An Israeli company’s biodegradable ‘balloon’ radically reduces the negative side effects of radiation in cancer treatment.

The main drawback of radiation therapy for cancer patients is that it harms healthy tissues surrounding a malignant tumor under radiation bombardment.

Now the Israeli company BioProtect has come up with a unique biodegradable “balloon” that physically separates cancerous and healthy tissues during radiation therapy for prostate cancer.

BioProtect’s CEO, Amir Shiner, says the company’s trademarked ProSpace represents a breakthrough in its field. “We’re bringing a new product to the market,” he says. “There’s a clear clinical need for this product in view of the support by numerous publications for escalating radiation doses to prostate cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy. It makes the therapy far more effective.”

In a multi-center, international study involving 26 prostate cancer patients, ProSpace was shown to significantly reduce the radiation reaching the rectal wall and consequent associated complications. It therefore allows for radiation at high doses without ill effects, meaning more efficient treatments with fewer treatment sessions at lower cost.

How does it work?

Made from biodegradable polymers, which have a proven safety record, the ProSpace device is filled with saline and implanted using the minimally invasive, well-established technique of transperineal insertion commonly used at outpatient centers.
ProSpace device ready to insert the balloon

The balloon remains inflated throughout the radiation therapy treatment. It then dissolves and reabsorbs into the body within three to six months, eliminating the need for removal. Patients involved in the trial reported that they felt no discomfort or pain from the implanted balloon, aside from mild and temporary discomfort at the access area at the perineum.

Because radiation therapy is a well-established, effective and widely accepted form of treatment for many types of cancer, it is expected that the BioProtect device can be used to implement safer and more effective radiation therapies for a variety of cancers.

“There’s a strong need to have such a protection device,” says Shiner, noting that BioProtect is not alone in this market. “There is one company that provides a gel product that is injected for the same need. Competition is always good – the feedback we’ve received from physicians is that they far prefer our product. It has a clear advantage in that it is reproducible. Due to its reproducible shape and size, and well-defined boundaries under a CT scan, it helps the doctor to administer the treatment effectively.”

Europe first

In October 2010, ProSpace received the CE Mark, ensuring that it conforms to European regulatory requirements. BioProtect is now establishing a marketing network in Europe. “In April we started in Italy, and have now signed distribution agreements in five European countries,” reports Shiner. “We’re in the middle of a soft-launch process in those countries, and are negotiating to expand further in Europe, where we already have initial sales.”

Last July, the ProSpace device received Israeli Health Ministry approval for marketing. In January, the company will launch a study utilizing its balloon for an innovative radiation therapy protocol at several medical centers in Israel.

In the United States, the company has already carried out a pilot study for the Food and Drug Administration and is now discussing with the FDA further clinical requirements to obtain clearance, says Shiner.

“We’re a small company, based in Kfar Saba. Our R&D team and manufacturing are on site, while we are strongly focused on clinical activities, marketing and sales,” he adds.

The company has already raised funds from three groups of investors: Xenia Venture Capital, which operates the technological incubator in Kiryat Gat where the company began as a startup; Virginia Life Science Investments, which invests in several Israeli healthcare companies; and the JumpStart NJ Angel Network. “We also have other private investors,” notes Shiner. “Currently, we’re working on more significant fundraising to take us to the next stage.”

As reported in IVC:

State-owned electric company hopes to roll out nationwide, high-speed broadband network in coming months, aiming to put Jewish state at forefront of next generation of Internet technology

Israel is often referred to as “Startup Nation,” thanks to its long history of high-tech breakthroughs produced by scrappy little companies. But in one critical area, the speed of Internet connections, Israel has fallen behind other tech-savvy countries.

In the coming months, Israel’s state-owned electric company hopes to change this by rolling out a nationwide, high-speed broadband network. Exploiting the small size of the densely populated country, the effort aims to put Israel at the forefront of the next generation of Internet technology.

