The Mitzvah Day Commitee is in full swing organizing the event for Sunday, May 16th. If you wish to volunteer in organizing the event, or if you wish to lead one of the crews on that day, contact Linda Tafapolsky by e-mailor by calling 845-471-9817
Clinical trials of the new oral treatment for autoimmune diseases will begin at Hadassah University Medical Center in Jerusalem next month. Israeli and American scientists have joined forces to develop a new orally administered therapeutic treatment for autoimmune diseases.
The new product is a combination therapy that brings Hadassah Medical Organization in Jerusalem, Harvard Medical School (HMS) and Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH), a teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School.
Autoimmune diseases are disorders caused by an immune response directed against the body's own organs, tissues and cells. There are more than 80 clinically distinct autoimmune diseases, including systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, Type I and Type II diabetes, and Crohn's disease.
Today in the US, autoimmune diseases are the third most common major illness. The most common of these diseases affect more than 8.5 million Americans (one in 31). According to the American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association, as many as 50 million Americans are believed to suffer from some type of autoimmune disease.
The combination therapy developed by the Israeli and American team is a cocktail of a Monoclonal Antibody (Anti-CD3) in development at Harvard Medical School, and a line of glycolipid compounds, currently in development at Hadasit, and based on research led by a senior Hadassah physician.
"It now appears possible to correct the imbalances in the immune system and subsequently treat a wide number of human diseases with an oral, non-toxic therapy. We know that both the monoclonal antibody and the glycolipid compound have a standalone therapeutic effect. However, we also have evidence, from animal models, that the combination of the two stimulates the immune system better and elicits a stronger, additive effect,"
"This is the first of hopefully many scientific collaborations between Hadasit and BWH/HMS, all world leaders in medical research," said Professor Shlomo Mor-Yosef, director general of Hadassah Medical Organization. "It is through this special alliance that we strive to find a treatment for autoimmune diseases, which affect millions of people worldwide. Our joint venture is a calculated investment that we believe will not only reap an impressive return for Hadassah and its existing and potential partners, but also make a significant impact on existing treatment protocols."
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