At The Technion:
Damage sustained during a heart attack may now be reversible, thanks to the efforts of a team of researchers from Israel’s Technion Institute and the Rambam Medical Center in Haifa. Researchers have succeeded, for the first time in the world, in growing human heart cells in a lab from embryonic stem cells. This has allowed them to create tissue that spontaneously beats and has the electric and mechanical characteristics of young heart tissue. The research may enable future applications such as implanting muscle cells into impaired areas to improve heart function.
The research is being published in the August issue of the prestigious scientific journal, \"Journal of Clinical Investigation.\" The study was conducted by Dr. Itzhak Kehat under the direction of Dr. Lior
Gepstein of the Rappaport Faculty of Medicine at the Technion, and of Rambam Medical Center, Haifa, respectively.
At Hebrew University:
A second major discovery this week was announced yesterday at Hebrew University’s School of Pharmacy. Researchers have developed a new method for ensuring that prescribed drugs reach their intended target areas in the body. Chemical substances in many drugs are soluble in fatty or oily solutions, but not in water, thus limiting their penetrability in the body. Prof. Shimon Benita of the School of Pharmacy at the Hebrew University Faculty of Medicine has developed a method using positively charged oil droplets in water emulsions for improving the delivery and absorption of these lipophilic drugs.
The Yissum Research Development Company of the Hebrew University has registered two worldwide patents on the technology. A new, French biotechnology company, Novagali SAS, has obtained the license to develop the technology for commercial pharmaceutical purposes. Two French venture capital companies have invested 4 million euros in the project.
Damage sustained during a heart attack may now be reversible, thanks to the efforts of a team of researchers from Israel’s Technion Institute and the Rambam Medical Center in Haifa. Researchers have succeeded, for the first time in the world, in growing human heart cells in a lab from embryonic stem cells. This has allowed them to create tissue that spontaneously beats and has the electric and mechanical characteristics of young heart tissue. The research may enable future applications such as implanting muscle cells into impaired areas to improve heart function.
The research is being published in the August issue of the prestigious scientific journal, \"Journal of Clinical Investigation.\" The study was conducted by Dr. Itzhak Kehat under the direction of Dr. Lior
Gepstein of the Rappaport Faculty of Medicine at the Technion, and of Rambam Medical Center, Haifa, respectively.
At Hebrew University:
A second major discovery this week was announced yesterday at Hebrew University’s School of Pharmacy. Researchers have developed a new method for ensuring that prescribed drugs reach their intended target areas in the body. Chemical substances in many drugs are soluble in fatty or oily solutions, but not in water, thus limiting their penetrability in the body. Prof. Shimon Benita of the School of Pharmacy at the Hebrew University Faculty of Medicine has developed a method using positively charged oil droplets in water emulsions for improving the delivery and absorption of these lipophilic drugs.
The Yissum Research Development Company of the Hebrew University has registered two worldwide patents on the technology. A new, French biotechnology company, Novagali SAS, has obtained the license to develop the technology for commercial pharmaceutical purposes. Two French venture capital companies have invested 4 million euros in the project.