RESEARCH

CARE

EDUCATION

“D-Cure is dedicated to the pursuit of a cure for diabetes and the alleviation of its associated suffering, by promoting multi-institutional and inter-disciplinary collaboration in Israel, for the benefit of all humanity.”

Mission Statement

• Worldwide: 1998: Over 135 million people worldwide suffered from diabetes. 2004: Over 194 million people worldwide suffered from diabetes. 2025: Over 333 million are predicted to suffer from diabetes.

• USA: Over 13 million Americans suffer from diabetes. Over 5.2 million have the disease and don’t know it. Diabetes cost the U.S. over $132 billion in 2004.

• Israel: Over 400,000 Israelis suffer from diabetes. Over 200,000 Israelis have the disease and don’t know it. Diabetes cost Israel over $1.2 billion in 2004.

• Sources: American Diabetes Association, International Diabetes Federation, Israel Diabetes Association.

Diabetes: A Global Epidemic

• Renowned scientific research institutes: Weizmann Institute, Technion, Hadassah Medical Center, Hebrew University, Tel-Aviv University, Ben-Gurion University, Bar-Ilan University…

• Israel has the Highest number of PhD. science graduates, engineers, scientists and scientific papers per capita in the world.

• Unique sets of homogeneous populations, a major advantage in molecular genetic studies of diabetes.

• Pioneers in human embryonic stem cell research:

Created 4 of the 20 worldwide NIH compliant cell lines and many more new cell lines for study of disease, organogenesis and tissue engineering.

Intense developments in insulin producing human embryonic stem cell derived pancreatic beta cells for transplantation, essentially a cure for diabetes.

Why Israel?

•At the vanguard of many scientific disciplines, including:

Immunology, molecular & cell biology: Major progress in type I vaccine.

Robust biotechnology industry: Development and commercialization of the leading insulin pump, multiple developments of in vivo

glucose sensors.

Nano-technology: A critical interface of biology, exact sciences & engineering, can lead to creative solutions for diabetes.

• Discoveries can have a major economic impact for Israel.

• Cost of research professionals in Israel is significantly lower than that of the U.S.

• The potential is scientifically rich. It is just a matter of intensifying support and focus.

Why Israel? (cont):

Enter D-Cure – Diabetes Care in Israel

Research

• Creating opportunities for multi-institutional and inter-disciplinary collaboration through research grants.

• Expanding limited shared resources: Equipment, tissue cultures, transgenic models…

• Opening gateways to global collaboration & accessibility to other creative ideas & approaches in the international community through:

Establishing fellowships with Joslin Diabetes Center, at Harvard,The Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center at Columbia- Presbyterian and others.

Recruitment and repatriation of young talented scientists via coordinated D-Cure programs.

Hosting International Conferences and mini-symposia in Israel,fostering vibrant scientific brainstorming and strengthening relationships with the global diabetes community.

• In effect D-Cure is the central body intensifying and focusing diabetes researchefforts in Israel.

• Many of the diabetes research centers and investigators are clinically associated with medical institutes, which enhances:

Diabetes-centric approaches. Speeds translation of lab results to the bedside.

• Developing and implementing novel approaches to patient care.

• D-Cure has access to the national health care system, enabling quicker adoption of new proven approaches for ameliorating diabetes care.

• D-Cure researchers and diabetologists are associated with Israel’s major institutes, which facilitates coordinating multi-center patient care studies.

Care

• Promulgate in a timely and efficiently coordinated manner updated treatment techniques to the general doctor and diabetologist community.

• Helping lower costs via specially trained patient care givers, whom willpromulgate knowledge and train diabetics to optimize self management. This can reduce the burden on an already severely taxed health system.

• Influencing public policy to better understand the cost effectiveness andhealthier outcome of early intervention for delay and prevention of diabetesonset.

• D-Cure’s access to the national health care system, can effect a publicawareness program aimed at prevention of diabetes or delay of its onset

and its complications, and improving self management of the disease.

Education

• Sponsored “1st Russell Berrie International Symposium on Diabetes” for 2 days in October, 2004 in Jerusalem.

Leading scientists and physicians from 17 countries attended.

Close to 400 participants.

Over 60 scientific presentations: Stem cell, therapies, molecular biology…

• Significantly increased funding in Israel for diabetes-related research, careand education through the generosity of The Russell Berrie Foundation.

• Initiated 31 research grants in 2004, in 6 major research areas:

Pancreatic beta cells, insulin resistance, diabetes complications, stem cells, genetics and epidemiology…

• Developing fellowship programs and young scientists programs, a seedbedof future breakthroughs to carry the leadership torch in diabetes into the future (still in process, funding required).

• Preparing for the next phase of new grants (still in process, funding required).

D-Cure Early Achievements

The Russell Berrie Foundation was created to express

the values, passions and ideas of the late Russ Berrie. It

is internationally acclaimed amongst philanthropic

foundations. Renowned for its proactive approach to find

dynamic leaders with the passion, energy and

commitment to be the driving force behind programs.

