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the Hebrew University of Jerusalem has again been at the forefront of tech news. Yissum, the University of Technology Transfer Office, has developed a novel device that enhances the diagnostic value of saliva, the fast and efficient, non - invasive diagnostic tool that could replace many blood and other invasive tests. Yissum manages the university technology transfer opportunities, and works for the Universities of discoveries around the globe.

Presented at ILSI BioMed Israel 2008, the new diagnostic tool has tremendous commercial potential. Most molecules in the blood and urine are also detectable at lower levels in the mouth. Studies have shown that saliva is a useful method for detection of cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, periodontal disease and various other conditions and diseases such as HIV. Obtaining a saliva sample is much faster and easier than other blood or urine tests, testing, and offers an inexpensive and non-invasive procedure that patients could lead even in their own homes.

The problem is that saliva. Saliva is a part of the digestive system and contains a high content of protein, to digest food. One of these proteins, amylase, constitutes up to 60% of the salivary proteins and their presence in such high quantities can impede diagnostic tests by masking the presence of other components. The key, then, to saliva as a diagnostic tool is the deletion of this protein in the saliva.

Professor Aaron Palmon and research student Omer from the German Institute of Dental Sciences, in collaboration with Dr. Doran Afraiman, head of the salivary glands Glad Clinic, Department of Oral Medicine, the Hebrew University-Hadassah School of Dental Medicine, designed and created a simple, disposable device that removes amylase from body fluids such as saliva. With a modified potato starch, large amounts of amylase, the device removes the saliva of the protein, increasing the diagnostic value of saliva sample and the detection of low concentrations of biomarkers.

The potential market for such a product is enormous. The U.S. alone has more than 65 U.S. dollars in the development of diagnostic kits based on saliva. The global market for biomarkers was $ 5.6 billion in 2007, and is expected to rise to 12.8 billion dollars by 2012.

Yissum was also the medical tech news with the discovery and development of a novel orally available drug that prevents metastasis formation in various types of cancer, without side effects. Professor Eli Breuer, Reuven Reich and Amnon Hoffman, all from Hebrew University's School of Pharmacy, worked together to develop the project, published in the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry.

The new drug, cis-ACCP, a small molecule that is a prototype of a family of compounds that are administered orally, inhibits the matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), the extracellular enzymes known to play a crucial role in tissue reconstruction and repair. Pathological over-expression of MMPs has been associated with chronic diseases such as cancer, arthritis, multiple sclerosis, atherosclerosis, heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cirrhosis, and others. It is the over-expression, allowing tumorigenic on other cells, tissues and leads to metastasis.

The new drug, cis-ACCP, is the first clinically useful inhibitor of its kind and has nothing of the high toxicity of the previous attempts at similar inhibitors not. In addition to low toxicity, cis-ACCP is water soluble and highly bioavailable. Preclinical experiments have shown the drug prevents cancer cells from invading adjacent tissues, metastases and thus is effective in the treatment of melanoma and prostate cancer. Results show significant reductions in both tumor growth and mesatasis education through the use of cis-ACCP.

Despite many years of testing and development are still used for the CIC-ACCP, this represents a new class of drugs that may change the way cancer treatment. In addition, another potentially huge commercial success for Yissum and the Hebrew University.

Since 1964, Yissum was with the protection of the Hebrew University's intellectual property, the management of their technology transfer and commercialization of these opportunities. An annual turnover of $ 1 billion, through the products based on technologies licensed by HU Yissum. Place among the top technology-transfer company in the world, Yissum has over 5500 patents, 1600 inventions, 480 and 65 companies. You partnerships with various companies around the world, including Microsoft, Johnson & Johnson, Merch, Intel, Teva and many more. For more information, visit www.yissum.co.il.