I was heartened to just learn that researchers from the Hadassah-Hebrew Medical Center in Jerusalem are receiving a $1.33 million grant from the Israeli government to advance their development of a stem cell treatment for people with dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD Hadassah is also funded by the Foundation Fighting Blindness. We are providing the group with a three-year, $300,000 grant for development of stem cell therapies.

Helping our researchers attract additional outside funding — whether from government entities or biopharmaceutical companies — is critical to the advancement of potential treatments and cures. In fact, I estimate that for every dollar we’ve invested in lab research, we’ve attracted seven dollars from the National Eye Institute. And in recent years, gene therapy development companies such as Oxford BioMedica and Applied Genetic Technologies Corporation are investing several millions in clinically focused research that was made possible by the Foundation’s funding of earlier lab studies.

Led by Dr. Benny Reubinoff, the Hadassah group is outstanding. I met with them earlier this year during my trip to Israel, and I was particularly impressed with their expertise in moving their research into human studies. They understand the regulatory challenges and technical rigors in advancing a potential therapy out of the lab and into the clinic. I am also impressed with Hadassah’s ambition; they are affiliated with companies that are targeting conditions like Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis in addition to dry AMD.

I look forward to providing future updates on Hadassah’s progress toward a clinical trial of stem cells for dry AMD. So, stay tuned.

Pictured Above:  Dr. Benny Reubinoff.

The Wailing Wall, Israel

So, my prayers were answered. As I mentioned in my last post, my luggage did not arrive with me in Israel, but, as the airlines promised, it did a day later, so I haven’t had to keep wearing the same clothes. Thank goodness.

Before heading off to Jerusalem, on Wednesday, to meet with FFB-funded retinal researchers and clinicians, my first stop with FFB board member and traveling mate David Brint was the Western Wall, located in the Old City in Jerusalem. Sometimes called the Wailing Wall, it is a foundation wall of the Second Temple and the closest point to a location that many Jews believe is the holiest place on earth. Constructed around 19 BCE by Herod the Great, the Temple was an architectural marvel, and the walls that remain after its destruction clearly show the wisdom and craft of those who built it. Being there, an experience I’d looked forward to for years, was very moving.

David and I then met with several researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem of the Hadassah Medical Center, including FFB-supported Drs. Eyal Banin (our host), Benjamin “Benny” Reubinoff, Dror Sharon, as well as Dr. Itay Chowers. We learned about Benny and Eyal’s efforts to make retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells from stem cells under conditions that are as “pure” as possible for eventual use as a transplantation treatment in human clinical trials for age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and Stargardt disease. RPE cells play an essential, supportive role in the retina, but are damaged significantly in people with those diseases.

Dr. Eyal Banin, FFB Board Director Mr. David Brint, Dr. Steve Rose, Dr. Dror Sharon, and Dr. Itay Chowers

In addition, Dror — a geneticist dedicated to finding and understanding the genes that cause inherited retinal degenerations in the diverse populations of the Middle East — has made outstanding progress in locating culprit genes and determining why they cause vision loss. In particular, his laboratory has been responsible for finding a significant number of retinitis pigmentosa and Leber congenital amaurosis genes. Because his lab has an enormous number of DNA samples from affected individuals and their families, he will undoubtedly find more genes and targets for potential treatments.

We also met with Dr. Amir Amedi, who is pioneering research to reprogram the visual cortex, the part of the brain that processes signals from the retina, to recognize hearing signals as “vision.” He demonstrated his team’s impressive progress, and I was amazed to learn how the brain can be trained to recognize different tones (their pitch, length, and duration) and interpret them as letters and even faces. What was also amazing was his evidence that the visual cortex can be rehabilitated well after individuals lose their sight. This is critical as the Foundation helps develop treatments that restore vision to people who’ve been blind most of their lives.

Dr. Amedi also demonstrated a new high-tech cane which, by processing tones and vibrations, lets the user know what is ahead and to the sides. It also indicates changes in depth – for example, when a person reaches a curb and needs to step down. Dr. Amedi’s team is paving the way for a new type of mobility for individuals who don’t even have light perception.