D-Cure is honored to be a recipient of the Russell Berrie

Foundation’s generosity, a commitment of $5M to

D-Cure over two years. 

Russell Berrie Foundation

Inauguration of D-Cure at the Residence of thePresident of the State of Israel, June 9, 2004

Presidential Ceremony

President Moshe Katzav, Angelica Berrie & trustees of the Russell Berrie Foundation, leadership of D-Cure

• D-Cure is a unique organization, bringing together on a national basis allthe members of the scientific, medical and support communities that are fighting against diabetes.

• D-Cure’s advances can be applied throughout the world to improve the lives of those suffering from diabetes and those who are prone to suffer from it later in their lives.

• D-Cure’s efforts and its ramifications could have great impact on diabetes and in profound ways on many aspects of Israel’s growth.

“We can only achieve these lofty goals with your support. Please join us in fighting the scourge of diabetes.”

Diabetes & Israel Needs You

Itamar Raz, M.D. Pres., D-Cure, Pres. IDA, Chrmn Israel Nat’’l Council for Diabetes

Boaz Misholi Chrmn D-Cure, Former Chairman/CEO Comverse, Fundtech, Aura

Michael Aviram, Ph.D. Head, Lipid Research, Technion

Rabbi Yosef Carmel Head Eretz Hemdah

Irun Cohen, M.D., Ph.D. Dept.of Immunology, Weizmann Institute of Science

Sam Cubac Founding Partner MediTech Advisors, Consultant GE Capital

David Dantzker, M.D. Frmr Chairman American Board of Internal Medicine

Phillippe Halban, Ph.D. Pres. European Association for the Study of Diabetes

Francine Kaufman, M.D. Frmr Pres. American Diabetes Association

Edna Kissman Dir. Oxford Dialogue Proj., Oxford Centre for Diabetes

Jesse Roth, M.D. Geriatrician-in Chief, North Shore LIJ; Former head NIH’s NIDDK

and John Hopkins

Shuki Shemer, M.D. Frmr Israel Dep.Min. Health, Frmr Medical. Commander IDF

Jonathan Sohnis CEOAltronix, Technion Academic Advisory Board, Philanthropist

Gordon C.Weir, M.D. Dir.Islet Transpl. & Cell Biology, Joslin Dia Cntr, Boston

Paul Zimmet, M.D., PhD. Dir.Int’l Diabetes Inst., Head WHO Collaborating Centre forthe Epidemiology of Diabetes Mellitus

D-Cure Board of Governors

Itamar Raz, M.D. Chrmn D-Cure Sci. Brd., Head Hadassah Diabetes Center

Nurit Kaiser, Ph.D. Vice Chrmn D-Cure Sci. Brd., Scientific Director D-Cure,

Endocrinolgy Srvce, Hadassah-Heb.U Med Cntr.

Michael Aviram, PhD Head Lipid Research, Technion

Erol Cerasi, M.D. PhD. Endocrinology Service, Hadassah-Hebrw.U Med Cntr.

Irun Cohen,M.D., PhD Immunlgy,Weizmann Institute of Science

Barbara Corkey, PhD Director Obesity Research Center, Boston Medical Center

David Dantzker, M.D. Frmr Chrmn American Board of Internal Medicine

Benjamin Glaser, M.D. Director Endocrinology Service Hadassah-Heb.U Med Cntr.

Philippe Halban Louis Jeantet Center Medical Universitaire, Geneva

Ilana Harman-Boehm, M.D. Head Diabetes Unit, Soroka Hospital

Avraham Karasik Head, Endocrinology Institute, Sheba Medical Center, TelHashomer, Israel;

Francine Kaufman, M.D. Director Comprehensive Childhood Diabetes Center,Children's Hospital Los Angeles

D-Cure Scientific Board

…D-Cure Scientific Board

Julia Lewis, M.D. Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee

Jesse Roth, M.D. Geriatrician-in Chief, North Shore LIJ; Former head NIH’s NIDDK

and John Hopkins, Albert Einstein College of Med

Shuki Shemer, M.D. Head Maccabi Health Fund, Former Deputy Minister State ofIsrael Ministry of Health, Former Medical Commander of IDF

Jonathan Sohnis CEO Altronix, Technion Academic Advisory Board , Philanthropist

Simeon I. Taylor, M.D.Vice President, Discovery Biology (Cardiovascular &Metabolic Disease); Pharmaceutical Research Institute; Bristol-Myers Squibb Company

Michael Walker, PhD.Weizmann Institute

Gordon Weir, M.D. Director Islet Transplantation and Cell Biology, Joslin DiabetesCenter, Boston

Paul Zimmet, M.D., Ph.D. Director International Diabetes Institute, Head, WorldHealth Organization Collaborating Centre for the Epidemiology of Diabetes Mellitus

Bernard Zinman, M.D. Director of the Leadership Sinai Centre for Diabetes, Mt. SinaiHospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada