Cell Phones Can Aid Medical Personal With A Diagnosis?

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then an image capturing a disease is probably worth a million, especially if it can help save someone's life.

Unfortunately many medical facilities do not have either the technology, funding or training to take advantage of imaging a disease, a fact all to familiar to those living in third world countries.

Despite this fact, many of these doctors, nurses, etc. do have cell phones, and one Israeli scientists is trying to take advantage of that in order to help these medical professionals aid their patients.

(Israel 21^st Century) Israeli researchers have discovered a way to transmit medical images via a cellular phone, opening up the possibility of providing sophisticated diagnosis and treatment to millions of people who live a long distance from modern medical centers. [...]

"Imaging is considered one of the most important achievements in modern medicine," said Rubinsky. "Diagnosis and treatment of an estimated 20 percent of diseases would benefit from medical imaging, yet this advancement has been out of reach for millions of people in the world because the equipment is too costly to maintain. Our system would make imaging technology inexpensive and accessible for these underserved populations."

Using Rubinsky's technology, an independent data acquisition device (DAD) with limited controls and no image display, at a remote patient site, would be connected via cellular phone technology with an advanced image reconstruction and hardware control multiserver unit, at a central site (which can be anywhere in the world).

According to Rubinsky, this technology should also help bring down the cost, which will make these tests more affordable (and hopefully conducted more frequently) for medical outposts in remote areas.

This technology has the potential of helping not only doctors located in remote places around the world, but also disaster sites (which are often located in isolated regions due to the disaster or geography).

(Image Credit: Nicky via Israel 21^st Century)

Israel Tech Could Help Reduce Heart Attacks

When it comes to avoiding heart attacks, a healthy diet and even good old fashioned exercise can help keep ones heart happy, healthy and (most importantly) beating at strong rhythm.

Unfortunately this may not be enough for some people--especially for those suffering from endothelium dysfunction (also called ED).

Fortunately for these patients, there is a new device that may help them and their doctors detect this in order to avoid a potential heart attack.

(Israel 21^st Century) Before now, there were only two real techniques to measure ED - neither of which were very practical according to Amitzur, one of Israel's top cardiovascular experts, and the inventor of the Endotect.

In one method, an invasive operating procedure is necessary, and in the other, an expensive, complicated ultrasound-type device is used to measure the endothelium, requiring a large investment and intensive training for proper use (Israel, for all it's advanced medical infrastructure, has only one medical center with the device).

The Endotect, on the other hand, is relatively inexpensive, and easy to use - so easy that any doctor will be able to run tests in their offices, in as little as 15 minutes. The Endotect determines the condition of the endothelium by non-invasively measuring the pulse at two main points on the arm (radial artery and brachial artery), comparing the pulse before and after pressure is applied to the arm.

According to the article, this device is very close to being approved by the FDA, so your local heart physician probably does not have access to one of these--at least not yet.

Hopefully once approved, Endotect will be able to not only help reduce the number of heart attacks by providing early warning of ED, but potentially the cost of doing these tests (which could translate into lower bills for patients).

(Image Credit: Cardiatec, via Israel 21^st Century)

Israeli Science: Cranberries Can Indeed Heal

(Image: Cranberry harvest in New Jersey, Credit: Keith Weller / USDA Agriculture Research Service)

It looks as if an Israeli researcher has helped turn a common folklore into scientific fact. Often seen as nothing more than "folk medicine," Israeli scientists have now proven that cranberries can in fact help those suffering from urinary tract infections(or UTI)--at least for women.

(Israel 21^st Century) "Cranberries started as a folk medicine in the US," Ofek told ISRAEL21c. "Every fourth American in the '60s knew it was good for urinary tract infection." Ofek's goal was to find out the truth behind the myth.

With his research funded by the cranberry juice-producing monolith Ocean Spray, Ofek recently published his findings in the journal Molecular Nutrition & Food Research. There is only one snag: the benefits of cranberries, though prodigious, appear to apply only to women.

"It appears that in certain infections, such as ulcers caused by H. pylori bacteria, a clinical trial showed that the cranberry has beneficial effects for women only," says Ofek. "In urinary tract infections (UTI), the cranberry has been tested only on women and has proven to be beneficial, although UTI is primarily an infectious disease most common in women."

This research will no doubt boost sales for cranberry juice, especially Ocean Spray, who is already promoting this fact on their website.

Although this is great news for doctors and women around the world, hopefully Ofek can find something similar for the other half of humanity (note: as us guys feel left out).

Israel: A New Way To Fix Broken Leg Bones?

Traditionally when leg bones are severely broken, doctors would need to open up the patient's leg and insert a rod with screws--a painful process as far as the patient is concerned.

But now it looks as if an Israeli doctor has come up with an alternative that may not only be less painful, but easier on their bodies as well.

(Israel 21^st Century) Orthogon is developing a magnetically activated, telescopic, intramedullary (IM) orthopedic nail for treatment of long bones. Traditionally, IM nails are inert rods inserted into the bone marrow to align and stabilize fractures in the femur or tibia.

Orthogon's device magnetizes parts in the rod mechanism, so the nail can be manipulated via an external magnetic coil, allowing it to vibrate, compress or elongate the bone. [...]

Once the IM nail is implanted, patients are treated daily by placing their leg into a coil system that creates a magnetic pulse. The magnetic force inside the nail is amplified by mechanical means, in steps of 0.5 microns, to a distraction force of over 100k, forming a flexible callus tissue that is pulled incrementally.

Despite the fact that similar solutions already exist in Germany and the US, Orthogon's solution may actually be cheaper (and more effective) than its rivals (which could result in lower medical bills).

Note: Orthogon's solution is still in development (and awaiting FDA approval) although readers can check out a video explanation (flash required) of what their technology is all about.

A Colorful Way To Detect Cancer

(Image Credit: Zetiq, via Israel 21^st Century)

Despite the fact that this disease is probably fairly well known to the western world, detecting this deadly disease is still a cumbersome process to most scientists and doctors.

Fortunately it seems as if Zetiq Technologies, an Israeli company, has not only developed a way to alert doctors whether or not cancer cells exist in a tissue sample, but created a "colorful chart" easy enough for a child to understand.

(Israel 21^st Century) In conventional diagnostics, a large cell population will often contain only a very small number of malignant cells. Using traditional diagnostic techniques these cells are often undetected because they are so scarce in number, or because the distinction between the cells and the background is so minor.

Using CellDetect, the difference is clear. "It's like moving from a black and white TV to color," says Ami Eyal, the CEO of parent company Bio-Light Life Science Investments. "We bring a visualization tool into the field that will revolutionize the way people do diagnosis based on looking at cells. You can't miss the cells, they are red."

Another advantage over traditional tests and biopsies, says Elkeles, is the fact that the test can be used to detect a wide range of different cancers - no other diagnostic tool can do this he asserts - and in addition it can be used for drug development. "This has great clinical and business value," he tells ISRAEL21c.

This innovative device could help doctors accurately test thousands of patients without the worry of running into false positives (or at least significantly reducing the number).

Note: Zetiq Technologies, which is a subsidiary of Bio-Light has more information about the device kits over here.

Israel: A Weight Loss Wonder Drug To Help The Obese?

In our day and age of super sized meals and busy schedules, one often wonders how kids (and adults) can lose weight safely without taking up too much time at the gym.

While experts agree that dieting and exercise are probably the best ways to lose weight, for some that may not be enough to lose those pounds, especially if you have to schedule in sleep!

Fortunately it seems as if an Israeli company has come up with a unique and (thus far) safe way to help people lose weight by killing their appetite for the foods causing them to gain it in the first place.

(Israel 21^st Century) In response to this dilemma, Israeli researcher Dr. Nir Barak has developed what could be a weight-loss wonder drug. Working with drug company Obecure, Barak has developed a new formulation called Histalean which is based on betahistine, an approved drug marketed worldwide for the treatment of vertigo. Betahistine has been available to health authorities for over 30 years and is therefore already FDA-approved.

Histalean has been found to quell the desire to consume fatty foods, particularly in women under the age of 50. The pill works by activating chemical agents that reduce appetite.

By killing off the appetite, Barak may enable some people to regain control over their eating habits and hopefully drop a few pounds in the process.

Even though a "cure all" for obesity is probably decades away (at least medically wise), this drug may help those who just simply have a hard time resisting the double whopper at their favorite fast food restaurant.

(Image Credit: Burger King's Double Whopper, via Japan Today)

US Investors: Israeli Med Tech Is The New Black?

With the American economy not doing so well, one would expect to see investors more cautious about spending their money, especially over seas.

But it seems as if a few US investors are taking another glance at Israel's medical tech industry, which may be the sign of a new trend.

(Israel 21^st Century) "We planned to raise $150 million but the fund is already oversubscribed at $162 million," says Jeff Dykan, managing director of the Tel Aviv-based fund, pointing out that the fund could end up turning away investors. "We won't go over $200 million," he says.

