After two and a half decades covering Israeli scientific and technological innovation and the business of Israel's science and technology numerous world class developments have fired the imagination. Among the more memorable among these was the story of the commercialization of interferon discoveries spawned in the laboratories of the Weizmann Institute; the building and commercialization of computerized tomographs (CAT scanners and magnetic resonance imaging machines; and the discovery, development and the commercialization of the carbon dioxide surgical laser. Each of these discoveries and their later commercialization had the characteristic of making the world a little better than before. They were the epitomy of the ancient Talmudic concept of Tikun -- literally an improvement of the world we live in.
A recent study published in Science Magazine details the research of an American scientist in collaboration with an Israeli scientist resulting in the the identification of a new group of human cells. With the end the 20th century upon us and looking ahead to the new world of the coming century I am confident that science will provide many, if not all, of the remaining answers to the secret of life itself. Science will also extend man's life span and improve his quality of life. Will surgery become less important in healing ailing parts of our bodies? Will genetic engineering lead to the creation of body organs for replacement?
"The embryos employed in the research study were donated by couples who had undergone in vitro fertilization treatment at our Rambam Hospital IVF Unit. The donors did not plan to have any more children --eliminating any ethical questions. The embryos of fertilized human eggs resulting from in vitro fertilization treatment, were cultivated until they reached the blastocyst -- an early metazoan stage. The subsequent treatment of the embryos resulted in their dividing and possessing the unique property of cell division without aging. This characteristic gave rise to an embryonic stem cell being characterized as "immortal". These cells which have a special status because of their potential to develop into an individual were coaxed chemically so as to be able to develop outside of the body. What was most intriguing is that these cells have the power to divide into 210 different types of cells -- perhaps all having the ability to be converted into tissue for body parts. The cells have many possible uses, of which the most promising is to grow new tissue, of any kind, for transplant into a patient's body. Scientists have for the first time picked out and cultivated the primordial human cells from which an entire individual develops. Some of the potential applications for these new cells could be for bone marrow replacement or for use in tissues being implanted in cardiac situations. Eventually, the hope is to use the cells to grow tissue for human transplants and introduce genes into the body as a remedy for inherited diseases.
The research and development, now in the planning stage, relates to differentiation of these cells. As the differentiation (identifying and modification of these cells for various applications in the human body) progresses, patent protection will be sought and technologies will necessarily be developed," says Professor Joseph Itskovitz of the Faculty of Medicine, Technion Medical School and Head of the Obstetric and Gynaecological Department at Haifa's Rambam Medical Center, during our in-depth discussion of his work and its future implications. The cost of further research and development will be substantial, due to the plan of dividing the project into as many as six lines of individual development. Prospects are slim for obtaining large budgets from Rambam's limited research and development funds. However, Professor Itskovits has drawn numerous inquiries from the Israeli business community. Several groups have stated an interest in discussing a role in the further financing.
Will Professor. Itskovitz' scientific findings lead to improving the lot of man? Is a laboratory of "human spare parts" close to reality? Obtaining the financial backing, forming a scientific and business team are the obvious first steps.
Formulating research aimed at differentiation of immortal human embryonic stem cells, development and upscaling and eventually human trials will follow. Competition from the other top researchers in the US, perhaps with massive backing of pharmaceutical companies seems inevitable. The answer to these questions and the hurdling of these obstacles prior to commercialization are much more difficult to predict, as many issues beg for resolution. The recent stunning commercial success of ICQ, the Internet chat service, a software developed by the Mirabilis whizzkids who sold their three year old business for $287 million has grabbed and temporarily held the public's attention. However, we would expect that Israel's place and reputation in the the global marketplace as a leading source for outstanding science and technology will be built on the strength of a growing list of scientific developments and technologies related to medicine.