News of medical research sponsored by the Edmond J. Safra Foundation

The many and varied medical research activities supported by the Edmond J. Safra Foundation are reflected in researchers’ reports on their findings. Here is a sample of some of them.

In particular, the first report includes a remarkable tribute to Mrs. Safra; researchers dedicate their work “to the memory of L. Safra, a great supporter of brain research”.

• A neuroscientific study on the role of the thalamus in the analysis and projection of visual perception
  Researchers at The Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences, along with colleagues from MIT, the University of Cambridge, and the University of Virginia, report on the organization of neurons within the thalamus gland.
  Embedded in small heterogeneous neuronal ensembles, the synapses are smaller than their cortical counterparts, and they may reliably ‘read out’ visually driven thalamic input.
  In their “Acknowledgments” section of the study, they pay tribute to Mrs. Safra: “This work is dedicated to the memory of L. Safra, a great supporter of brain research.”  – Read the full study

• A Spanish study on the role of the immune system in the genesis of Parkinson’s disease
  A study at the Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío-Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla Biobank, supported by the Edmond J. Safra Foundation, showed that peripheral inflammatory immune responses may play a major role in the initiation and progression of neurodegeneration in Parkinson’s disease.
  Ageing itself, the major risk factor for PD, is also associated with a low-grade inflammatory status of the immune system. – Read the full study

• An Israeli study discovers a new way to detect improvement in lung cancer therapy
  A study led by the Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition Unit of the Edmond and Lily Safra Children’s Hospital focuses on the gut microbial signature predictors for durable clinical benefit in lung cancer treatment.
  The abundance of certain bacteria can be used as biomarkers or as targets for future therapeutic interventions. – Read the full study

• Stress has irreversible health effects on the brain, according to an Israeli study
  Researchers at The Hebrew University’s Edmond and Lily Safra Brain Sciences Center are conducting experiments to show how detrimental permanent stress can be on our brain. – Watch the report below