Experts say the fiber-optic lines can provide connections of 10 to 100 times current speeds, transforming the way the Internet is used in such areas as entertainment, business and health care.

“All the developing countries that have a vision for 10 years ahead, or 20 years ahead, understand that the name of the game will be communications, broadband communications, very fast communications,” said Tzvi Harpak, the electric company’s senior vice president for logistics.

The technology is known as “fiber to the home,” or FTTH. Using fiber optic lines, it can provide connection speeds of 100 megabits to a blazing 1 gigabit per second. Today, the typical broadband user in the developed world connects at five to 10 megabits using older cable and DSL connections.

Oliver Johnson, chief executive of British research firm Point Topic, said FTTH technology is the “gold standard” of the next generation of broadband service. Although cable and DSL lines can be upgraded to higher speeds, FTTH has smoother transmission of data and a much higher upside in terms of speed, he said.

“It’s easier to go higher. It’s future-proofed,” he said.

The added bandwidth could transform the way the Internet is used. Massive video files will be downloaded instantly, opening the door for high-definition and 3D movies to be delivered more easily.

Since the system will have equally fast upload speeds, individuals or businesses will also be able to deliver pictures, videos and other large files. In South Korea, where FTTH lines are common, users rave of the lightning fast downloads and crystal clear Skype connections.

This could mean much-improved videoconferences in the workplace, easy sharing of information in complicated engineering tasks, doctors monitoring their patients or assisting in operations by long distance. It will also likely speed up the migration of information, photos and video from personal computers to the “cloud,” making it easy for users to access their information from any Internet connection.

Around the world, decision-makers are reaching the conclusion that faster connections will be essential for economic growth. A number of countries are engaged in a gold rush of sorts as they build new networks with FTTH technology.

“Everyone feels that bandwidth will be this commodity down the road. If you don’t have it, you’ll be out of luck,” said David St. John, spokesman for the FTTH Council, an industry trade group based in the US.

Well-positioned to join world’s leaders

FTTH technology was introduced more than a decade ago, but adoption has generally been slow because of its high costs. As costs have gradually come down, particularly in densely populated areas, it has begun to take off. And when new networks are rolled out, it makes more sense to go with the new technology.

According to the council, heavily urbanized South Korea leads the world with just over half of households connected to FTTH lines, followed by Japan and Hong Kong, both at about 40%. In the US, about 7.1 million homes, or 6.6%, have the technology through services like Verizon’s FiOS.

Not surprisingly, South Korea leads the world in average broadband connection speed at 13.8 mbps, followed by Hong Kong and Japan, according to Akamai Technologies Inc.’s closely watched “State of the Internet” report. The US is ranked 16th.

Israel, dominated by DSL and cable broadband services, is No. 28, with an average connection speed of about 4.5 megabits per second. According to Point Topic, 92% of Israeli homes have broadband connections, a respectable number but only about 19th in the world.

Despite its small size, Israel is one of the world’s leading high-tech centers.

Israei companies have created leading products in areas such as security software, instant messaging and e-commerce. Microsoft Corp., Intel Corp. and other technology giants maintain operations here, and Apple Inc. is reportedly planning its first overseas development center in Israel. Akamai itself was co-founded by an Israeli-American.

With so much at stake, it is not surprising the government is backing Israel Electric Corp.’s effort to roll out the fiber-optic network.

“Providing high-quality, fiber-to-the-home bandwidth for consumers all over Israel (especially in peripheral areas) is a national interest as it promotes economic growth, education, provision of government services, social welfare,” said Eden Bar-Tal, the director general of Israel’s Communications Ministry.

Despite the relatively late start, Israel is well-positioned to quickly join the world’s leaders. About 92% of the 7.8 million people live in urban areas, according to government statistics, making it easier to connect large numbers of people relatively quickly.

The electric company also has a key advantage in being able to build on top of its existing infrastructure of overhead wires. That avoids the costly process of having to dig up existing cables or laying down new wires.

It hopes to have 10% of the country wired by next year, and two-thirds of the country covered within seven years.

