News

FDA Approves Israeli Cancer-Freezing Technology

IceCure’s cancer-freezing technology relies on an innovative process referred to as cryoablation therapy.

Published

1 year ago

April 8, 2021

Joanna Melki

fda approves israeli cancer-freezing technology

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Israeli healthtech companies and researchers have developed many life-saving technologies, some of which are now used in hospitals around the world. One highly promising medical technology has just been approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) after demonstrating its ability to eliminate tumors using new cancer-freezing technology.

The groundbreaking technology comes from a healthtech company called IceCure. The company was founded in 2006, and it’s currently headquartered in the coastal city of Caesarea, Israel.

IceCure’s cancer-freezing technology relies on an innovative process referred to as cryoablation therapy. The goal of cryoablation is to insert a hollow needle into the breast until the tumor is reached. Liquid nitrogen is then precisely applied directly into a tumor to kill the abnormal tissue by freezing it at a very low temperature of -170°C (-274 F).

“We are basically covering the tissue with an ice ball. No tissue can survive such a low temperature,” explained Tlalit Bussi Tel-Tzure, vice president of business development and global marketing at IceCure. “Once the tissue is dead, it will dissolve in the body in a natural process and be absorbed in the body in a couple of weeks.”

The technology has already proved to be extremely successful when it comes to destroying kidney tumors, demonstrating perfect efficiency. Its main advantage is the fact that it can be carried out either at a doctor’s office or an outpatient facility thanks to its minimally invasive nature. The entire procedure can take less than one hour from start to finish, and it doesn’t leave any lasting physical mark on the body.

Also Read: Israelis Have Successfully Grown Mouse Embryos In Artificial Wombs

“Our main vision is to become the gold standard in breast cancer treatment,” said Eyal Shamir, CEO of IceCure Medical. “Most of the cases where you have good early detection are small tumors, considered early stage, and the only treatment available today is surgery.”

IceCure isn’t the only company exploring the application of cryoablation for treating breast cancer. There’s also California-based Sanarus Technologies, which has recently completed a clinical trial in the United States.

News

Spotify Is Experimenting With Artist NFT Collections

According to a recent survey, it seems that the currently tested NFT collections are just the first step toward a much broader implementation of NFTs into the platform.

Published

3 days ago

May 20, 2022

David Morelo

spotify is experimenting with artist nft collections

NFT sales may have declined by 92 percent since September 2021, but that’s not stopping Spotify from experimenting with a new feature that lets artists display their non-fungible token (NFT) collections on the music streaming platform.

At the moment, only a small group of artists are taking part in the experiment, including Steve Aoki and The Wombats. What’s more, only select US users of the Spotify app for Android can see NFTs when they visit the profile pages of the aforementioned artists.

spotify artist nft collections

“Spotify is running a test in which it will help a small group of artists promote their existing third-party NFT offerings via their artist profiles,” said Spotify spokesperson. “We routinely conduct a number of tests in an effort to improve artist and fan experiences.”

It’s important to point out that not all Spotify experiments result in new features. It all depends on the feedback the music streaming platform receives from users.

According to a survey some Spotify users have recently received, it seems that the currently tested NFT collections are just the first step toward a much broader implementation of NFTs into the platform. More specifically, Spotify seems to be thinking about allowing its users to directly purchase NFT art to support their favorite artists.

Also Read: 3 Best Cold Storage Wallets For Crypto In 2022

Considering how polarizing NFTs have been since their inception in 2014, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that many Spotify users have immediately expressed their dissatisfaction with the idea of NFTs becoming part of the Spotify music listening experience.

Other large tech companies are also experimenting with NFTs. Instagram, for example, started testing NFT integration last week, allowing NFT creators and collectors to display their tokens on the platform. Mark Zuckerberg himself believes that NFTs and digital collectibles in general will play an integral role in the metaverse, the new iteration of the internet.