Northwell Health and GE Ventures collaborate to research bioelectronic medicine

US-based healthcare network Northwell Health's Feinstein Institute for Medical Research has entered a strategic alliance with GE Ventures to support the institute’s Center for Bioelectronic Medicine (CBEM).

Under the alliance, Feinstein Institute will continue its role in discovering, developing and commercialising new diagnostic and therapeutic solutions in bioelectronic medicine, with an aim to treat a wide range of acute and chronic diseases and injuries.

The chronic diseases and injuries include cancer, diabetes, neurodegenerative diseases and hypertension.

The new collaboration will help boost bioelectronics research being conducted jointly by the institute and a team of scientists from GE in the company’s Global Research Center in Niskayuna, New York, US.

Feinstein Institute president and CEO Dr Kevin J. Tracey said: "We could not be more delighted to make this announcement with GE. The key to successful research is strong collaboration, something we have enjoyed with GE for many years.

"We are building on that strong foundation to expand the CBEM. Our field is growing rapidly. It is only a matter of time before we can bring new therapies from the laboratory work bench to the patient's bedside.

"Our partnership with GE now quickens the pace and brings the promise of our research and experiments closer to being fully realised."

Northwell Health has already invested $75m since 2008 to boost the current bioelectronic solutions research, CBEM will encourage the development of new companies in order to introduce life-changing solutions to market.

Bioelectronic medicine involves three well-established scientific fields, bioengineering, molecular and cell biology, and neuroscience.