower Brain Function: Study Published by the American Diabetes Association Suggests Lowering A1C Levels Could Reduce Decline in Cognitive Function

Mon, 26 Jan 2009 11:46:20 PST

Higher average blood glucose (sugar) levels in people with type 2 diabetes are linked to lower cognitive functioning, according to a study published online today in the journal Diabetes Care, published by the American Diabetes Association.

The ongoing Memory in Diabetes (MIND) study, a sub-study of the Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes (ACCORD) trial, found that higher levels of hemoglobin A1C levels (a measure of the average blood glucose levels over a 2-3 month period) are significantly associated with poorer performance on three cognitive tasks, which require memory, speed and the ability to manage multiple tasks at the same time. A higher A1C level was also associated with a lower score on a test of global cognitive function. Previous studies have shown that people with diabetes are 1.5 times more likely to experience cognitive decline and dementia than people without diabetes. The MIND results suggest diabetes may be associated with mild cognitive impairment.

"Even a mild impairment in cognitive function is of concern for people with type 2 diabetes," said lead researcher Dr. Tali Cukierman-Yaffe, of the Gertner Institute for Epidemiology & Health Policy Research, Endocrinology Institute at Sheba Medical Center & Sackler School of Medicine at Tel-Aviv University in Israel. However, these results are cross-sectional so it is not yet known whether higher levels of blood sugar increase the risk for cognitive impairment or whether impairment decreases the ability to control blood sugar levels. This will be answered in the ongoing ACCORD-MIND study, in which study patients are followed over time and are tested three times during the trial. One aim of this ACCORD-MIND follow-up is to test the hypothesis that lowering A1C could result in improved cognitive function.

Gaza War Update II from Sheba Medical Center

Tue, 20 Jan 2009 15:20:04 PST

IDF Chief-of-Staff Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi at Sheba: "I Thank Sheba for its Remarkable and Irreplaceable Work on Behalf of the Nation and its Soldiers!"

Sunday, January 18, 2009….

As Israel's unilaterally-declared ceasefire came into effect today, Israel's top soldier, Lieutenant General Gabi Ashkenazi, left his battle command post for the first time in three weeks, and hurried to the Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer to visit soldiers wounded in the fighting.

IDF Chief-of-Staff Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Chief-of-Staff visited today with 25 soldiers and their families who are hospitalized at Sheba, accompanied by hospital CEO Prof. Zeev Rotstein. Rotstein has practically slept in the hospital throughout the 23-day war, and is personally known by each family that has a wounded soldier in treatment.

"On behalf of the IDF, I want to thank you, the doctors and nurses of the Sheba Medical Center, for your remarkable and irreplaceable work for the nation and its wounded soldiers," said Ashkenazi as he addressed a group of senior medical personnel in the trauma unit. "You have treated all of us with overwhelming compassion and professionalism – wounded civilians, regular army conscripts, and reservists," he said.

Sheba is currently treating 25 wounded IDF combat soldiers, including one soldier in critical condition, two in serious condition (who are still undergoing a series of complicated operations), and others with lifelong injuries including paralysis. Two elite Golani and Paratrooper commando battalion commanders were treated and released today.

Among the wounded at Sheba are Dr. Rotem Kuint, a medical officer whose father, Prof. Yaacov Kuint, heads neonatology at Sheba. Rotem Qunit was injured in battle during the 2006 Lebanon war and again now in the Gaza war; and he conducted heroic battlefield surgery several days ago, saving the life of Second Lieutenant Aharon Karov, who entered battle mere hours after his wedding. A Druze soldier, Val Jenam of the Golani brigade (who was wounded after an IDF tank accidentally fired on infantry troops), took shrapnel in his brain and was stabilized in a complicated 12-hour operation at Sheba, but has not regained consciousness since the injury.

"Sheba at war is a unified, mobilized institution that seeks to wrap our brave fighters returning from the battlefield in a powerful, professional, healing and loving embrace," said hospital CEO Prof. Zeev Rotstein. "All our most advanced medical resources are brought to bear, seeking to repair Israel's heroic warriors and return them healthy to their families. We know that this conflict may not yet be over; so we remain alert and ready for any eventuality."

Rotstein noted that, at the same time, Sheba is caring for wounded from the civilian towns of southern Israel hit by Hamas missiles; for Palestinians injured by Hamas' own missile fire and by IDF operations; for Palestinian children ill with cancer and heart ailments, including many children from Gaza; and for the full complement of sick and elderly who regularly avail themselves of Sheba Medical Center care. This includes Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish, a Palestinian doctor from Gaza who works part-time at Sheba, who tragically lost three of his daughters to IDF fire on Friday. "Despite the delicate nature of our mission, especially during wartime, we treat all our patients with compassion and a complete heart," Rotstein said. 'This is what our Jewish and Israeli conscience dictates."

IDF Chief-of-Staff Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi at Sheba: "I Thank Sheba for its Remarkable and Irreplaceable Work on Behalf of the Nation and its Soldiers!"

Sun, 18 Jan 2009 12:37:41 PST

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Chief-of-Staff visited today with 25 soldiers and their families who are hospitalized at Sheba, accompanied by hospital CEO Prof. Zeev Rotstein.

Among the wounded at Sheba are Dr. Rotem Kuint, a medical officer whose father, Prof. Yaacov Kuint, heads neonatology at Sheba. Rotem Qunit was injured in battle during the 2006 Lebanon war and again now in the Gaza war; and he conducted heroic battlefield surgery several days ago, saving the life of Second Lieutenant Aharon Karov, who entered battle mere hours after his wedding. A Druze soldier, Val Jenam of the Golani brigade (who was wounded after an IDF tank accidentally fired on infantry troops), took shrapnel in his brain and was stabilized in a complicated 12 hour operation at Sheba; but has not regained consciousness since the injury.

Medical Update on the Gaza War

Wed, 14 Jan 2009 10:44:57 PST

As the Gaza War continues, Sheba Medical Center is helping to treat the casualties.

January 14, 2009

Here is an update:

* In the first two days of conflict, seven military helicopters had already brought 15 IDF soldiers by airlift for treatment at Sheba. This includes the Golani battalion commander who was moderately injured in last week's unfortunate friendly-fire incident, and several others from the same battle. We have one soldier who is in very, very, serious and critical condition.

* Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni visited the wounded here last week.

* The Rehabilitation Hospital is gearing up in the expectation that we will begin to receive many soldiers for long-term healing from all the other hospitals in the country.

* IDF troops also evacuated a seven-year-old Palestinian child who was hit by the Palestinians' own kassam missile fire, and he is in the The Edmond and Lily Safra Children's Hospital at Sheba for treatment. (This is highly unusual, because the Hamas is refusing to allow any Palestinian casualties out to Israeli hospitals. In this specific case, the child was brought out by IDF forces in the field.)

* Here is an interesting twist: For some time, we have had six senior Fatah officials and officers in rehabilitation. These men were senior Palestinian Authority figures in the Gaza Strip before the Hamas coup 18 months ago. They had their legs broken and limbs chopped off by the Hamas as part of the internal bloodletting that went on there. So, IDF soldiers battling the Hamas, and Fatah victims of the Hamas, will be doing rehab side by side at Sheba.

Uncomfortable, unique, and quintessentially Sheba.

Hoping for calmer times.

Israeli general: Never knew I was evacuating my wounded soldier son from Gaza

Haaretz 13:40 06/01/2009 - http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1053157.html

By Yuval Goren, Noa Kosharek and Yanir Yagna Brig. Gen. (res.)

Zvi Fogel commanded the artillery strike that provided cover for the evacuation of six IDF soldiers wounded in the Gaza Strip on Monday.

It was only after the six troops were successfully transferred to Tel Hashomer hospital in central Israel that he discovered he had helped to rescue his son.

"They told me it was his battalion, but it never crossed my mind that my son was among the wounded," he said. "A little before eight my other son phoned me and said 'Dad, we're going to Tel Hashomer.'"

After a brief hour-long visit with his wounded son, Fogel returned to Southern Command headquarters in Be'er Sheva.

The family and friends of the wounded flocked to the hospital.

"They phoned me a little before eight to tell me that my husband was lightly wounded and was being transferred to Tel Hashomer. I caught a glimpse of him before he was taken into the operating room? His face was a little burnt and I could see the shrapnel wounds," said the wife of one of the wounded soldiers.

An officer who was lightly wounded in the incident returned to his soldiers in the field right after he was treated.

The father of a wounded soldier, tears in his eyes, stood in the hallway and comforted his daughter. "Thank God he's only lightly wounded," he said. "He's covered in shrapnel. We spoke to him; he can communicate. But he hasn't told us what happened over there."

'Not all Israelis are bad': Eight-year-old Palestinian cancer patient treated near Tel Aviv grateful to Israeli doctors

Fri, 09 Jan 2009 12:42:22 PST

Even though he is currently his Israel, while most of his family is in the Gaza Strip, Imad Tanani watches almost no television. His young daughter, eight-year-old Wala, is a cancer patient treated at the oncological department at Sheba Medical Center near Tel Aviv. Imad says he prefers not to expose his daughter to the difficult images from Gaza because they frighten her.

"She is very concerned about what's happening in Gaza and asks: 'Daddy, what if they attack our house by mistake?'" Imad told Ynet Thursday. "She tells her mom not to let her brothers go outside because it's dangerous."

The concerned father says he takes his daughter to the supermarket and buys her presents to help her deal with the anxiety.

"I tell her that they're not attacking everyone. There's a mess right now, but eventually it will end," he says.

The Palestinian child, who is being treated by Israeli doctors and nurses, understands the complexity of the situation.

"The doctors are Israeli and they take good care of us," she says. "Not all Israelis are bad. There are some good ones and some bad ones."

Meanwhile, the family of Israeli cancer patient Nachman Raphael Fadida is staying with him at the hospital, next to the Palestinian children. The six-year-old child's mother, Liat, says that she had not spoken to the Palestinian families.

"I have mixed feelings. On the one hand, a child is just a child, yet on the other hand I know that those children will become martyrs one day," she says.

Sheba hospital director Prof. Ze'ev Rothstein says he has a different vision: "The assistance to the wounded and sick knows no politics and boundaries. We save lives, prevent suffering, and promote peace between us and the Palestinian people. Perhaps one of these days their leaders will also realize it."

Collected stories from around the world...

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 10:42:40 PDT

The Associated Press

10/10/2008
By ARON HELLER, Associated Press Writer

Read Full Article

Israel grants rare entry to cancer-stricken Iranian boy
Haaretz and the Associated Press

A 12-year-old cancer-stricken Iranian boy arrived at an Israeli hospital on Friday for emergency treatment on his brain tumor.

The boy - who was identified only as Roy, to protect his privacy - was wheeled on a stretcher into the Sheba Medical Center near Tel Aviv, after treatments in Iran and Turkey failed. His face was puffy, apparently due to the drugs administered to ease his pain. Israel granted the child a special permit to enter the country and he arrived at Ben Gurion Airport on Friday. The rare arrangement was mediated by an Israeli businessman of Iranian origin. The boy was accompanied to the hospital by his father and veiled mother, who were also granted special entry permits into Israel.

Iran and Israel are bitter enemies and have no formal relations. Iran's president has denied the Holocaust and repeatedly called for Israel to be wiped off the map. Sheba CEO Zeev Rotstein said it wasn't the first time Israeli doctors have treated children from adversarial states. "We hope that with the love and affection we give these kids we are paving the way for at least some understanding between people," he said. "We can't change the politics. We are not politicians. We do this because we feel it is our job."

Israel is home to world-class hospitals and state-of-the-art medical technology. Dr. Amos Toren, head of Sheba's Pediatric Hemato-Oncology Department, said his initial diagnosis was that the boy's year- old growth was the most aggressive tumor that exists among brain tumors. "He is conscious and he can smile but it is hard," he said. "We will give him the most modern treatment possible and maybe we will be able to help him."

Rotstein said the child had been operated on before and may need another procedure in Israel. "There are very limited things you can do," he said. "But if this kid has any chance, it is here." He said the hospital kept the identities of patients from countries hostile to Israel secret, so that they would not face danger upon their return home. Iran and several other Middle East countries oppose any type of normalization with Israel.

Rotstein said he hoped treatments, like those of Roy, would help break down some of those barriers. "As far as we are concerned, we are not involved in politics," he said. "He is from a country that doesn't really like our existence here, but I think part of our job is to prove to countries like Iran that we are here to help the regular people."

Reuters and The Washington Post

Iranian boy gets cancer treatment in Israel
Friday, October 10, 2008

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TEL HASHOMER, Israel: A 13-year-old cancer victim from Iran came to Israel for treatment on Friday, the hospital which received him said, attracting media interest in a country used to decades of hostility with Tehran.

The boy, who has an advanced brain tumour, had travelled from Turkey with his parents after undergoing surgery as well as chemotherapy and radiotherapy in Iran that failed to cure him, Chaim Sheba Medical Centre director Zeev Rotstein said. Turkish doctors who examined the boy advised his family to seek help at Sheba, which has an international reputation and experience in treating patients from countries that have no diplomatic ties with Israel, Rotstein told Reuters.

"He has been suffering from the tumour for more than a year," Rotstein said. "We are doing our best, in the knowledge that his chances are not very good." Sheba declined to give the boy's name, citing concern that his family could face legal problems when they return to Iran. The boy and his parents received permission to enter the Jewish state from the Israeli embassy in Ankara. Iran is locked in difficult talks with Western powers over its nuclear programme and has stirred war fears with fiercely anti-Israel rhetoric. Israel, assumed to have the region's only atomic arsenal, has hinted it could attack its foe preemptively.

