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Physics research brings new strategies for brain tumor treatment.

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File:PET-image.jpg

Modeling the demise of migrating brain tumor cells

Evolution of brain tumor cells under treatment reveal that it is the peripheral tumor cells that need to be targeted

An Israeli physicist has developed a theoretical model to simulate the evolution of highly proliferating brain tumour core cells subjected to treatment by alternating radio frequency electric field. The research, by Alexander Iomin from the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology Technion in Haifa, is about to be published in EPJ E¹. In another model, the author examines the possibility of enhancing the level of treatment by targeting the outer area of the tumour.
Iomin introduced a theoretical evaluation of the effect of a standard treatment known as tumour-treating-field (TTF) on the speed of development of a type of brain tumour called glioma. To do so, he adapted a well-established model — the so-called fractal comb model, which looks like the regularly spaced teeth of a comb — based on a mathematical approach called fractional calculus. This model is based on the hypothesis that TTF treatment had limited efficiency in the outer region and would only be effective on the inner part of the tumour, which is characterised by a higher proliferation rate of cancer cells.
By contrast, the peripheral part of the tumour is characterised by high migration and low proliferation rates of cancer cells. In his second model, the author considered glioma cancer as a composite of cancer cells and normal tissue cells. Each cell type exhibits a distinctive polarisation by an electric field, following a pattern similar to fractal geometry. He established a model reflecting the difference between the two types of cells and applied fractal calculus to their geometry. Iomin suggested that because of the fractal nature of cancer cells the TTF treatment might be enhanced at certain frequencies. As a result, the cancer cells’ plasma membrane permeability would irreversibly increase, which could lead to their demise. This approach may constitute an effective non-invasive method for treating brain cancer.
Article extracted from: EurekaAlert.

Physics research brings new strategies for brain tumor treatment.

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File:PET-image.jpg

Modeling the demise of migrating brain tumor cells

Evolution of brain tumor cells under treatment reveal that it is the peripheral tumor cells that need to be targeted

An Israeli physicist has developed a theoretical model to simulate the evolution of highly proliferating brain tumour core cells subjected to treatment by alternating radio frequency electric field. The research, by Alexander Iomin from the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology Technion in Haifa, is about to be published in EPJ E¹. In another model, the author examines the possibility of enhancing the level of treatment by targeting the outer area of the tumour.
Iomin introduced a theoretical evaluation of the effect of a standard treatment known as tumour-treating-field (TTF) on the speed of development of a type of brain tumour called glioma. To do so, he adapted a well-established model — the so-called fractal comb model, which looks like the regularly spaced teeth of a comb — based on a mathematical approach called fractional calculus. This model is based on the hypothesis that TTF treatment had limited efficiency in the outer region and would only be effective on the inner part of the tumour, which is characterised by a higher proliferation rate of cancer cells.
By contrast, the peripheral part of the tumour is characterised by high migration and low proliferation rates of cancer cells. In his second model, the author considered glioma cancer as a composite of cancer cells and normal tissue cells. Each cell type exhibits a distinctive polarisation by an electric field, following a pattern similar to fractal geometry. He established a model reflecting the difference between the two types of cells and applied fractal calculus to their geometry. Iomin suggested that because of the fractal nature of cancer cells the TTF treatment might be enhanced at certain frequencies. As a result, the cancer cells’ plasma membrane permeability would irreversibly increase, which could lead to their demise. This approach may constitute an effective non-invasive method for treating brain cancer.
Article extracted from: EurekaAlert.

Parkinson’s in the genes? Technion isolates the 5 genes for early diagnosis.

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3 June 2012

Technion Researchers Identify a Cluster of Five Genes in the Blood that Predict Parkinson’s Disease

Technion researchers from the Rappaport Faculty of Medicine have identified five genes that predict Parkinson’s disease, reports the scientific journal Molecular Neurodegeneration. The research was conducted by Dr. Silvia Mandel, Vice Director of the Eve Topf Center of Excellence for Neurodegenerative Diseases Research and Teaching, together with her colleagues Prof. Moussa Youdim (Technion), Prof. Judith Aharon (Rambam Medical Center), and Prof. Martin Rabey (Assaf HaRofeh Medical Center), as well as her colleagues from the Universities of Würzburg and Pisa.
“Currently, there is no blood test that can diagnose PD, making the detection of individuals at risk or at earliest stages of PD practically impossible. Instead it is identified by a clinical neurological examination based on findings suggestive of Parkinson’s disease. Finding biomarkers for Parkinson’s disease will help to capture those high-risk subjects before symptoms develop, a stage where prevention treatment efforts might be expected to have their greatest impact to slow disease progression”, says Dr. Silvia Mandel. “The first aim of our study was to assess whether a gene signature could be detected in blood from early Parkinson’s disease patients that could support the diagnosis of the disease”.
The examination was conducted on blood samples from 62 early stage Parkinson’s disease patients and 64 healthy age-matched controls. The selection of the genes and determination of their expression in the blood was based on previous research conducted by Drs. Silvia Mandel and Moussa Youdim on the brains of Parkinson’s disease patients, in which a group of genes was identified with defective expression compared to the brains of healthy people (control group). Five genes were found that are optimal predictors of Parkinson’s disease.
The predictive ability of the model was validated in an independent cohort of 30 patients at advanced stages of Parkinson’s disease, with 100% accuracy, which suggests a potential for the genetic signature to assess disease severity. Lastly, the model fully discriminated between Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease.
“The findings strengthen the assumption that a five-gene panel in the blood allows to diagnose early stage Parkinson’s disease, with a possible diagnostic value for detection of the disease before the appearance of the characteristic motor symptoms”, say the Technion researchers. “The biomarker could assist in diagnosing individuals at presymptomatic stages of the disease (patients with depression, sleep disturbances or hyposmia (reduced ability to smell) or patients carrying genetic risk factors) who are good candidates for neuroprotective treatment. Such a biomarker will be of value in clinical trials for the identification of that subgroup of Parkinson’s disease patients that may respond favorably to therapies targeting the mechanisms reflected by the gene panel. All five genes play a role in the ubiquitin-proteasome system, whose involvement in the pathology of Parkinson’s disease has previously been demonstrated.
The Technion researchers believe that, in the future, the blood test may be combined with brain imaging and/or biomarkers in the spinal fluid or other peripheral tissues, as a gold standard not only for early diagnosis, but also for the differential diagnosis of Parkinson’s and motor disorders mimicking the disease.

Parkinson’s in the genes? Technion isolates the 5 genes for early diagnosis.

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3 June 2012

Technion Researchers Identify a Cluster of Five Genes in the Blood that Predict Parkinson’s Disease

Technion researchers from the Rappaport Faculty of Medicine have identified five genes that predict Parkinson’s disease, reports the scientific journal Molecular Neurodegeneration. The research was conducted by Dr. Silvia Mandel, Vice Director of the Eve Topf Center of Excellence for Neurodegenerative Diseases Research and Teaching, together with her colleagues Prof. Moussa Youdim (Technion), Prof. Judith Aharon (Rambam Medical Center), and Prof. Martin Rabey (Assaf HaRofeh Medical Center), as well as her colleagues from the Universities of Würzburg and Pisa.
“Currently, there is no blood test that can diagnose PD, making the detection of individuals at risk or at earliest stages of PD practically impossible. Instead it is identified by a clinical neurological examination based on findings suggestive of Parkinson’s disease. Finding biomarkers for Parkinson’s disease will help to capture those high-risk subjects before symptoms develop, a stage where prevention treatment efforts might be expected to have their greatest impact to slow disease progression”, says Dr. Silvia Mandel. “The first aim of our study was to assess whether a gene signature could be detected in blood from early Parkinson’s disease patients that could support the diagnosis of the disease”.
The examination was conducted on blood samples from 62 early stage Parkinson’s disease patients and 64 healthy age-matched controls. The selection of the genes and determination of their expression in the blood was based on previous research conducted by Drs. Silvia Mandel and Moussa Youdim on the brains of Parkinson’s disease patients, in which a group of genes was identified with defective expression compared to the brains of healthy people (control group). Five genes were found that are optimal predictors of Parkinson’s disease.
The predictive ability of the model was validated in an independent cohort of 30 patients at advanced stages of Parkinson’s disease, with 100% accuracy, which suggests a potential for the genetic signature to assess disease severity. Lastly, the model fully discriminated between Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease.
“The findings strengthen the assumption that a five-gene panel in the blood allows to diagnose early stage Parkinson’s disease, with a possible diagnostic value for detection of the disease before the appearance of the characteristic motor symptoms”, say the Technion researchers. “The biomarker could assist in diagnosing individuals at presymptomatic stages of the disease (patients with depression, sleep disturbances or hyposmia (reduced ability to smell) or patients carrying genetic risk factors) who are good candidates for neuroprotective treatment. Such a biomarker will be of value in clinical trials for the identification of that subgroup of Parkinson’s disease patients that may respond favorably to therapies targeting the mechanisms reflected by the gene panel. All five genes play a role in the ubiquitin-proteasome system, whose involvement in the pathology of Parkinson’s disease has previously been demonstrated.
The Technion researchers believe that, in the future, the blood test may be combined with brain imaging and/or biomarkers in the spinal fluid or other peripheral tissues, as a gold standard not only for early diagnosis, but also for the differential diagnosis of Parkinson’s and motor disorders mimicking the disease.