If Israel can stick to that schedule, it would be “among the leading countries” in terms of deployment, said St. John of the trade council.

Harpak, of the electric company, said IEC is seeking bids from potential partners to help build the network. Companies have until January 31 to submit their business plans.

Under guidelines set by the government, the partner will hold a 51% stake in the new company, while the electric company will hold a 49% stake. Bidding starts at NIS 300 million (Around $75 million), said Harpak, who is heading the election committee that will choose the new partner.

The election committee will review the proposals and hold an online auction by midyear to select its partner, Harpak said.

IEC is banned from identifying any of the potential suitors, but local media reports have said Telecom Italia SpA, BT Group PLC and local companies Elbit Systems Ltd., Rapac Communication & Infrastructure Ltd. and private equity firm Tamares are all in the running.

The new company is to build the infrastructure, while allowing Internet service providers to actually market the service to consumers.

“There’s been quite a lot of interest,” said Philippe Guez, Managing Director at Rothschild, the investment bank that is acting as the financial adviser to the election committee.

“We believe and hope the government and the Israel Electric Corp. will make the appropriate changes in order to make this wonderful project happen.”

Organizers of Universal Exposition in Milan calling on Israelis to take part in bids for site’s construction in order to enjoy greater exposure, as well as bigger and more attractive pavilion

The Expo Milano Universal Exposition will only be held in 2015, but its organizers are already calling on Israeli companies to take part in bids for the site’s construction, promising that countries which present “early involvement” will enjoy greater exposure as well as a bigger and more attractive pavilion.

The exhibition, which will be held under the theme “Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life,” will set up within three years a digital city with advanced technologies, which will provide 20 million visitors – and one billion Web surfers – a unique educational experience.

“Out of 150 participating countries, we view Israel as one of the 15 countries capable – if chosen – to lead the construction of the exhibition,” Expo Milano 2015 CEO Giuseppe Sala, the former director-general of Telecom Italia, told Yedioth Ahronoth.

“A delegation on our behalf will visit Israel soon in order to get to know the startup companies taking part in the bids,” he said.

Expo Milano will cover an area of 1 square kilometer (0.42 square mile) and will be built as a main avenue simulating an ancient Roman city.

According to Technologies and Operations Manager Valerio Zingarelli, “Each visitor will receive a smart card with the details of their profession and interests, and as they walk around the city, they will be identified by sensors and the walls will present them with updated information.

“We must be ahead of our time and understand the technologies which in three years will still be considered revolutionary.”

According to Tami Ziv, the economic attach? at the Israeli Embassy in Rome, Israeli excellence should be expressed during the exhibition.

“Arid-zone agriculture, wise use of water, renewable energies – all coated with a futuristic technology – could lead the involved Israeli companies toward new and original ideas,” she said.

Siemens Israel CEO Eliezer Tokman said that the construction of the solar field and the planning for Arava Power’s future fields have already created local expertise. “Although we were late in getting started, we’ve built here a world-class center. Our people have been asked to carry out projects for Siemens companies in other countries.”

Siemens’ second investment in Israel may have the largest, but it is not considered the most successful. Solel Solar manufactures thermosolar panels, but the high hopes placed in the Beit Shemesh company have not materialized. The global credit crunch seriously hurt development plans for thermosolar energy facilities in countries such as Spain, and the competing photovoltaic (PV) technology is benefiting from the plunge in manufacturing costs of its solar panels to substantially less than the cost of thermosolar panels.

Siemens wrote off $200 million on its investment in Solel Solar in 2011, and changed its name to Siemens Solar Thermal Energy Ltd. Despite the disappointment, Siemens continues to invest millions in its Israeli operations. Siemens Solar Thermal Energy’s staff has grown from 380 people in 2009 to 500 today, including 200 engineers. Siemens now hopes to win the Ashelim thermosolar tender, and if it does, the win will guarantee hundreds of jobs.