Los Angeles Times

World Briefing
Iranian boy seeks cancer treatment

A 13-year-old cancer patient from Iran has come to Israel for treatment, attracting widespread interest in a country used to decades of hostility with Tehran.

The boy, who has an advanced brain tumor, traveled from Turkey with his parents after undergoing unsuccessful surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy in Iran, said Zeev Rotstein, director of the Chaim Sheba Medical Center. Turkish doctors who examined the boy suggested he seek help at Sheba, Rotstein said.

"We are doing our best, in the knowledge that his chances are not very good," he said. Sheba declined to give the boy's name, citing concern that his family could face legal problems when they return to Iran.

The Telegraph

Iranian boy is treated for brain tumour at Israeli hospital An Iranian teenager suffering from a serious brain tumour has been brought to an Israeli hospital for treatment, in a rare case which goes against the grain of regional politics.
By Carolynne Wheeler in Jerusalem, Telegraph.co.uk Oct. 11, 2008

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The 13-year-old, who has been identified only as Roy to prevent him and his family facing persecution on their eventual return to Iran, arrived in Chaim Sheba hospital in Tel Hashomer, near Tel Aviv, on Friday, after a journey assisted by an Israeli businessman of Iranian origin.

When surgery, chemotherapy and radiation at medical facilities in Iran failed to help their son, the boy's parents took him to Turkey, where doctors advised them to seek treatment at Sheba. The hospital has a highly regarded cancer treatment programme. The Israeli embassy in Ankara issued permits for them to enter the country. "As far as we are concerned, we are not involved in politics," the chief executive officer of Sheba hospital, Zeev Rotstein, said.

"He is from a country that doesn't really like our existence here, but I think part of our job is to prove to countries like Iran that we are here to help the regular people." Various charities have brought children from other countries, including those without diplomatic relations with Israel, here for treatment before; at least 35 Iraqi children have received heart surgery in Israel through a programme based in Amman, Jordan. But the treatment of the Iranian boy is believed to be a first. Israel and Iran are sworn enemies; the Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, has threatened to wipe the Jewish state off the map while Israel is widely believed to be preparing a pre-emptive military strike to prevent Iran's nuclear programme from achieving an atomic weapon.

The outlook for the boy is not good, however. His tumour is aggressive and while he is still conscious and able to smile, doctors are uncertain how much more they can do to treat him. "He has been suffering from the tumour for more than a year," Prof. Rotstein said. "We are doing our best, in the knowledge that his chances are not very good."

YnetNews

Iranian cancer patient arrives in Israel

Sixteen-year-old Iranian boy suffering from highly aggressive brain cancer given special permission to enter Israel along with parents; doctors in Sheba Medical Center optimistic about giving him chance

by Meital Yasur-Beit Or, Ynet 10.10.08

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A 16-year old Iranian boy suffering from a cancerous growth in his brain was transported to Israel on Friday in a move coordinated in part by the Shin Bet, landing in Ben Gurion International Airport along with his parents. He was immediately transferred to Sheba Medical Center in Tel Hashomer to begin treatment.

The youth has developed a highly aggressive growth termed GBM, and was treated in both Tehran and Turkey, to no avail. He arrived on a flight from Turkey after his doctors there recommended Israel as a last resort. Dr. Amos Toren, head of Sheba's Pediatric Hemato-Oncology Department, said his initial diagnosis was that the boy's year- old growth was "The most aggressive tumor that exists among brain tumors."

"He is conscious and he can smile but it is hard," he said. "We will give him the most modern treatment possible and maybe we will be able to help him." Sheba Medical Center is reputedly one of the most advanced hospitals in the Middle East, within this particular field of medical technology. This reputation is what eventually brought the boy to Israel.

Sheba CEO Zeev Rotstein was therefore optimistic. "We have the most advanced resources to give this boy a chance," he said. "It's still early to be pessimistic." He added that Sheba had acquired a certain history in treating children from various foreign countries. "We hope that with the love and affection we give these kids we are paving the way for at least some understanding between people," he said. "We can't change the politics. We are not politicians. We do this because we feel it is our job.

"As far as we are concerned, we are not involved in politics. He is from a country that doesn't really like our existence here, but I think part of our job is to prove to countries like Iran that we are here to help the regular people."

YnetNews

Iranian patient's father thanks Jews

(Video) Tehran boy flown to Israel for emergency surgery said to be in serious condition, as doctors' fight for his life. Father grateful for hospitality, says 'It's important that you know the majority of Iranians don't hate Israel'

by Noam Barkan, Ynet 12.10.08

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Watch the video at http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3607798,00.html

VIDEO - "I can't thank the Jewish people enough for all the love and support we've been getting," said the father of the Iranian boy flown to Israel for emergency brain surgery over the weekend.

The 13-year-old arrived in Israel from Turkey on Friday, after Interior Minister Meir Sheetrit and the Shin Bet gave an ex-gratia authorization to the move, due to his grave medical condition. A special authorization was required as Iranian citizens, who are essentially residents of an enemy state, are forbidden from entering Israel.

The boy's father and grandmother stayed by his side at the The Edmond and Lily Safra Children's Hospital, a facility adjacent to the Chaim Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer, throughout the weekend. "I ask you, all of you, to pray for my son. A father's love for his son goes beyond borderlines and religion... It is important to me that you know that the majority of Iranians don't hate Israel. We are all people and we all have the same feelings.

"All I want now is to hear my son's laughter again. I'm sure any parent in my condition would do anything they can to save their child. My wife and my baby daughter are waiting for us back in Tehran. We are all praying for the best," he added. The boy underwent an extensive battery of tests since arriving at The Edmond and Lily Safra Children's Hospital. "The tests have shown that the disease has spread throughout his brain, the central nervous system and the spinal cord," Prof. Amos Toren, head of Hemato-Pediatric Oncology Unit, told Yedioth Ahronoth.

"His condition is too grave for us to operate on him, so we're trying aggressive chemotherapy, in hopes that it would help." Prof. Zeev Rothstein, chief administrator of the Sheba Medical Center, added that "the boy's chances are rather slim, but there are always surprises. It's too early to be pessimistic. We're not going to give up so easily."

Paralysed man walks again thanks to Robocop-style exoskeleton

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 11:07:55 PDT

A man who has been paralysed for the past 20 years is able to walk again thanks to a revolutionary electronic exoskeleton.

Radi Kaiof, 41, now walks down the street with a dim mechanical hum as the system moves his legs and propels him forwards. Radi Kaiof walks using an electronic exoskeleton. It is due to go on sale in 2010.

'I never dreamed I would walk again. After I was wounded, I forgot what it's like,' said Kaiof, who was injured while serving in the Israeli military in 1988. 'Only when standing up can I feel how tall I really am and speak to people eye to eye, not from below.'

The device will allow many wheel-chair bound people to stand. The device, called ReWalk, is the brainchild of engineer Amit Goffer, founder of Argo Medical Technologies, a small Israeli high-tech company.