Imaging: a sub-wavelength revolution.

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Prof. Moti Segev, Faculty of Physics.

Technion Researchers Develop Computational Method for Improving the Resolution of Microscopes and Imaging Systems

Technion researchers have demonstrated an innovative method that substantially improves the resolution (the ability to distinguish between details) of microscopes. This was reported by the prestigious scientific journal Nature Materials. The method is based on innovative concepts, and scientists hail it as being a “breakthrough with the potential to change the world of microscopy, imaging systems, and other optical measurement systems”. The method is attracting great interest, both in the scientific world and in industry.

“When you look through an optical microscope at an object with features (optical information) smaller than one half the wavelength of light – you necessarily see a blurred image”, explains Distinguished Prof. Mordechai (Moti) Segev of the Technion’s Department of Physics. “The reason for this is that the information about the structure of very small features does not propagate through space and thus does not reach the eye or the microscope camera. Today, a number of methods are used to achieve a resolution under one half of the wavelength of light, but they all require point-by-point scanning of the object. Hence, these methods may be used only for a static object, which does not change during the scan”.

Scientists have attempted for many years to find algorithms to reconstruct the sub-wavelength information lost between the object and the microscope camera. But thus far all such attempts were largely unsuccessful. The main reason is noise: random scattering of light (for example, from reflections off non-ideal surfaces), which is inevitable in optical systems, has thus far prevented algorithmic reconstruction of features smaller than one half the wavelength of light from measurements of the blurred image.

Now a team of Technion researchers presented a breakthrough algorithmic method for improving the resolution of microscopes to considerably under one half the wavelength of light. To a great extent, the project was successful thanks to the collaboration between several research groups from four different Technion faculties (the groups of Prof. Moti Segev and of Dr. Oren Cohen of the Department of Physics, Prof. Yonina Eldar of the Department of Electrical Engineering, Prof. Irad Yavneh and Dr. Michael Zibulevsky of the Computer Science Department, and Prof. Shy Shoham of the Department of Biomedical Engineering).

“The algorithmic method relies on finding the most suitable reconstruction that meets two criteria: the reconstructed high-resolution image must conform to the blurred image, and it must minimize of the number of the degrees of freedom”, explains Prof. Segev. “The second criterion has to do with understanding compact (sparse) representation of information and with the effect caused by noise in the measurement system. Random noise occupies all degrees of freedom, whereas information has some structure, hence it occupies a given number of degrees of freedom and never all of them. In many cases, there is some sort of a priori knowledge about the information. In principle, in such a case the information may be presented compactly, such that mathematically it is represented by a small number of projections onto basis functions that cover all the possibilities of spatial information. It is then said that the information is sparsely represented, and the number of degrees of freedom it occupies is small. In general, there are many cases where information can be represented compactly. A well known example is file compression using JPEG, a method of compact representation through projection onto a basis where the information in the file is represented sparsely (compactly)”.

This innovative concept of improving resolution in microscopy through representation of the image in the correct basis in which the image is sparse, was developed by Prof. Moti Segev of the Department of Physics and Prof. Yonina Eldar of the Department of Electrical Engineering, graduate students Snir Gazit and Yoav Shechtman and postdoctoral researcher Alex Szameit, currently a professor at the University of Jena, Germany. 

The idea was initially demonstrated in 2009. However, exhausting the full potential of the resolution improvement necessitated measuring the phase of the light reaching the microscope camera. Phase measurement requires interference-based methods (interferometric methods) which increase the complexity of the system substantially and limit the applications of this method.

About two years ago, Dr. Oren Cohen proposed adding an important layer to the algorithm, which in effect replaces the need for phase measurement, and to thus obtain image reconstruction at a higher resolution than one half the wavelength of light, through intensity measurement only (using a regular camera). In fact, Dr. Cohen proposed that two research directions be combined – Profs. Segev and Eldar’s idea of sub-wavelength imaging and “lensless imaging”, in which images are algorithmically (computationally) reconstructed from measurements of the intensity of the light at a very far distance from the image. This area – of lensless imaging – has recently become an extremely important field of science. On completion of the construction of three short pulse X-ray lasers (in the USA, Germany and Japan) at a cost of one billion dollars per laser, researchers intend to use lensless imaging to measure the structure of hundreds of thousands of single molecules (molecules that cannot be assembled into a crystallized structure). Understanding the structure of these molecules will pave the way for chemists, biologists and doctors to understand many biological processes at the molecular level. Until now, the resolution of all “lensless imaging” methods has been limited to features bigger than a wavelength. However, the methods developed by the Technion researchers could bring about a revolutionary improvement of the entire “lensless imaging” field, and allow measurement of dynamically changing molecules.

The Technion research team has demonstrated in experiments the reconstruction of details at least five times smaller than the wavelength of light, in a single-shot measurement of the light intensity at the focal plane of the microscope lens. The research work was published in the prestigious journal Nature Materials. The majority of the research work was done by postdoctoral researcher Alex Szameit and graduate students Yoav Shechtman and Eli Osherovich. The experiments, conducted by Alex Szameit and Hod Dana (graduate student at the Department of Biomedical Engineering), demonstrated reconstructions of objects with optical features 100 nanometers in size using radiation with a wavelength of 530 nanometers. In comparison, without using the new method, the resolution of this microscope is limited to features bigger than 300 nanometers.

As described above, the main part of the research is the development of the algorithm for the reconstruction of missing information: (a) reconstruction of the phase of light measured by the camera and (b) reconstruction of the part of the optical information which never reached the camera (information on features smaller than one half the wavelength of light). The initial algorithm, developed by Elad Bullkich, an undergraduate student at the time the research was conducted, and Yoav Shechtman, was based on performing the phase reconstruction algorithm followed by the algorithm for the reconstruction of sub-wavelength information. Some time later, Eli Osherovich developed a far better algorithm that reconstructs both types of “missing information” concurrently, thereby substantially increasing performance and allowing handling a wide range of images.

Technion researchers are now working on the development of similar methods for improving the resolution of other measurement systems. For example, graduate student Pavel Sidorenko has recently demonstrated breaking the resolution barrier of spectroscopic resolution: he has reconstructed spectral information at a higher resolution than the fundamental limit on spectroscopy (the time duration a photon spends in the measuring instrument). The researchers hope that these developments will lead to the improvement of spectral systems used, as an example, for the measurement of pollutants in the air of in water, detection of explosives, etc.

Imaging: a sub-wavelength revolution.

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Prof. Moti Segev, Faculty of Physics.

Technion Researchers Develop Computational Method for Improving the Resolution of Microscopes and Imaging Systems

Technion researchers have demonstrated an innovative method that substantially improves the resolution (the ability to distinguish between details) of microscopes. This was reported by the prestigious scientific journal Nature Materials. The method is based on innovative concepts, and scientists hail it as being a “breakthrough with the potential to change the world of microscopy, imaging systems, and other optical measurement systems”. The method is attracting great interest, both in the scientific world and in industry.

“When you look through an optical microscope at an object with features (optical information) smaller than one half the wavelength of light – you necessarily see a blurred image”, explains Distinguished Prof. Mordechai (Moti) Segev of the Technion’s Department of Physics. “The reason for this is that the information about the structure of very small features does not propagate through space and thus does not reach the eye or the microscope camera. Today, a number of methods are used to achieve a resolution under one half of the wavelength of light, but they all require point-by-point scanning of the object. Hence, these methods may be used only for a static object, which does not change during the scan”.

Scientists have attempted for many years to find algorithms to reconstruct the sub-wavelength information lost between the object and the microscope camera. But thus far all such attempts were largely unsuccessful. The main reason is noise: random scattering of light (for example, from reflections off non-ideal surfaces), which is inevitable in optical systems, has thus far prevented algorithmic reconstruction of features smaller than one half the wavelength of light from measurements of the blurred image.

Now a team of Technion researchers presented a breakthrough algorithmic method for improving the resolution of microscopes to considerably under one half the wavelength of light. To a great extent, the project was successful thanks to the collaboration between several research groups from four different Technion faculties (the groups of Prof. Moti Segev and of Dr. Oren Cohen of the Department of Physics, Prof. Yonina Eldar of the Department of Electrical Engineering, Prof. Irad Yavneh and Dr. Michael Zibulevsky of the Computer Science Department, and Prof. Shy Shoham of the Department of Biomedical Engineering).

“The algorithmic method relies on finding the most suitable reconstruction that meets two criteria: the reconstructed high-resolution image must conform to the blurred image, and it must minimize of the number of the degrees of freedom”, explains Prof. Segev. “The second criterion has to do with understanding compact (sparse) representation of information and with the effect caused by noise in the measurement system. Random noise occupies all degrees of freedom, whereas information has some structure, hence it occupies a given number of degrees of freedom and never all of them. In many cases, there is some sort of a priori knowledge about the information. In principle, in such a case the information may be presented compactly, such that mathematically it is represented by a small number of projections onto basis functions that cover all the possibilities of spatial information. It is then said that the information is sparsely represented, and the number of degrees of freedom it occupies is small. In general, there are many cases where information can be represented compactly. A well known example is file compression using JPEG, a method of compact representation through projection onto a basis where the information in the file is represented sparsely (compactly)”.

This innovative concept of improving resolution in microscopy through representation of the image in the correct basis in which the image is sparse, was developed by Prof. Moti Segev of the Department of Physics and Prof. Yonina Eldar of the Department of Electrical Engineering, graduate students Snir Gazit and Yoav Shechtman and postdoctoral researcher Alex Szameit, currently a professor at the University of Jena, Germany. 

The idea was initially demonstrated in 2009. However, exhausting the full potential of the resolution improvement necessitated measuring the phase of the light reaching the microscope camera. Phase measurement requires interference-based methods (interferometric methods) which increase the complexity of the system substantially and limit the applications of this method.

About two years ago, Dr. Oren Cohen proposed adding an important layer to the algorithm, which in effect replaces the need for phase measurement, and to thus obtain image reconstruction at a higher resolution than one half the wavelength of light, through intensity measurement only (using a regular camera). In fact, Dr. Cohen proposed that two research directions be combined – Profs. Segev and Eldar’s idea of sub-wavelength imaging and “lensless imaging”, in which images are algorithmically (computationally) reconstructed from measurements of the intensity of the light at a very far distance from the image. This area – of lensless imaging – has recently become an extremely important field of science. On completion of the construction of three short pulse X-ray lasers (in the USA, Germany and Japan) at a cost of one billion dollars per laser, researchers intend to use lensless imaging to measure the structure of hundreds of thousands of single molecules (molecules that cannot be assembled into a crystallized structure). Understanding the structure of these molecules will pave the way for chemists, biologists and doctors to understand many biological processes at the molecular level. Until now, the resolution of all “lensless imaging” methods has been limited to features bigger than a wavelength. However, the methods developed by the Technion researchers could bring about a revolutionary improvement of the entire “lensless imaging” field, and allow measurement of dynamically changing molecules.

The Technion research team has demonstrated in experiments the reconstruction of details at least five times smaller than the wavelength of light, in a single-shot measurement of the light intensity at the focal plane of the microscope lens. The research work was published in the prestigious journal Nature Materials. The majority of the research work was done by postdoctoral researcher Alex Szameit and graduate students Yoav Shechtman and Eli Osherovich. The experiments, conducted by Alex Szameit and Hod Dana (graduate student at the Department of Biomedical Engineering), demonstrated reconstructions of objects with optical features 100 nanometers in size using radiation with a wavelength of 530 nanometers. In comparison, without using the new method, the resolution of this microscope is limited to features bigger than 300 nanometers.

As described above, the main part of the research is the development of the algorithm for the reconstruction of missing information: (a) reconstruction of the phase of light measured by the camera and (b) reconstruction of the part of the optical information which never reached the camera (information on features smaller than one half the wavelength of light). The initial algorithm, developed by Elad Bullkich, an undergraduate student at the time the research was conducted, and Yoav Shechtman, was based on performing the phase reconstruction algorithm followed by the algorithm for the reconstruction of sub-wavelength information. Some time later, Eli Osherovich developed a far better algorithm that reconstructs both types of “missing information” concurrently, thereby substantially increasing performance and allowing handling a wide range of images.

Technion researchers are now working on the development of similar methods for improving the resolution of other measurement systems. For example, graduate student Pavel Sidorenko has recently demonstrated breaking the resolution barrier of spectroscopic resolution: he has reconstructed spectral information at a higher resolution than the fundamental limit on spectroscopy (the time duration a photon spends in the measuring instrument). The researchers hope that these developments will lead to the improvement of spectral systems used, as an example, for the measurement of pollutants in the air of in water, detection of explosives, etc.

Sunlight Reclaimed: Technion brings new generation to solar power.

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“Energy is a key part of the Technion vision, and my lab is evidence of that.”

Dr. Carmel Rotschild, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering.

New recruit at Technion Dr. Carmel Rotschild is leading a multidisciplinary team at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering to develop innovative applications to maximize the energy we can harness from the sun.

On the one hand we have sunlight – an infinite source of energy – with a broad spectrum of every bandwidth in creation. On the other, we have silicon – an abundant material made from sand and the front-runner as the material most likely to be used in photovoltaic cells for your solar energy panels. Between the simplicity of silicon and the broad spectrum of sunlight, falls the innovation.

As oil reserves deplete and energy prices rise, solar power is emerging as an essential source of clean, affordable energy. The scientific search-lights are on for new discoveries that could make solar energy competitive to fossil fuels. 

Technion new recruit, Dr. Carmel Rotschild – who arrived in August 2011 at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering from M.I.T., is aiming to do just that. His dream is to increase the efficiency of photovoltaics by around 20 percent, by developing efficient appliances to convert the lost rays of the sun that silicon is unable to process. This involves the fusion (or up conversion) of infrared solar radiation to make that power accessible to silicon, and the fission (or down conversion) of radiation in the blue range to near infrared radiation, which could double the quantum efficiency of photovoltaics. The highly multidisciplinary approach includes the design and fabrication of nano-scale optical materials within an optical cavity, and Rotschild and his multidisciplinary team draws on expertise in nonlinear optics, material engineering, and energy transfer in molecules.   

“What I’m doing in my research is combining nonlinear optics and luminescent solar concentrators to build accessories for photovoltaics,” explains Rotschild. “My vision is to increase efficiency by 20 percent for a given photovoltaic cell. The main issue that limits efficiency, is the mismatch between the broad solar spectrum, and the narrow spectral response of photovoltaics. For example: silicon is very effective at one micron wavelength, but light with a longer wavelength cannot be converted into electricity by silicon solar cells. It would be nice to look at nonlinear optics as a toolbox for converting inefficient parts of the solar spectrum into emissions where solar panels can be more efficient.”

Rotschild’s reception as a new recruit at Technion has been excellent, he says. “Everyone is enthusiastic to help and it’s really good to be here. The students are great; the collaboration is great. The system really supports you. It makes me feel at home in many aspects.”
 
Rotschild has a personal passion for creating cleaner, more efficient ways to power our world: he lost a friend to cancer and is concerned that air pollution was a chief culprit. And his belief in the urgency of the need to advance energy research in Israel is shared by the Grand Technion Energy Program (GTEP) and the Russell Berrie Nanotechnology Institute (RBNI) who are jointly supporting his work. 

“The energy revolution is already here, and the funny thing is it doesn’t come from science, it comes from engineering,” says Rotschild.  “If you include the cost that we as a society pay for using petrol, coal and fossil fuels in terms of health and pollution, we are now even in the cost we can pay… we are reaching an era where solar energy becomes affordable for society.

Rotschild says that multidisciplinary programs such as The Grand Technion Energy Program are powerful platforms for attracting scientists back to Israel. “Energy is a key part of the Technion vision, and my lab is evidence of that,” he says,  “GTEP is a great platform to interact and collaborate in order for Israel to become a world leader in this field. It is really a great vision and I think we are reaching it.”

Sunlight Reclaimed: Technion brings new generation to solar power.

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“Energy is a key part of the Technion vision, and my lab is evidence of that.”

Dr. Carmel Rotschild, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering.

New recruit at Technion Dr. Carmel Rotschild is leading a multidisciplinary team at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering to develop innovative applications to maximize the energy we can harness from the sun.

On the one hand we have sunlight – an infinite source of energy – with a broad spectrum of every bandwidth in creation. On the other, we have silicon – an abundant material made from sand and the front-runner as the material most likely to be used in photovoltaic cells for your solar energy panels. Between the simplicity of silicon and the broad spectrum of sunlight, falls the innovation.

As oil reserves deplete and energy prices rise, solar power is emerging as an essential source of clean, affordable energy. The scientific search-lights are on for new discoveries that could make solar energy competitive to fossil fuels. 

Technion new recruit, Dr. Carmel Rotschild – who arrived in August 2011 at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering from M.I.T., is aiming to do just that. His dream is to increase the efficiency of photovoltaics by around 20 percent, by developing efficient appliances to convert the lost rays of the sun that silicon is unable to process. This involves the fusion (or up conversion) of infrared solar radiation to make that power accessible to silicon, and the fission (or down conversion) of radiation in the blue range to near infrared radiation, which could double the quantum efficiency of photovoltaics. The highly multidisciplinary approach includes the design and fabrication of nano-scale optical materials within an optical cavity, and Rotschild and his multidisciplinary team draws on expertise in nonlinear optics, material engineering, and energy transfer in molecules.   

“What I’m doing in my research is combining nonlinear optics and luminescent solar concentrators to build accessories for photovoltaics,” explains Rotschild. “My vision is to increase efficiency by 20 percent for a given photovoltaic cell. The main issue that limits efficiency, is the mismatch between the broad solar spectrum, and the narrow spectral response of photovoltaics. For example: silicon is very effective at one micron wavelength, but light with a longer wavelength cannot be converted into electricity by silicon solar cells. It would be nice to look at nonlinear optics as a toolbox for converting inefficient parts of the solar spectrum into emissions where solar panels can be more efficient.”

Rotschild’s reception as a new recruit at Technion has been excellent, he says. “Everyone is enthusiastic to help and it’s really good to be here. The students are great; the collaboration is great. The system really supports you. It makes me feel at home in many aspects.”
 
Rotschild has a personal passion for creating cleaner, more efficient ways to power our world: he lost a friend to cancer and is concerned that air pollution was a chief culprit. And his belief in the urgency of the need to advance energy research in Israel is shared by the Grand Technion Energy Program (GTEP) and the Russell Berrie Nanotechnology Institute (RBNI) who are jointly supporting his work. 

“The energy revolution is already here, and the funny thing is it doesn’t come from science, it comes from engineering,” says Rotschild.  “If you include the cost that we as a society pay for using petrol, coal and fossil fuels in terms of health and pollution, we are now even in the cost we can pay… we are reaching an era where solar energy becomes affordable for society.

Rotschild says that multidisciplinary programs such as The Grand Technion Energy Program are powerful platforms for attracting scientists back to Israel. “Energy is a key part of the Technion vision, and my lab is evidence of that,” he says,  “GTEP is a great platform to interact and collaborate in order for Israel to become a world leader in this field. It is really a great vision and I think we are reaching it.”

Phase 2 Study heralds hope for Alzheimers patients

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PRESS RELEASE
May 17, 2012, 11:36 a.m. EDT

Avraham Pharmaceuticals Announces Commencement of a Phase 2 Study of Ladostigil for the Treatment of MCI

Enrollment has been completed in a Phase 2 study of ladostigil for the treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease and results expected in Q4 2012



Avraham Pharmaceuticals Ltd. has announced the commencement of a Phase 2 clinical trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of ladostigil in patients diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). This 36-month, multi-centre, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial will include at least 200 patients in 16 centers in Europe and Israel.
In parallel, Avraham Pharmaceuticals has also completed the enrollment of 200 patients in a Phase 2 trial of ladostigil, a novel molecule for the treatment of mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease. The Phase 2 study is a double-blind, closed-label, placebo-controlled trial taking place at 20 sites in five countries across Europe. In January 2012, the Company performed an interim analysis of this Phase 2 trial, which indicated that the drug is safe and well tolerated, as well as shows a positive trend toward efficacy. Final results of the 26-week trial are expected in the fourth quarter of 2012.
Ladostigil was developed out of the pioneering research into neurodegeneration of Technion Prof. Moussa Youdim.
“We are pleased that another Phase 2 clinical trial in patients with MCI has begun in parallel, and look forward to the final results of the Phase 2 study for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease expected at the end of this year,” said Yaacov Michlin, Chairman of Avraham Pharmaceuticals
“I am delighted to lead Avraham in these exciting times for the company, as we advance ladostigil in 2 Phase 2 clinical trials simultaneously. We believe that this unique drug candidate has the potential to transform the treatment of various neurodegenerative diseases,” said Dr. Yona Geffen, Avraham Pharmaceuticals Chief Executive Officer.
About Ladostigil
Ladostigil is a novel cholinesterase and brain-selective monoamine oxidase inhibitor, and neuroprotective agent for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease, mild cognitive impairment and other neurodegenerative diseases. The drug, which was exclusively licensed to Avraham Pharmaceuticals by Yissum Research Development Company Ltd., and by the Technion Research and Development Foundation Ltd. (TRDF), has proven to be safe and well tolerated in Phase 1 and Phase 2 clinical trials. Like other cholinesterase inhibitors currently on the market, ladostigil targets symptomatic relief in Alzheimer’s disease patients. But unlike these drugs, ladostigil, which also causes brain selective inhibition of monoamine oxidase (MAO) provides the potential to improve the behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia such as depression and anxiety. Moreover, ladostigil has the potential to slow progression of clinical symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease for sustained periods of time and to modify the pathology associated with the disease. In addition, the neuroprotective activity of ladostigil provides a drug candidate that may have the potential to slow progression to Alzheimer’s disease in patients diagnosed with MCI. This potential has been amply demonstrated in animal models, especially in studies of ageing rats.
Ladostigil was designed by Professor Marta Weinstock-Rosin of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, inventor of Exelon(R) and Professor Moussa B.H. Youdim of the Technion Israel Institute of Technology, inventor of Azilect(R). The drug substance was first synthesized by Professor Michael Chorev of the Hebrew University, who is now based at Harvard University. All three distinguished scientists act as scientific advisors to Avraham Pharmaceuticals.
About Alzheimer’s Disease
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia worldwide, affecting about one in 20 people 65 years of age or older, accounting for 60-80% of dementia cases. In 2010, 5.4 million people were affected by Alzheimer’s disease in the U.S., where it is the 6th leading cause of death. In Europe, more than 6 million are living with the disease. Approximately half of Alzheimer’s patients also suffer from depression, and up to 40% also exhibit Parkinson-like symptoms.
About Mild Cognitive Impairment
Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a syndrome defined as an intermediate stage between the expected cognitive decline of normal aging and the more pronounced decline of dementia. It involves problems with memory, language, thinking and judgment that are greater than typical age-related changes. Although MCI can present with a variety of symptoms, when memory loss is the predominant symptom it is termed “amnestic MCI” and is frequently seen as a prodromal stage of Alzheimer’s disease. Prevalence in population-based epidemiological studies ranges from 3% to 19% in adults older than 65 years. There is no proven treatment or therapy for MCI.
About Avraham Pharmaceutical
Founded in 2010, Avraham Pharmaceuticals has raised more than $12 million to advance the development of its unique, multi-functional drug substance, ladostigil, currently undergoing two Phase 2 clinical trials for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease and mild cognitive impairment. 









	

	
	




	
	

		
REGENERATE ~ Biomaterials and Stem Cells En-masse

		

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“Our next generation of scientists and Nobel laureates, and the future of the Technion depends on the Lokey Center.”






Technion scientist Prof. Dror Seliktar made headlines with the introduction of patented sophisticated gels to speed up the ability of the body to regenerate after traumatic injury, now undergoing clinical tests in Europe. 


Now, his research team at the Lokey Center for Biomaterials and Tissue Regeneration at Technion is working on a new material for the mass production of stem cells to make their commercial use viable on an industrial scale.




“In the biotechnology industries, there is an inherent need for expanding populations of stem cells for therapeutic purposes,” says Seliktar of the Department of Biomedical Engineering, who has published over 50 papers in the field, won over 14 awards and launched one of Israel’s promising biotech startups, Regentis Biomaterials.




The team has identified a real practical need for effective handling of stem cells if they are to be widely used in the future. The culture techniques that are premised on laboratory petri dishes will have to be replaced by larger vessel reactors. 


A patented customized gel developed by the team provides the substrate needed by stem cells to grow and multiply in these specialized reactors. “Using our material technology, we have the ability to adapt stem cell cultivation into a 3D suspension reactor,” says Seliktar. “We can encapsulate the cells in the gels which sit inside the reactor… allowing the cells to perceive an anchorage dependent environment normally provided by the petri dish culture methods.”




Lorry Lokey’s vision in investing in multidisciplinary research into life science and engineering is changing the scientific and industrial horizon in Israel, says Seliktar, whose 12-strong team includes eight PhD students in disciplines ranging from biotechnology engineering, materials science, chemical engineering, biology and more. 


“We really benefit from the new facilities and new labs made possible by the generosity of Lokey. My lab is an environment that optimizes the type of research we are doing, both in the context of how students react in an interdisciplinary fashion, but also in providing a work place that is friendly and enabling for the students to be creative and efficient and diligent. On a global perspective, it has enabled us to bring in excellent scientists that contribute to the innovation of this place. This has expanded our ability to make an impact on the scientific and clinical worlds.”




A keyword with Seliktar is regeneration, and he describes the Lokey foundation gift as having a regenerative impact on the Technion. “These are our next generation of scientists and Nobel Laureates,” he says, “The future of the Technion relies on that.”



Regentis Ahead

 


“If you get a traumatic injury to the knee, very few treatment options are available,” says Prof. Dror Seliktar, giving an example of one use of the innovative biodegradable hydrogels being marketed by a company he founded, Regentis Biomaterials. 


“A replacement knee may eventually be required if the progression of the injury is not contained. If you are injured at age 25, it can be pretty daunting to know that at age 55 you may need a knee replacement. We can alleviate the progressive degeneration with a therapy that actually helps repair the tissue – intervening early on and preventing further degeneration.”




Established in 2004, Regentis Biomaterials is commercializing innovative biodegradable hydrogels for the local repair of damaged cartilage and bone.  The platform technology is a family of hydrogels called Gelrin™. These gels can be injected or applied to a specific local site and offer beneficial properties for the local repair of damaged tissue such as cartilage and bone.




“The company is pretty unique in Israel, and also in the world,” says Seliktar. The Technion lab is among only a handful of laboratories worldwide that have developed novel biomaterials that are now clinically applied.