The Jerusalem Development Authority (JDA) has launched its second annual cultural calendar. The calendar highlights all of the capital’s major cultural events throughout 2012. It provides a clear and concise reference for everyone from tour operators to first-time visitors or even native Jerusalemites.

 Jerusalem has become home to a number of new exciting festivals and cultural events, which have further increased her standing as one of the most diverse and culturally rich tourist destinations on the planet. This year is no exception, with The Jerusalem Opera Festival, The Jerusalem Marathon, The Jerusalem Ice Festival and The Jerusalem Festival of Light amongst the line-up planned for 2012.

 In March Jerusalem is set to take center stage, when athletes from around the world will take part in a The Second Jerusalem Marathon running a breathtaking route through the city streets, old and new. In addition March will also welcome one of the world’s largest Ice Festivals to Jerusalem, covering an enormous space at what was once Jerusalem’s old train station, the festival will feature dozens of magnificent ice sculptures, an ice skating rink an even an ice bar.

 In June things will heat up when the Jerusalem Festival of Light brings the greatest light sculptors in the world to Jerusalem. Their works will light up the streets and alleys of the Old City, major tourist sites and public spaces. In addition, this year the Light Festival will host a special abridged version of Verdi’s La Traviata in the ancient Zedekiah Caves. This event will offer just a sample of some of the great opera available in September when the capital opens its doors to three nights of world class opera at the Jerusalem Opera Festival; to include an unforgettable production of Puccini’s classic La Bohème set in the shadows of Jerusalem’s spectacular old city walls.

 To view the JDA 2012 Cultural Calendar, please visit: http://www.jerusalem.muni.il/jer_sys/muni/messages/docs/14531422012012.pdf

                                                              
In a country as compact as Israel with just a few hours driving time separating Israel’s north and south, tourists visiting Israel in the winter time can – literally – ski in the morning on the snow-covered slopes of the Mount Hermon ski resort and water-ski in the azure blue waters of the Red Sea in Eilat. And after the recent heavy snow falls in the north of the country, the Mount Hermon ski resort is welcoming visitors and tourists alike. Entrance to the resort, which is open from 08:00-16:00,  is free; payment is for cable car  and ski equipment  rental only.

Eilat, Israel’s premier vacation resort situated at its southernmost tip where the Red Sea meets the Eilat desert mountains, is known not only for its year-round sunshine, water sports, desert activities and unique tourist attractions, but also its packed cultural and sports calendar. Many tourists time their visit to coincide with one of the international music festivals that take place in the resort, while athletes and sports lovers converge on Eilat for the many international sporting events and competitions.

Here are some highlights for the diary:

19-21, January The Red Sea winter Jazz Festival                                                  

The winter version of the legendary Red Sea Jazz Festival featuring Israeli and international jazz artists and ensembles. Performances will take place at the Eilat port, inside a renovated hanger. http://www.redseajazzeilat.com/en/

 20, January Israman and Half-Israman races (Israel Long Distance Triathlon)      

Thousands of triathletes from Israel and abroad will take part in this triathlon ( 4 km swimming, 180 km cycling and a full 42km marathon), ranked as one of the world’s top ten best iron distance races in the world by USA Triathlete magazine.  http://www.israman.co.il/

 1-4, February Fed Cup (Tennis)                                                                            

Eilat will host for the second year in a row 16 teams at the annual Fed Cup, part of the International Tennis Federation. http://www.fedcup.com/en/home.aspx

 11-14, March A.S.A (Academic Sport Association) Games         

Join thousands in this annual event that brings together Israel’s top academic athletes         

http://www.asa.org.il

 18-15, March Isrotel Classicameri Music Festival                                               

The seventh annual Cameri Music Festival will feature 13 different concerts performed by internationally renowned artists. www.isrotel.co.il

14-17, March Eilat Chamber Music Festival                                                        

The 7^th International Eilat Chamber Music Festival featuring renowned artists from Israel and abroad.  http://www.eilat-festival.co.il