All in all, David and I were extremely impressed with the caliber and depth of the research being conducted at Hadassah, and are proud that FFB can contribute to these outstanding efforts.

As I headed back to the hotel, I reflected on the remarkable juxtaposition of history and innovation that we encountered in Jerusalem. It’s an indelible and moving memory.

Technion University, Haifa, Israel

If anyone knows the Hebrew blessing for the return of lost luggage, please share. I know it goes something like: Baruch Atah Adonai, etc., etc. etc. Thankfully, I packed a carry-on, so I am in good shape for now.

David Brint, FFB board member and my travelling companion, and I are excited to be here. Today was a bright beautiful day, and we were in a modern community called Tel Hashomer, close to Tel Aviv. It’s known for its large defense base and the Sheba Medical Center, which was our first destination for the day.

Sheba is the largest government hospital in Israel and has many retinal disease patients that could be part of future clinical trials. And the hospital clearly has the overall infrastructure and expertise to make them happen. David and I were very impressed.

At Sheba, we met with Dr. Shlomo Noy, director of research and development, and Dr. Ygal Rotenstreich, who is evaluating an algal product, 9-cis-beta-carotene, as a potential treatment for individuals with some forms of retinitis pigmentosa (RP). The molecule is a vitamin-A derivative that is critical for vision, but missing due to certain genetic defects. Ygal has some interesting data on the potential for this molecule to be effective in saving and restoring vision. We will continue to interact with Ygal to determine if and how the Foundation can enhance his early-stage clinical research to get a definitive answer on the molecule’s usefulness.

In the afternoon, David and I were off to Technion University in Haifa, a bustling city in northern Israel known for its manufacturing, business and industry. We were there to meet with Drs. Timor Bassov and Kerstin Nagel-Wolfrum, whom is an FFB-funded investigator visiting from Germany. The researchers are collaborating on the development of a drug that can “read through” genetic defects called nonsense mutations. These defects are like misspellings, and by reading through them, the gene functions normally. Nonsense mutations cause about 12 percent of all inherited retinal degenerations, so this emerging treatment might someday save vision for a lot of people.

This drug is being currently tested in an Usher syndrome type 1C mouse model. We discussed how to advance this and similar drugs into clinic trials, and how the Foundation could accelerate the development process for them. Drs. Bassov and Nagel-Wolfrum are excited to see this project move forward, and there are potentially more effective molecules of this type that Dr. Bassov is investigating.

Tomorrow, we are off to Jerusalem for some touring and dinner with Eyal Banin, an FFB-funded researcher from Hadassah Medical Center, and his family.

I am looking forward to a reunion with my luggage. Hopefully, that will happen tomorrow. I guess I shouldn’t complain. At least I’m not wandering the desert for 40 days and 40 nights…in the same shirt and pants.

Photo courtesy of the Israel Ministry of Tourism.

Tel Aviv, Israel

Next week is a big week for both me and the Foundation. I’ll be heading to Israel, for the first time in my life, to visit with Foundation business and research partners. So the next couple blog posts you see will come straight from places like Haifa, Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.

Why Israel? Because it’s a hotbed of cutting-edge retinal disease research activity, covering everything from pharmaceuticals to stem cells. The Foundation, as you may know, does not just invest in U.S.-based research; we go wherever there’s promising work.

Although I won’t know exact details until I get there, I can give you hints as to what I and one of FFB’s board members, David Brint, will observe and do in Israel. We’ll meet, in Haifa, with researchers looking to move a drug treatment for Usher syndrome, which also has the potential for treating other retinal diseases, into clinical trials. In Jerusalem, at the Hadassah Medical Organization, we’ll catch up on a stem cell project. And in Tel Aviv, I’ll attend a conference hosted by the Israeli chapter of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, or ARVO, where, no doubt, I’ll come across much to write about.

On a personal note, as someone of Jewish heritage it’ll be exciting to visit Israel for the first time. I intend to take in a few historic sites, including the Wailing Wall and Masada, and look forward to sharing photos of what I observe, both personally and professionally.

So, please, check back next week. I’ll have lots to share with you.

Photo courtesy of the Israel Ministry of Tourism.