SCP Vitalife's success in raising money at time of global economic uncertainty is based on the track record of Dykan, and co-manager Avi Ludomirsky who just four years ago set up a $50 million fund that invested in 17 Israeli startups that have done exceedingly well.

Their success stories include the sale last March of Haifa-based Sightline to Stryker Corp. in a $140 million deal. Sightline is the developer of a new flexible endoscope for gastro-intestinal procedures. Stryker's satisfaction with the deal is reflected in the fact that it has now also invested in the new SCPVitalife Fund.

This comes to no surprise to those already familiar with the real Israel as the tiny nation continues to lead the way in medial breakthroughs.

Hopefully in the future we will be able to see other investors from Asia and Europe get involved within Israeli Med Tech scene, as having it dominated by "US Americans" can get a little old after awhile. ;-)

Important Note: Before you invest in any company you should do your own research to cover your own "rear end." Google Finance may be a great place to start.

Israeli Med: Cartilage Regeneration For Those Bad Knees

(Image Credit: Sharon Kanon / Regentis Biomaterial)

Whether you are a simple jogger or a sports fanatice, injured knees are no laughing matter. Especially if one happens to damage the cartilage, which can be a "show stopper" for many active people in life.

Fortunately it seems as if an Israeli company has come up with a unique way to rejuvenate damaged cartilage without involving major operations or a "larger than life" dent in ones wallet.

(Israel 21^st Century) Israeli company Regentis Biomaterials has developed an innovative biosynthetic hydrogel plug-in, called Gelrin, which promises to stimulate tissue regeneration. The hybrid material, which has undergone pre-clinical trials, looks a little like a jellybean, and can be placed in situ in the knee to help cartilage regeneration and seamlessly integrate new cartilage with the surrounding environment.

The patented platform technology could be a medical breakthrough, and while the company's first application is for cartilage regeneration, it is also suitable for other regenerative processes, such as bone repair and spinal fusion. [...]

Synchronized tissue regeneration and biodegradation is the key to Gelrin's innovation. "During production of Gelrin, the structure is engineered to degrade away," explains Tal. "Degradation is synchronized with the growth rate of new tissue. We improve on nature, which lacks a control system. More PEG slows the biodegradation process and gives the cells time to properly heal the injured tissue."

What makes this technology really innovative is that this "jellybean" can either be placed in the injured area, or injected via liquid form to fill in a cavity. This will not only help out patients with busy schedules, but also help cut down costs to treating this fairly common problem.

Unfortunately this technology is still in clinical trials, although Regentis Biomaterials CEO, Yehiel Tal, expects this product to launch within the medial market in about two years.

Israel: Test Thy Water Using Glowing Bacteria?

(Image Credit: CheckLight)

Water, water everywhere, but is it safe to drink?

That is the question citizens often ask their respective governments, especially if their is a water contamination crisis. Unfortunately it seems that in order to verify if the H₂O is "good to go," one must spend some serious money, not to mention the lag time waiting for the lab results to come in.

Fortunately it seems one Israeli company called CheckLight is setting out to change all of this by using some of the tiniest creatures to warn us whether or not the water from our facets is safe to drink.

(Israel 21^st Century) Luminescent bacteria glow at night on the beaches in Costa Rica and the Mediterranean Sea. Now an Israeli start-up has developed a novel and economical solution that uses these unusual micro organisms to help keep drinking water clean and safe. [...]

When the bacteria are placed in drinking water that contains harmful chemicals, they glow a warning signal, which can be read by a machine measuring light intensity. [...]

"We can go out to the water source and test on the spot. You will know in 15 minutes - the time it takes for the bacteria and sensors to respond to any number of contaminants in the water. Our system detects them at low concentrations, and very quickly," she explains.

These tests could help governments save millions of dollars as CheckLight's system is both inexpensive and fast. According to the article, the United States is already considering using this to test their water supplies, and it would not be surprising to see other nations contacting CheckLight in the future as well.

Israeli Science: Noon Naptimes Good For The Brain?

(Image Credit: Chief Happiness Officer)

It looks like those afternoon naps in kindergarten had some benefit after all. Israeli scientists have discovered (or perhaps rediscovered) that those "noonish" naps we all took as kids may actually help improve our productivity during work.

