While controversy exists in the USA concerning research with embryonic stem cells, everyone agrees that using adult stem cells are appropriate and efficacious. Rabin Medical Center has made a major breakthrough in applying adult stem cells to treat Parkinson's disease by developing NurOwn, a technology that generates neuron-like cells derived from human bone marrow. Using the patient's own bone marrow to supply dopamineproducing cells circumvents problems of immunity and compatibility. Credit for the discovery goes to Prof. Eldad Melamed, Director of Neurology at the Rabin Medical Center and member of the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, together with Dr. Daniel Offen, Director of Laboratory of Neurosciences at Rabin Medical Center, and Dr. Yosef Levy. Commercialized by Brainstorm Cell Therapeutics based in Tel Aviv, NurOwn actually produces the missing chemical that enables restoration of motor movement.
The protein, called NID-13, has proven effective in lab mice; researchers have registered a patent.
Kidneys are the most commonly transplanted organs in the US and in Israel, but there is still a huge shortage of available organs.
Rabin Medical Center has performed the first artificial cornea transplant in Israel, bringing new hope to patients who are blind.