  22-24, March 10^th International Salsa Congress                                                   

The 10^th International Salsa Congress will include workshops and shows featured by Latin dancers from throughout the world. 

http://www.medsalsacongress.com/

 25 March- 1 April 6^th Eilat Bird Watching Festival          

Organized by the Israel Ornithological Center, the spring migration festival brings together birders from the world over during the peak week of spring migration in southern Israel.

http://eilatbirdsfestival.com/

 23-25, April Eilat Triathlon European championships                                       

The first time that the city has been selected to host the European Triathlon Championships in which thousands of athletes are expected to participate. http://www.triathlon.org.il/en_ita/en_ita.php#

 17-19, May Eilat Pride Festival                                                                                 

Eilat Pride is Eilat’s annual Lesbian, Gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) festival. The weekend-long festival includes nonstop parties, activities and entertainment.

http://www.pride.org.il/

 August Red Sea International Jazz Festival                                               

Celebrate 26 years of hot summer jazz with international and Israel jazz artists, ensembles and all-night jam sessions

http://www.redseajazzeilat.com

 November Eilat Red Sea World of Underwater Images Festival                         

An international underwater photography competition integrating elements of photography, high-tech, touristic and diving industries. www.eilatredsea.com

 December Second International Desert Half Marathon                                    

Following last year’s success, run through the desert’s valleys forests and hills at the Second International Half Marathon. http://desertrun.info/

The muscle wasting caused by Lou Gehrig’s disease – amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) – is quick and fatal, with many not surviving five years after diagnosis. Internal organs eventually shut down, leading to respiratory failure. But promising stem cell research from laboratories at Tel Aviv University<http://medicine.tau.ac.il/index.php/departments/pre-clinical-departments/cell/introduction> is the basis of a new drug that could stop the wasting process and improve survival odds.

It’s not a long shot but a treatment based on 10 years of research with a new “orphan drug” status allocated by the US Food and Drug Administration. Clinical trials<http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01051882> are now underway in Jerusalem’s Hadassah University Medical Center<http://www.hadassah.org.il/english> under the supervision of Prof. Dimitrios Karussis<http://www.hadassah.org.il/English/Eng_SubNavBar/TheDoctors/karussisdimitrios.htm>, a renowned stem-cell transplant expert and head of Hadassah’s Multiple Sclerosis Center<http://www.hadassah.org.il/English/Eng_SubNavBar/Departments/Medical+departments/Neurology/The+Center+for+Multiple+Sclerosis.htm>. Early clinical evidence being collected by Israeli company BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics<http://www.brainstorm-cell.com/>, which owns the license to commercialize the research if it succeeds, suggests that the specially modified stem cells – a treatment called NurOwn – can help slow the progression of the disease.

According to the American ALS Association, about 5,600 people in the United States are diagnosed with ALS each year and as many as 30,000 Americans may have the disease at any given time. The only drug on the market as of 2011 is Riluzole, improving survival by only a few months. It cannot reverse neuron damage and it causes liver damage in about 10 percent of people taking the drug.

Targeting motor disorders

More effective solutions are needed. But with little known about the cause of ALS and how it develops in the body, new treatments have been hard to come by.

BrainStorm, a Petah Tikva company originally founded to commercialize a drug for Parkinson’s, has developed a methodology useful for a number of motor-brain related disorders, using adult stem cells from a person’s own body to treat dysfunction. This niche area presents greater possibilities for success in the short term. Earning “orphan drug” status – for formulations that address diseases for which there are no solid treatments – also accelerates the process through regulatory hurdles. BrainStorm is currently testing NurOwn, an injectable active compound, on 24 patients in Jerusalem. Half have just been diagnosed with ALS, and the other half are in a later stage of the disease.

Those willing to travel to Israel and commit to at least nine months, if they meet eligibility requirements, will have the opportunity to be part of this clinical study, says BrainStorm’s acting CEO Adrian Harel. As is the case with all clinical trials, a third party is managing the applicants.