(Israel 21^st Century) In a recent study, Prof. Avi Karni and Dr. Maria Korman of the Center for Brain and Behavior Research at the University of Haifa found that an afternoon nap changes the course of consolidation in the brain. "We still don't know the exact mechanism of the memory process that occurs during sleep, but the results of this research suggest the possibility that it is possible to speed up memory consolidation, and in the future, we may be able to do it artificially," said Karni. [...]

The researchers, who worked in cooperation with the Sleep Laboratory at the Sheba Medical Center and researchers from the Department of Psychology at the University of Montreal, found that the group that slept in the afternoon showed a distinct improvement in their task performance by that evening, as opposed to the group that stayed awake, which didn't exhibit any improvement.

Following an entire night's sleep, both groups exhibited the same skill level. "This part of the research showed that a daytime nap speeds up performance improvement in the brain. After a night's sleep the two groups were at the same level, but the group that slept in the afternoon improved much faster than the group that stayed awake," stressed Prof. Karni.

Despite the evidence, I have some strong doubts as to whether managers and bosses would approve of their workers taking naps during the day. Either way, this should help convince some co-workers to perhaps take a quick nap during their lunch break may help improve their performance on the job.

Israeli Doctors Helping Kenyan Kids

After previously helping out Iraqi children, it looks as if the Israeli Save A Child's Heart (or SACH) is once again helping out kids in need--this time in Kenya.

(Israel National News) The Israeli Save a Child's Heart (SACH) organization welcomed its first group of Kenyan children with heart conditions to be operated upon in Israel Wednesday. [...]

The three young Kenyan boys, Samuel (7 years old), Hastings (1 year old), and Winfred (1 year old), were accompanied by two of their mothers.

The kids arrived in Israel Wednesday, although there is no word on whether or not the Kenyan children have had surgery yet (at least on the SACH website).

The kids (according to Israel National News) will receive their operation at the Wolfson Medical Center in Holon, and future updates regarding their condition will be posted here.

Update (12/14): Inserted link in first paragraph.

iMedix: Medical Social Networking, Israeli Style

(Hat Tip: Ha'aretz)

An Israeli startup company called imedix has recently launched a site that allows users to share, rate and compare information with each other through a user friendly social network.

(TechCrunch) iMedix is a social search engine focussed on healthcare that has raised $2 million from angel investors. When you type in a search term, an auto-completed list of health and medical terms pops down to help guide your search. Type in "toe," and it suggests "wound of toenail," "tingling toe" "broken toe," "blue toes," "absence of toe," and "hammer toe," among others. [...]

So as you search, you not only find links to health articles and other information on the Web, you also find other people you can talk to about that health topic. The idea, says co-founder Iri Amirav, is not only "to change the way patients make health-related decisions, but we also want those patients to connect together with other patients. So that with one click, they can connect with others who suffer the same disease."

According to TechCrunch, the founders may plan on working in blogging within the site, although it will probably be put aside until they can hammer out a way to do it securely (after all, they are dealing with medical information here).

Note: This site might prove to be very profitable, as many other companies (including Google) are attempting to "digitalize" the medical field.

Israeli Med Tech: Freeze Thy Cancer Lump?

(Image Credit: Israel 21^st Century)

When it comes to the removal of a cancerous lump, many patients (rightly) envision being laid out on a table and being cut open like chopped liver.

While using surgery to remove cancer can be somewhat successful, it is often expensive and time consuming for both the doctor and the patient. Now it looks as if some Israeli medical technology may not only make removing these lumps easier, but cheaper as well.

(Israel 21^st Century) IceSense provides that solution by offering the hope of efficient treatment in local clinics without the need for hospitalization, recuperation, or scarring. The IceSense mechanism enables the local application of super-cold temperatures and a fine control of the temperature itself. Liquid nitrogen is pumped to the end of a thin needle probe cooling the tip to the extreme cold required for cryotherapy. Utilizing ultrasound, surgeons can then guide the needle to the exact location of the lump and then freeze the unwanted tissue inside the body.

About the same size as a washing machine, the IceSense apparatus can be operated even in local clinics and medical centers. Providing treatment for breast lumps in local medical centers would be a big step towards the current trend in the US to conduct as much surgery as possible in local clinics by using non-invasive methods. This keeps expensive and over-worked operating rooms and teams free for more serious surgical procedures that require a hospital environment.

According to the article, IceSense would cost less than $1,000 which would not only make it affordable for patients, but many health insurance plans as well.

While this technology has been around for over three decades, IceSense it seems makes this technology not only affordable for the masses, but portable to various clinics as well.