Engineer Amit Goffer developed the Robocop-style exoskeleton. Something of a mix between the exoskeleton of a crustacean and the suit worn by Robocop, ReWalk helps paraplegics - people paralysed below the waist - to stand, walk and climb stairs.

Goffer himself was paralysed in an accident in 1997 but he cannot use his own invention because he does not have full function of his arms. The system, which requires crutches to help with balance, consists of motorized leg supports, body sensors and a back pack containing a computerized control box and rechargeable batteries. The user picks a setting with a remote control wrist band - stand, sit, walk, descend or climb - and then leans forward, activating the body sensors and setting the robotic legs in motion.

'It raises people out of their wheelchair and lets them stand up straight,' Goffer said. 'It's not just about health, it's also about dignity.' Kate Parkin, director of physical and occupational therapy at NYU Medical Centre, said it has the potential to improve a user's health in two ways. 'Physically, the body works differently when upright. You can challenge different muscles and allow full expansion of the lungs,' Parkin said. 'Psychologically, it lets people live at the upright level and make eye contact.' The ReWalk is now in clinical trials in Tel Aviv's Sheba Medical Centre. It is due to go on sale to the public in 2010 and will cost around £10,000.

Dogs may help lower children's blood pressure

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 16:26:44 PDT

Dogs, long known as man's best friend, may be more than just loyal companions: they may also have a positive impact on your children's health, according to new Israeli research.

The study shows that having a dog at home can help lower a child's blood pressure and mitigate some health problems.

Nearly 230 children from first through third grades at two elementary schools in Shoham were examined in the study carried out by researchers from Gertner Institute for Epidemiology, the children's ward at the Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 85 of which own dogs.

"Our results were very significant," Dr. Michel Bailash, who led the study, told ISRAEL21c. "A normal blood pressure is around 120/80 millimeters of mercury. In our study, children without a dog had a blood pressure that was higher by nearly 4.5 mercury-millimeters. While not dangerous, this difference is very telling of the impact that dogs can have on children's blood pressure.

"Children are much less stressed when they have a dog to play or spend time with," continues Bailash, an epidemiologist at the veterinary services of the Israeli Agricultural Ministry. A dog may not be the most intellectually or socially stimulating companion, he adds, "but they also won't steal your toys like a brother or sister, or yell at you for not doing your homework like your mother or father."

Bailash also suggests that dogs help increase children's physical activity, which in turn helps regulate their blood pressure. "Children are more likely to exert themselves physically when they are with dogs: whether it's taking the dog to the park, or playing a game-instead of wasting away the day in front of a television, children are more physically active when there is a dog at home."

The importance of Bailash's research cannot be underestimated. High blood pressure is considered one of the leading causes of death and illness in the Western world, and can lead to serious heart disease and, in extreme cases, to fatal strokes. While few children between ages six and nine suffer from high blood pressure, past research shows that one third of the children who suffer from high blood pressure will continue to suffer from this problem as they mature, sometimes with serious ramifications. "My research offers an important and simple way to preemptively combat high blood pressure," Bailash admits.

The study itself was broken into two stages. In the first stage, the children's parents were asked (via a distributed questionnaire) whether the child has a dog at home, and if so, to describe the type of relationship the child has with the animal. (For example, questions included "how often does the child play with the dog" and "does the child help feed the dog?") Parents were also asked to detail their child's medical history and disclose any hereditary diseases in the family. Later, the children themselves underwent weight and height tests.

In the second stage, children's blood pressure was measured under a variety of conditions. First, children's blood pressure was tested in a control setting - "each child sat relaxing for five minutes and refrained from any kind of activity." Afterwards, children were tested in an atmosphere that would induce stress or pressure-in one case, children were asked to remember and read aloud a number during a blood pressure test.

Under all circumstances, Bailash and his fellow researchers concluded: "Children who take care of a dog, who help feed it and play with it-have lower blood pressure than those children who do not have a dog."

"There are thousands of dogs in Israel, and millions in the world," says Bailash. "They are one of the most popular pets in the world, a man's best friend, and any health benefits we can find will only help the medical community and dog owners all over the world."

War Between The Sexes Begins Before Twins' Birth, Sheba Researcher Says

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 10:43:55 PDT

ScienceDaily (Apr. 8, 2008) - The battle of the sexes may begin in the womb, researchers from Tel Aviv University and the Sheba Medical Center believe. And it may have troubling consequences - a male twin can compromise the health of his twin sister before she is born.

In a new study recently published in the journal Pediatrics, the researchers analyzed the incidence of complications, such as respiratory distress syndrome, found in pre-term twins. When born premature, girls who share the womb with a boy twin lost the respiratory health advantage normally seen in premature girl infants, they discovered.

"The male disadvantage, the study suggests, seems to be transferred from the boy to the girl in utero," says Prof. Brian Reichman, a lecturer in pediatrics at Tel Aviv University's Sackler School of Medicine and a pediatrician at the Sheba Medical Center.

Girl Twins Lose Their Advantage

Compared to premature twin boys, premature twin girls had a 60 percent advantage. The premature twin girls tended not to develop respiratory distress syndrome and chronic lung diseases sometimes found in premature infants. This advantage was lost in infant girls with a male twin.

This new study is expected to help pediatricians better understand the health risks and outcome of premature babies.

Prof. Reichman helped analyze the data collected by the Israel Neonatal Network comprising 8,858 very low birth weight infants (1 to 3 pounds) born prematurely at 24 to 34 weeks' gestation. The study data covered infants born between 1995 and 2003 and included singletons, same-sex and mixed-sex pre-term twins.

Beginning in the Womb

The TAU study is somewhat unusual. Twin studies tend to focus on what happens after birth, when complicated environmental and learned behavioral factors come into play. "The effects are occurring already in the uterus," says Prof. Reichman, citing studies showing that females with male twins may be more masculinized later in life.

A Pediatrics commentary on the research, "Beware of the Weaker Sex: Don't Get Too Close to Your Twin Brother," by Dr. David K. Stevenson, Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University; and Dr. Jon E. Tyson, Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Medical School, sums up the findings. "For the time being, there remains some biological truth to the old nursery rhyme that boys are made of ‘snakes, snails and puppy dogs' tails,' and ‘girls are made of sugar and spice and everything nice.'

"Perhaps nature knows something we do not," Drs. Stevenson and Tyson write.

Researchers conducting this study derived their data from the Israel Neonatal Network, a network of all 28 neonatal departments in Israel. Study co-authors include Professors Eric Shinwell and Isaac Blickstein, both from the Kaplan Medical Center in Rehovot and Hebrew University.

Prof. Reichman also works at the Sheba Medical Center, The Edmond and Lily Safra Children's Hospital, Tel Hashomer and the Gertner Institute for Epidemiology.

SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN features Sheba's Prof. Yoni Leor: Repairing Hearts with Seaweed

Mon, 07 Apr 2008 13:31:37 PDT

Can Seaweed Mend a Broken Heart?