Advantages of adult stem cells

Unlike embryonic stem cell therapies, NurOwn’s use of a patient’s own stem cells comes with “no issue of rejection or danger of evolving into cancer,” Harel says. Developed in the labs of Professors Daniel Offen and Eldad Melamed of Tel Aviv University’s Sackler Faculty of Medicine and Felsenstein Medical Research Center, NurOwn helps the body produce neuroprotectors, proteins that protect the brain against neurodegenerative disorders and will hopefully slow the progression of ALS. Research supporting this revolutionary advance was published by the professors two years ago in the Journal of Stem Cells<http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/stem.172/abstract>. Developed over a period of 10 years, the drug could be available in as little as three years if the clinical trials prove successful.

After testing in a mouse model, “we were able to show that the bone marrow-derived stem cells prevent degeneration in the brain following injection of selective neurotoxins,” says Offen. “Researchers also demonstrated that transplantation of these cells increased the survival rate in the mouse model of ALS and significantly delayed the progress of motor dysfunction.”

After the Jerusalem clinical trials are complete and safety and efficacy evaluated, BrainStorm plans to run trials at Massachusetts General Hospital in collaboration with the Medical School of the University of Massachusetts.

NurOwn may also hold promise for treating both Parkinson’s and Huntington’s diseases, Harel says. Typical treatments today only address the symptoms, not the underlying cause.

For further information regarding Tel Aviv’s Gay Pride Parade 2012, please visit the following link:  http://www.gaytlvguide.com/the-guide/pride-parade

ClickSoftware Technologies Ltd. (NasdaqGS: CKSW), the leading provider of automated workforce management and optimization solutions for the service industry, today announced that KinCare, one of Australia’s leading providers of in-home and nursing care services, will be implementing ClickSoftware Cloud. The SaaS workforce management solution is expected to be utilized by 1500 care-givers across Australia to help KinCare increase efficiency, manage costs, minimize time spent on IT maintenance and more easily scale its operations to meet demand.

KinCare provides a wide range of home and health care services including nursing care, personal care, domestic assistance, social support, respite care, transport and case management. ClickSoftware Cloud will enable KinCare to automatically deploy its health professionals to the right place, with the right skills, at the right time, using the optimal route. This will help to ensure that the individual health requirements of each end client are managed in a consistent and timely manner.

As part of a drive to revolutionize the homecare market in Australia through the consistent provision of the very best services to its clients, KinCare had already deployed ClickSoftware’s on premise solution to optimize the deployment and activities of its employees. Now, with the company introducing a companywide cloud policy, it has decided to implement ClickSoftware Cloud.

“We have been very happy with ClickSoftware,” said Jerome Barrientos, CIO at KinCare. “The product is part of our suite of tools that has resulted in tangible benefits associated with greater efficiencies for scheduling for our staff and more importantly the increased ability to provide consistent services to a greater number of Australians.

“The move to the cloud is in line with our organization’s IT Strategy. It was an easy decision to continue with ClickSoftware and take advantage of new functionality available in Version 8. A cloud service means IT can continue to focus on how to use technology to enable the organization to achieve the best outcomes for our clients, employees and the community.”

With ClickSoftware customers can choose the most convenient workforce management delivery model by adopting either on premises or SaaS cloud solutions. KinCare expects that ClickSoftware Cloud will allow a more strategic focus on technology, reduced maintenance and infrastructure costs, greater flexibility and the option to rapidly scale the solution as-and-when required. As well as the upgrade, by using ClickSoftware in the cloud KinCare will be able to rapidly rollout the solution to Stanhope, an acquisition that was made by the company in July 2011.

“More and more we’re seeing a global shift by our customers towards cloud based solutions across various industry verticals,” said Dr. Moshe BenBassat, Chairman and CEO of ClickSoftware. “KinCare’s continuing relationship with ClickSoftware reinforces our expertise and ability to support cloud based solutions.”

Read more here