Hopefully this device will make it easier for patients with lumps, especially women suffering with breast cancer to seek out treatment, as IceSense would probably leave less scars (if any) compared to a full blown out operation.

Umbilical Stem Cells To The Rescue?

(Image Credit: Gamida, via Israel 21^st Century)

Stem cells are often hailed as the "holy grail" that would enable scientists to help patients restore (or heal) sick organs critical for survival.

Now it seems as if two Israeli companies (Teva and Gamida Cell) have partnered in order to help patients discover the benefits of stem cells by pulling them from an unlikely source--umbilical cords.

(Israel 21^st Century) For many patients suffering from blood-based cancers such as leukemia and lymphoma, the odds of survival have historically been poor. Bone marrow transplant treatment improves prospects for some - but suitable donors can generally be found for only 50 percent of patients. For the other half, no match can spell no hope.

The StemEx technique, which involves a graft of expanded stem cells derived from umbilical cord blood, has been in clinical development by the Jerusalem-based Gamida Cell for the last five years. Gamida develops stem cell-based therapies to treat blood cancers and cardiac diseases. [...]

Such cord blood technology has been around for nearly 20 years. But in the past, such treatment proved viable only in cases of pediatric leukemia, given the small quantity of cells obtainable from umbilical cord blood. The StemEx technology is able to increase this volume of cells in the laboratory, enabling adolescent and adult patients to undergo stem cell treatment for the first time.

Using umbilical stem cells may prove to be more useful than its current rivals (such as adult stem cells), as well as easier to receive grants from via governments and medical institutions.

Hopefully this medical technology can be expanded to include patients suffering from other diseases ranging from Parkinson's to heart disease.

Israeli Research Tech Helps Doctors Fight HIV

(Image Credit: Israel 21^st Century)

Probably one of the most feared diseases on our planet, HIV is a virus that has very few rivals in todays modern world.

In order to combat this ever adapting Borg like virus, researchers from the IBM Haifa Research Lab in Israel were asked to help Europe perfect EuResist, in an attempt at finding new ways to help doctors fight this disease.

(Israel 21^st Century) With EuResist, this interaction is done through the web, where physicians can input a patient's information and status and then get a summary of what is known about this specific virus stage along with a prediction of what treatment has a good chance of helping the patient.

For example, a doctor in Bolivia - who may not have expertise in AIDS treatment or access to recent research - can use the knowledge accumulated in the EuResist system to treat patients. "This access to shared knowledge greatly increases our chances of fighting AIDS and can provide a vital contribution to world healthcare," continues Zazzi.

HRB's contributions to the project from Israel are two fold. The Healthcare and Life Science group has implemented a standardized biomedical information technology that processes and correlates clinical and genomic data from various data sources. And The lab's Machine Learning group has developed a sophisticated model and training engine that helps predicts drug resistance.

Hopefully this community effort will help humanity develop a cure for this horrible disease, as well as aid doctors in third world nations unfamiliar with treating it. By helping medical professionals "put their heads together," Israel is giving those afflicted with this disease a fighting chance at a brighter future.

Israeli Med: A New Way To Fight Osteoporosis And Menopause?

It looks as if Israeli researchers have discovered a new way to fight Menopause (which can lead towards Osteoporosis) in women, without the use of hormone drugs.

(Israel 21^st Century) Se-cure's flagship product Femarelle, which is now available in 15 countries around the world, is derived through a unique enzymatic procedure that creates a specific biochemical composition proven to combine the treatment of menopausal symptom relief and bone loss.

"Femarelle activates the estrogen to relieve menopausal symptoms and help prevent osteoporosis, but it won't activate the estrogen where it's not wanted, like in the breasts or the uterus," Yoles told ISRAEL21c.

He explained that for such a therapy to be safe, it must be selective - affecting estrogen receptors only in specific sites without affecting tissues where any change can have dangerous consequences. Which is exactly what Femarelle does - acting as a novel Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulator (SERM) drug.

Previous (and current) treatments of Menopause involved using hormone drugs, which can produce harmful side affects such as blood clots which can potentially lead to strokes.

Se-cure seeks to avoid this with their product Femarelle, which may be able to effectively help women reduce the affects of menopause upon their bodies.

Disclaimer: As I am not a doctor, and it is highly recommended that you consult your physician's advice before considering this product.

Future: Israeli Doctors Could "Personalize" MS Treatments

It looks as if new findings by Israeli doctors may enable them to "personalize" treatments to patients suffering from multiple sclerosis.