New research [at Sheba and BGU] indicates that an alginate-based biomaterial injected into heart attack victims may stave off further damage

By Cynthia Graber

http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=can-seaweed-mend-a-broken-heart

TEL AVIV, ISRAEL—Physicians for decades have grappled with ways to block further tissue damage in patients who suffer heart attacks. They have tried everything from drugs to cell therapy—all with little luck. But promising new research indicates that a biogel made from seaweed may have the healing powers that have thus far eluded them.

The first clinical trial in humans recently began of an alginate-based biomaterial that, when injected into animals, helped their hearts repair themselves. The therapy is set to be tested over the next year in 30 patients in Germany, Belgium and Israel who have suffered severe heart attacks; if successful, the trial will be expanded to include a few hundred U.S. heart patients, and the experimental biogel could be on the market by 2011.

"This could revolutionize the treatment of patients recovering from a massive heart attack," says Jonathan Leor, director of the Neufeld Cardiac Research Institute at Tel Aviv University's Sheba Medical Center, who helped develop the potentially heart-saving therapy.

A heart attack, or myocardial infarction, occurs when blood flow to the heart is cut off, killing part of the muscle due to lack of oxygen. The severity of the damage depends on the amount of time that elapses before blood flow is restored. Once damaged, heart tissue never regenerates; if a patient survives, necrotic (dead) tissue is replaced by scar tissue.

The scar wall is thinner than that of surrounding healthy tissue. Damage to the region worsens and spreads when inflammatory cells (that rush to the scene as part of the body's immune response) secrete enzymes that erode the exposed extracellular matrix, the natural scaffolding that supports heart cells. As the scar gets larger, the wall gets thinner.

To compensate, the remaining healthy muscle works harder to pump blood, swelling as it does so. For about 10 to 20 percent of heart attack survivors, this overexertion may lead to arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat), future heart attacks, heart failure and even death, according to Leor.

Leor has spent the past fifteen years researching potential ways to prevent this deterioration. He initially tested therapies incorporating stem cells, which he thought might spawn new heart cells or prompt hobbled hearts to regenerate their own. The results were disappointing: most of the stem cells died, and those that survived failed to spur new tissue growth.

He says he then discovered that the damage was related to the extracellular matrix. That is, the progressive thinning of the scaffolding put a strain on the healthy areas of the heart. Rebuilding this support would not only give a boost to remaining muscle mass, he reasoned, but would also provide more real estate on which cells could live and replicate.

"I thought maybe we could prevent that [deterioration]" by using a biomaterial as a substitute for the lost natural tissue, Leor says.

At the same time, Smadar Cohen, head of the Department of Biotechnology Engineering at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Israel, was exploring the potential of a biomaterial to fix damaged hearts after having successfully used it to repair liver tissue.

Cohen wanted to design an implant on which cells replicated by surrounding healthy tissue could set up shop; she believed that once there, the cells would excrete extracellular material that would thicken scar tissue as well as prevent its expansion. She initially considered using polymers (large molecules comprising repeating units) made of natural human proteins such as collagen or synthetic ones made from degradable polyester. But neither material was up to the task, which prompted her to consider alginate, a seaweed-derived polymer, which has a similar molecular structure to natural extracellular material and has been used by the food, drug and medical-device industries.

Cohen froze the alginate solution to form water crystals, which she then flash-dried. The result was a porous substance on which cells could grow and link to one another. Cohen formed the material into a Band-Aid–like patch, which she applied directly to the hearts of rats (and later pigs) after inducing heart attacks.

Blood vessels grew into the patch, and heart cells from neighboring areas settled and reproduced on it, secreting their own extracellular material that beefed up the scar tissue. After six weeks, the alginate disintegrated and the remains were excreted in urine—leaving behind tissue in the rats and pigs that was significantly healthier than that in those that did not receive the implants. The problem was that the patch could only be inserted via risky open-heart surgery, limiting the likelihood of volunteers for human trials, Leor says.

In an effort to lower the risk, Cohen stitched the alginate polymers into an injectable solution that would turn into a sticky gel when it came into contact with calcium ions (the electrically charged form of calcium atoms that circulate in the bloodstream) that congregate at the site of heart muscle damage.

The gel proved so promising in rats that in 2005, BioLineRx, Ltd., an Israeli start-up created to bring promising early-stage therapies to clinical trials, selected Cohen's process from among hundreds of potential treatments. It continued to test the biogel, which it dubbed BL-1040, in pigs (which are anatomically similar to humans)—with the same success as Cohen had with the patch.

Leor says that no negative side effects were observed. But he notes the results may have been skewed, because the animals were young and healthy (until researchers induced their heart woes), whereas most heart attack victims are elderly and have other diseases and complications. "The challenge,'' he says, "is to show that our approach will be effective in real patients."

Timothy Gardner, president-elect of the American Heart Association and medical director of the Center for Heart & Vascular Health at Delaware's Christiana Care Health System, is cautiously optimistic. "This addresses a real problem, and if [the human trials] are successful," he says, "it will be an important additional therapeutic option."

Burnt "Miracle Girl" Undergoes Unique Skin Growth Treatment at Sheba

Thu, 03 Apr 2008 10:43:32 PDT

A few seconds of carelessness can turn everything upside down and lead to a life of misery and pain. The Sulam family of Bnei Brak learned this lesson 10 months ago when a mistake by the father, Pini, caused burns over 95 percent of the body of his two-year-old daughter Ravid, 20% of his wife Ayelet's body and 70% of his own.

Ravid, now three, has undergone hundreds of excruciating bandage changes in the surgical theater and numerous operations at Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer since Pini - unable to get a fire going for a family barbecue in Netanya - added paint thinner to it after kerosene and oil didn't work.

The 39-year-old father put the empty thinner container alongside the barbecue, causing a terrible explosion that set both him and Ravid on fire.

"She didn't scream or cry; she just called me to see what had happened to her father," Ayelet recalled in an interview Wednesday with The Jerusalem Post. The mother ran to take Ravid inside and suffered serious burns herself.

Pini, a professional cook in the Israel Defense Forces, was discharged from the hospital only two months ago after his legs were saved from amputation, and he is currently undergoing rehabilitation and unable to work. Ravid has been hospitalized at Sheba since the accident, while Ayelet - an engineering technician at the RAD company until the accident - runs between the hospital and home to take care of Ravid as well as her other two children, aged eight and 12.

Dr. Josef Haik, director of Sheba's burns unit, says that Ravid will need operations for the rest of her life, as only on the lower part of one foot does she have skin untouched by the fire. She also lost one ear in the fire. As a child, she will continually grow, and as there is not enough skin for culturing to cover her body as it grows, she needs to undergo a special process in which all the layers of the skin are successfully multiplied and used for grafts to cover her body.

The only place in the world that has been successful in clinical trials for this procedure is Shriners Hospital in Cincinnati, Ohio, where Prof. Richard Kagan, head of the hospital's burns unit and president of the American Burns Association, works. He has promised to treat Ravid at no cost over the three years she will need for the treatment to be completed. It is not known how much money the family's health fund, Kupat Holim Leumit, will pay for their stay (along with that of Ayelet's mother, who is needed to help out).

