The cycle of contacts between Greek and Israeli doctors for the new COVID-19 experimental drug has started.
Last Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his joint statement with his Greek counterpart Kyriakos Mitsotakis, took a vial out of his pocket, which contained medicine against COVID-19 that Israel is testing.
It is inhaled and has been tested on patients in Israel and, according to Netanyahu, has spectacular results.
The new treatment is being developed at the Ichilov Medical Center in Tel Aviv based on EXO-CD24.
Professor Nadir Arber's EXO-CD24 cured 29 of the 30 patients administered with it within 3-5 days.
On Monday, Mitsotakis announced Greece's intention to participate in the clinical trials, something that several other countries have requested.
How exactly does this medicine work
This medicine fights the effects of cytokine - a potentially deadly immune response to the COVID-19 infection believed to be responsible for many of the disease-related deaths.
This drug uses exosomes - tiny transport sacs that carry materials between cells - to "deliver" a protein called CD24 to the lungs, which Professor Arber has been researching for decades.
Researcher Siran Sapira of Arber's laboratory explained that the protein is found on the surface of cells and has a a well-known and important role in regulating the immune system.
This protein helps to "calm down" the immune system but also to retain the effect of cytokine.
The medicine is inhaled - once a day for a few minutes, for five days.
It is directed to the lungs - and so, unlike other types, which selectively retain a particular cytokine or function widely but cause many serious side effects, EXO-CD24 is administered topically, working extensively and without side effects.
READ MORE: Greece and Israel agree on a “green passport” for tourism.