(Israel National News) Prof. Doron Lancet of Weizmann's Department of Molecular Genetics says, "We analyzed the DNA sequences in 27 candidate genes from each patient participating in the trial, and we identified two genes with a high potential for determining the response to Copaxone. In the future, it may be possible to use this method to scan the genome of MS sufferers, to predict the response levels in advance, and to optimize the dosage and treatment protocol to suit each patient personally."

This is great news for patients, who previously had to undergo "trial and error" in order for doctors to determine the correct level of dosage. Hopefully this will help medical researchers prescribed the correct amount of medicine for their patients, in order to aid in our search for a cure against this horrible disease.

Can Kosher Science Bring About The Borg?

While Borg, a cybernetic organism that exists in the fantasy realm of Star Trek may be half a century away, new research in Israel may bring this technology a little bit closer to reality.

(Israel 21^st Century) For a group of researchers at Hebrew University, though, one novel approach to the measurement of brain activity has suggested how one day a metal-and-plastic limb might operate just as effectively as its flesh-and-blood prototype - and, in the process, teach us more about how the brain interacts with the body. [...]

The approach involves measuring the activity of all nerve cells located at an intermediate distance (100-200 micrometers) from a recording electrode. In this way, multiple independent readings can be obtained from many adjacent points - a crucial step in the determination of highly accurate measurements. Such accuracy might allow for a future robotic limb able to precisely obey its user's neuronal commands, or a device implanted in a paralysed limb which artificially stimulates existing muscles to move in a natural manner.

Israeli scientists have already begun testing this method with monkeys, with many of the tests proving to be 90-99% successful. Although more research is needed in order to perfect this, the "cybernetic" technology should at least help patients in need of prosthetic limbs.

Israeli Science: Green Tea Is Good For The Brain?

(Image: Dr. Silvia Mandal, Credit: Israel 21^st Century)

For those of you who actually enjoy drinking the green stuff, fans of green tea may have another reason to celebrate an extra cup or two.

A key ingredient in green tea may not only help keep ones mind healthy, but also may help repair any damages as well.

(Israel 21^st Century) But, according to Dr. Silvia Mandel of the Technion's Eve Topf Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, the study she led was one of the first to show how the main antioxidant polyphenol of green tea extract, EGCG, actually works when it gets access into the brain. Mandel presented her findings last month in Washington DC to a rapt audience of colleagues at the Fourth International Scientific Symposium on Tea and Human Health. [...]

"We induced Parkinson's in mice and waited until the damage was evident. Then we began to administer the EGCG to the animals. The results showed that the EGCG not only prevented further deterioration, but it helped to regenerate the already damaged neurons in the brain. This phenomenon is called neurorescue or neurorestoration, and we're the first to show that green tea is effective in doing this. In the past, it was thought that once brain cells were damaged, there was no way to repair them. The major question is whether these promising results are reproducible in humans [Mandal said]."

If Mandal's research is proved to be sound for humans, then we may see green tea become a popular past time throughout the western world (as many people in the east already drink green tea according to the article).

Who would have ever thought that some of the world's most notorious diseases (at least in the West) had a chance of becoming easily vanquished by a popular drink?

Need A Lung Disease Expert? Visit Israel!

For patients suffering from lung disease, finding a medical expert to talk to is usually a good first stop.

But if you wanted to speak to the leading authority on the issue, you may have to book a flight to the holy land. Either that or hunt down Dr. Naftali Kaminski's phone number in Israel.

(Jerusalem Post) [T]oday Kaminski is a world expert in IPF - a disease that inflames and scars air sacs deep within the lungs, making the lung tissues stiff and limiting their ability to transfer oxygen to the bloodstream. According to Kaminski's research, more than 100,000 people worldwide are affected with IPF. Although smoking and exposure to dust increases a person's risk, the disease's exact causes are unclear. [...]

"I started relatively early applying genomic techniques to pulmonary fibrosis. 'Genomic techniques' mean that instead of looking at a single gene, you look at all the genes of the genome, which allows you to identify many more targets. It doesn't only depend on intuition or fantasies - or scientific knowledge for that matter - but on your ability to analyze new chunks of data. You can look at 25,000 genes, do experiments, and come up with key regulatory molecules and pathways and so on," he said.

Ironically Kaminski never specialized in this specific field, and after doubts from colleagues he decided to attack the complexities of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (aka IPF) differently.

Kaminski's approach to IFP is helping (not to mention inspiring) researchers understand on how this disease operates, which will hopefully translate to finding ways to detect (and ultimately treat IFP earlier.