Rabbi Avraham Elimelech Firer, head of the Ezra Lemarpeh Association, will help by raising money for some expenses. The Sulam family is trying to raise money to cover the huge costs that remain (Bank Mizrahi-Tefahot, branch #431, account #66656).

Haik says Ravid is a "charming girl" who tries to smile, but "when she sees me, she is anxious, because I have to remove the bandages and dead skin, and it hurts. She associates me with pain." But, said the Sheba burns expert, "she has not given up on life."

Haik said that although burns experts here have much experience treating victims of Palestinian suicide bomb attacks, they have not been able to grow skin with all the protective layers needed for grafting to deal with such a severe case.

"A small sample of skin is taken, and it is grown on a synthetic substrate. Few places in the world have tried and succeeded, but Shriners has the most experience and best results. The technique was sold to a private company, but it has not yet been put on the market," Haik said.

He explained that a continual supply of Ravid's skin would be needed as she grows, since scars can even limit her growth. Skin taken from cadavers can be used only temporarily, he said, and do not replace the victim's own skin.

"In Shriners, they will try to maximize what she has," he said.

Her doctor is optimistic that Ravid can improve with the experimental treatment. It is a miracle, he and the family say, that she is alive at all.

Police commander who lost leg visits wounded Sderot boy

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 10:13:48 PDT

Losing a leg is a trauma that Southern District Police chief Cmdr. Uri Bar-Lev knows well: When he was 20, he lost his in combat in Lebanon.

Hence Bar-Lev's promise on Tuesday to eight-year-old Osher Twito, who lost his left leg to a Kassam rocket in Sderot on February 9. "You will walk again, and when you get out of the hospital, we'll play soccer together," Bar-Lev told the boy during his second visit to the children's intensive care unit at the Sheba Medical Center in Tel Hashomer.

Two days ago, Twito finally learned that he had lost the limb, and he has since been struggling to come to terms with the permanent consequences of his injury, the Southern District Police spokeswoman told The Jerusalem Post.

"Having lost a leg, I know what he's going through," Bar-Lev said after concluding his visit, stressing that the ordeal was far more difficult for a child.

"I am in touch with the family, and we are going to continue to provide continuous, round-the-clock support. We know Osher loves the Liverpool soccer club, and we are planning on flying him to England so that he can watch a match," Bar-Lev said.

Twito is undergoing intensive care to stabilize his remaining leg, which doctors have managed to save. He was transferred to [Sheba Medical Center at] Tel Hashomer from Barzilai Hospital in Ashkelon.

Bar-Lev made a point of showing the boy his own artificial leg, to prove "that he will get back on his feet," said community police officer Batsheva Zitun, who accompanied Bar-Lev on the visit.

"When Bar-Lev promised him that they would play soccer, Osher looked up at him with such a meaningful look in his eyes," Zitun said. "The message to Osher is that he can do anything."

The boy's worn-out parents remained at his bedside, while at he same time keeping tabs on the progress of their 19-year-old son, Rami, who was also wounded by the Gazan rocket, though less severely.

Immediately after the attack, Osher lost consciousness and needed help breathing. However, he has been making steady progress since then.

"The fact that Bar-Lev went through this is a big encouragement for Osher," the boys' mother, Iris, told the Post. "This is a boost for us."

Sheba study links protracted cellphone use with tumors

Sun, 17 Feb 2008 11:47:34 PST

Tumors of the parotid (salivary) glands are significantly more common in people who use cellular phones over a relatively long period, according to a retrospective study of nearly 500 Israelis who contracted such benign or malignant growths compared to more than twice as many healthy controls. This is reportedly the first study of the possible effects of cellphone use by Israelis, who are known to utilize them for many minutes per day and start at young ages.

The study, led by Sheba Medical Center physician and Tel Aviv University epidemiologist Dr. Siegal Sadetzki, was announced late last week on the Web site Science Daily (www.sciencedaily.com) and published recently in the American Journal of Epidemiology.

Sadetzki, who has appeared several times at Knesset committees about the possible risk of cellular phone usage, said that while the results needed to be confirmed by additional and longer studies, in the meantime precautions should be taken. These include limiting the use of cellphones by children and both kids and adults using earphones and other means to distance the cellphone from the head whenever possible.

She conducted her study as part of the international Interphone Study, which aimed to discover if cellphone use and several kinds of brain and salivary gland tumors were linked.

Those who used a cellphone very frequently on the side of the head where the tumor developed were found to have an increased risk of about 50 percent for developing a tumor of the main salivary gland, compared to those who did not use cellphones, the study revealed. The parotid gland is located under the external ear about four to 10 millimeters under the skin.

Sadetzki, who owns and uses a cellphone, but sparingly, said that the fact that the study was done on an Israeli population is significant. Only a small minority of Israelis do not use cellphones, and those who do are likely to use them many more minutes than in other countries.

In Israel, where the cost is relatively inexpensive, there is a greater tendency to keep in touch due to familial closeness and security problems and nearly every part of the country has cellular antenna coverage.

Sadetzki explained: "Unlike people in other countries, Israelis were quick to adopt cellphone technology and have continued to be exceptionally heavy users. Therefore, the amount of exposure to radio-frequency radiation found in this study has been higher than in previous cellphone studies.

"This unique population has given us an indication that cellphone use is associated with cancer," added Sadetzki, whose team surveyed (by regular telephones) salivary tumor patients in hospitals around the country. The study's subjects were asked to detail their cellphone use patterns according to how frequently they used one, the average length of calls, and the side of the head the phone was next to. Their responses were then compared to a randomized sample of about 1,300 healthy control subjects.

The study also found an increased risk of cancer for heavy users who lived in rural areas, as cellphones in rural areas emit more radiation to communicate effectively because of longer distances between them and antennas.

Sadetzki predicted that, over time, the greatest effects would be found in heavy users and children. The lead researcher said that while the world was not willing to give up their cellular phones, precautions must be taken to reduce exposure and lower the risk for health hazards.

She recommended that people use hands-free devices at all times and when talking, hold the phone away from one's body. Less frequent calls, shorter in duration, should also have some protective effect. In addition, parents need to consider at what age their children start using them and insist that they use speakers or other hands-free devices.

"Some technology that we use today carries a risk. The question is not if we use it, but how we use it," she concluded.

Dr. Siegal Sadetzki of Sheba: Heavy Cell Phone Use Linked To Cancer

Fri, 15 Feb 2008 08:20:45 PST

An Israeli scientist, Dr. Siegal Sadetzki, has found a link between cell phone usage and the development of tumors.

Dr. Sadetzki, a physician, epidemiologist and lecturer at Tel Aviv University, published the results of a study recently in the American Journal of Epidemiology, in which she and her colleagues found that heavy cell phone users were subject to a higher risk of benign and malignant tumors of the salivary gland.

Sadetzki's main research on this new study was carried out at the Gertner Institute for Epidemiology and Health Policy Research at the Sheba Medical Center. Her research is part of the international Interphone Study, which attempts to determine an association between cell phones and several types of brain and parotid gland tumors.

Those who used a cell phone heavily on the side of the head where the tumor developed were found to have an increased risk of about 50% for developing a tumor of the main salivary gland (parotid), compared to those who did not use cell phones.

The fact that the study was done on an Israeli population is significant. Says Sadetzki, "Unlike people in other countries, Israelis were quick to adopt cell phone technology and have continued to be exceptionally heavy users. Therefore, the amount of exposure to radiofrequency radiation found in this study has been higher than in previous cell phone studies.

"This unique population has given us an indication that cell phone use is associated with cancer," adds Sadetzki, whose study investigated nearly 500 people who had been diagnosed with benign and malignant tumors of the salivary gland.

Controlled Study Reveals Link

The study's subjects were asked to detail their cell phone use patterns in terms of how frequently they used one, and the average length of calls. They were compared to a sample of about 1,300 healthy control subjects.

The study also found an increased risk of cancer for heavy users who lived in rural areas. Due to fewer antennas, cell phones in rural areas need to emit more radiation to communicate effectively.

Sadetzki predicts that, over time, the greatest effects will be found in heavy users and children.

While anecdotal evidence has been substantial, the consistency of the results of this study support an association between cell phone use and these tumors. The risks have been hard to prove, mainly due to the long latency period involved in cancer development, explains Sadetzki.

Keep Calling but Call Smarter

Today it is estimated that more than 90% percent of the Western world uses cell phones. As the technology becomes cheaper and more accessible, its usage by a greater number of people, including children, is bound to increase.

"While I think this technology is here to stay," Sadetzki says, "I believe precautions should be taken in order to diminish the exposure and lower the risk for health hazards." She recommends that people use hands-free devices at all times, and when talking, hold the phone away from one's body. Less frequent calls, shorter in duration, should also have some preventative effect.

While she appreciates the ease of communication that cell phones allow between parents and their children, Sadetzki says that parents need to consider at what age their children start using them. Parents should be vigilant about their children's using speakers or hands-free devices, and about limiting the number of calls and amount of time their children spend on the phone.

"Some technology that we use today carries a risk. The question is not if we use it, but how we use it," concludes Sadetzki.

New York Times: 2 Boys, 2 Sides, 2 Beds in an Israeli Hospital Ward (Sheba)

Wed, 13 Feb 2008 09:31:51 PST

TEL HASHOMER, Israel — Two small boys lay sedated in a hospital ward in this Tel Aviv suburb on Tuesday, unaware of each other or of the growing commotion around them.

One was Osher Twito, 8, an Israeli boy from the town of Sderot, was seriously wounded Saturday by shrapnel from a rocket fired by Palestinian militants from Gaza. The other was Yakoub Natil, almost 7, a Palestinian who was brought here three weeks ago from Gaza City after he was badly hurt by shrapnel from an Israeli Air Force strike on Jan. 18.

Sderot is less than two miles from the Gaza border, making it a prime target for the crude and inaccurate rockets that have killed 13 Israelis over the past seven years. Now Osher and Yakoub lie in booths across from each other a few paces apart in the pediatric intensive care department of the Chaim Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer.

Here, the conflict’s pain has been compressed into an improbable intimacy. There is pathos. “The Palestinian boy on one side, Osher on the other — it’s something that gets to your heart,” said Prof. Gideon Paret, the director of the department.

But there is anger and repudiation as well, and the proximity of the two boys has not brought reconciliation. Osher’s parents, Iris and Rafi Twito, are outraged at the thought of comparing the boys’ cases. They refuse to allow them to be photographed together.

“The Palestinians aim to hurt our sons and rejoice at their injuries,” they said in a statement issued Tuesday, “while neither we, nor our army, intended to hurt them.”

The statement, relayed through a hospital spokeswoman, continued: “The State of Israel took the decision to treat the boy,” meaning Yakoub. “That is its right. We protest the fact that he is lying here by our son and his brother.” Osher’s older brother Rami, 19, is being treated in another wing of the same hospital.

Many major hospitals in Israel regularly treat Palestinians and are no strangers to such mixed feelings or incongruous scenes. Here at Sheba, the anomalies are cast in sharper relief.

This was a military hospital from 1948, when Israel fought its war of independence, until 1953. It has since operated as a civilian hospital that works in special cooperation with the Army, treating many of its soldiers and charged with educating its medical corps.

“It’s like a theater of the absurd,” said Prof. Zeev Rotstein, the chief executive officer and director of the hospital. “You have army doctors in white gowns alongside Palestinian doctors who are being trained, at the same time treating Israeli casualties of terrorist attacks and Palestinians who may have been hurt in army actions.”

Yakoub was hurt when Israel bombed an empty, half-ruined Palestinian Interior Ministry building that had been used by Hamas. He was at a wedding party with his family next door. The army said that it had meant to hit the ministry building and that the raid was a response to days of increased rocket fire, mostly aimed at Sderot.

Osher and Rami were hit in the street. They had gone out to buy a birthday present for their father when the rocket crashed down.

Yakoub’s grandmother, Amira Natil, 52, was at the boy’s bedside on Tuesday. She and Yakoub came here with Israeli permission three days after the airstrike from the more basic hospital Al Shifa in Gaza City. “Thank Allah, the lord of the universe,” Mrs. Natil said, kissing her hand and placing it on her brow in a gesture of religious reverence.

Mrs. Natil had not met Osher’s parents and was speaking shortly before they issued their statement, unaware of its contents. About the Israeli boy, she said: “They are children. Haram,” using an Arabic word that denotes something shameful, forbidden or taboo.

The story of the Twito brothers has particularly moved Israelis, in large part because of their youth. Osher, described by his family as a keen soccer player, has had his left leg amputated from the knee down. The doctors are still battling to save his right leg. Rami suffered damage to his legs, too. Both boys were transferred to Sheba on Sunday from Barzilai hospital in Ashkelon, a city north of Gaza that has come under rocket fire.

Yakoub was wounded in both legs and his spine. He suffered renal failure but is said by the hospital staff to be getting better. “This is the best day he’s had,” his grandmother said.

It is not clear who will pay for Yakoub’s treatment. “To date we are treating him without any financial commitment from the Palestinian authorities or anyone else,” said Ulrike Haen, a spokeswoman for Sheba.

In similar cases, she said, money has come from the Israeli Ministry of Defense; or from the Peres Center for Peace, a nonprofit organization founded in 1996 by Shimon Peres, the current president of Israel; or from the Palestinian Authority, with supplements from the hospital.

Since Hamas took control of Gaza last June after a brief but bloody factional war, the issue of Gaza residents’ access to medical treatment in Israel has become increasingly charged. Israel refuses all dealings with Hamas, whose charter calls for the destruction of the Jewish state, and has recently blockaded the area in response to the intensified rocket fire.

In an article published in the Israeli newspaper Haaretz on Tuesday, Ahmed Youssef, an adviser to the Hamas government in Gaza, wrote that “30 people have died in the last month for lack of medical care brought on by the embargo.”

According to recent statistics from the Israeli Coordination and Liaison Administration, more than 7,000 permits were issued for Palestinian patients from Gaza in 2007, along with nearly 8,000 permits for their escorts, representing a 50 percent increase over 2006. Shadi Yassin, a spokesman for the Coordination and Liaison Administration, said Tuesday that medical patients were still leaving Gaza every day to receive treatment in Israel.

But Yakoub is the exception, not the rule. “We know of others who can’t get out and die there,” said Professor Rotstein of Sheba’s pediatric intensive care department. “It is so complicated now.”

Injured Sderot Boys Transferred to Sheba for Treatment

Mon, 11 Feb 2008 10:27:53 PST

'I screamed as loud as I could so they'd hear me'

Osher Twito, the eight-year-old Sderot boy who was seriously wounded in a Kassam rocket attack over the weekend, was transferred from Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon to Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer on Sunday because Barzilai lacks rehabilitation facilities.

One of the boy's legs was amputated below the knee; the other one is in danger because of harm to an artery at ankle level.

Osher, who dreamed of becoming a soccer player, does not know yet that he has lost one of his legs.

Barzilai sources said Sunday that it was impossible to know immediately whether his whole-but-injured leg would have to be amputated or not, as there is always the threat of infection.

Osher also suffered a fracture in one hand. He remains under total sedation and attached to a respirator, even though he can breathe on his own, so he doesn't suffer from severe pain.

The amputation of the one leg took a long time and was difficult. If all goes well, the stump will be attached to a prosthetic leg.

"It's too early to know what will happen to the other leg," said the Barzilai spokeswoman, Lea Malul.

Osher and his brother Remi, 19, from Sderot, went for a short trip to the cash machine on Saturday night to withdraw some money for the present they planned to buy their father, Rafi, whose birthday was on Sunday.

When the brothers and Remi's girlfriend, Kinneret, arrived at the ATM, they realized they had forgotten Remi's credit card at home.

"Remi and Osher waited for me on the street to bring the credit card from the house," an exhausted Kinneret recalled Sunday as she waited for her boyfriend to get out of the operating room at Barzilai. "When I came back from the house, they started walking in my direction, and then the 'Color Red' alert was sounded for a second before it [the rocket] hit them. I was hiding, but when I lifted my head, I saw them both lying on the ground, crying for help and screaming in pain. I screamed as loud as I could so they would hear me, but what else could I do?"

Osher loved to play soccer, his relatives said.

"I don't know how my son will live without a leg," cried Osher's mother, Iris, shortly before seeing her two children for the first time since they had been rushed to the hospital.

"He doesn't understand a thing yet, and he will have to understand that. Why does it have to be like this?" Iris asked in tears.

Remi, moderately wounded in both legs, was awakened when transferred to Tel Hashomer. "I remember running in the street, and then the alarm went off. Next thing I knew, I was lying on the ground and my legs hurt. I called my mother and told her to come immediately because we were wounded," Remi said before he was put inside the Magen David Adom ambulance that took him to the hospital.

Still hazy from the operation, Remi added that he hated Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, "who let them [the Palestinians] ruin Sderot's residents' lives."

One of Remi's legs is undergoing treatment of the soft tissues, and the other leg is broken and in a cast.

The boys' parents and 15-year-old brother all suffered severe emotional trauma and are being treated.

Barzilai staffers themselves were traumatized by Osher's suffering, as he was conscious upon arrival at the trauma room and repeatedly screamed "Save me!" while describing his pain.

MDA enters Ramallah to save Palestinian baby

Fri, 25 Jan 2008 10:33:56 PST

For the first time since the intifada, an Israeli ambulance enters Palestinian territories in order to evacuate critically injured baby

A bullet-proof Israeli ambulance entered the West Bank city of Ramallah on Thursday in order to save a six-month old baby in critical condition after reportedly inhaling toxic substances.

This was the first time a Magen David Adom ambulance entered the Palestinian territories since the second intifada broke out in the year 2000.

Up until now, MDA ambulances would only go as far as the IDF checkpoints, where they would pick up Palestinian patients in need of medical care in Israel.

Immediately after receiving the Palestinians' call for help, the Civil Administration's West Bank division called MDA requesting paramedics from Jerusalem take on the mission. Two Arab-Israeli paramedics took the call.

The paramedics evacuated the unconscious baby, just a few hours after two other babies, who went to the same daycare center as the boy, died of similar symptoms.

MDA believes the babies were poisoned, but it is not clear with what or how.

Upon arriving in Ramallah, the ambulance was escorted by a convoy of Palestinian police, who accompanied it all the way to the hospital, and blocked roads to ensure it got through safely.

The MDA team reported that the baby was handed over to them in a professional manner, along with all the needed medical documents. The team was in constant contact with the Jerusalem dispatch.

The baby was taken to the Chaim Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer, along with his parents, who received a special permit from the Civil Administration due to their son's serious condition.

A source from the Palestinian Ministry of Health told Ynet that all humanitarian matters, especially those concerning human lives, should be separated from political issues.

Ali Waked contributed to this report

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3383023,00.html

Sheba Hematologist Prof. Uri Seligson awarded the Prestigious Robert P. Grant Medal from the International Society of Thrombosis and Hemostasis

Mon, 13 Aug 2007 15:32:04 PDT

Sheba Hematologist Prof. Uri Seligson has been awarded the Robert P. Grant Medal from the International Society of Thrombosis and Hemostasis. The prestigious global award is given once every two years in recognition of excellence in research, teaching and contribution to the profession. The medal was awarded to Prof. Seligson at the society's annual meeting in Geneva, which was attended by 7,700 hematologists from around the world. Prof. Uri Seligson is director of the Institute of Thrombosis and Hemostasis at the Sheba Medical Center, former chairman of the department of hematology, and former deputy director of Sheba. He is also director of the Amalia Biron Research Institute of Thrombosis and Hemostasis at Tel Aviv University, former vice dean of TAU's Sackler Faculty of Medicine, and former chairman of the Israel Association of Thrombosis and Hemostasis and the Israel Society of Hematology and Blood Transfusion.

In 1995, he was president of the Congress of the International Society on Thrombosis and Hemostasis when it was held in Jerusalem, and from 2000-2002 he was international chairman of the society. He is one of only two doctors to be a member of the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities. In 1991, he was awarded the esteemed Ham–Waserman Lectureship Award by the American Society of Hematology. Prof. Seligson is credited with many advances and research discoveries in his field, including the salient international work on three inherited bleeding disorders that are particularly common in Jewish ethnic groups, as well as other molecular genetic and clinical aspects of derangements of blood coagulation.

More information on Prof. Seligson is available at http://eng.sheba.co.il/main/siteNew/index.php?page=3&stId=217