Department of Immunology

Yair Reisner, Head

Research topics of our Department span the wide range from basic mechanisms in the development, recognition, inter-cellular communication, trafficking, and effector functions of the immune system to the role of these processes in autoimmune disorders, allergies and cancer. Special attention is given to the studies of immunomodulation and immunotherapy of these diseases leading to the development of specific vaccines to viruses, parasites, cancer and autoimmune diseases. Specific projects include production of specific antibodies for targeting of drugs and effector lymphocytes; raising of catalytic antibodies; studies of the repertoire and specificity of the T-cell receptor in autoimmune models for multiple sclerosis, diabetes, arthritis, and myasthenia gravis; definition of antigen recognition and mode of action of killer lymphocytes in allograft and tumor rejection; understanding the developmental process of leukemias and treating them; use of cytokines for immunotherapy of metastases and immunomodulation of lymphocyte migration; immune cell adhesion and migration; the control of inflammatory processes; development of hematopoietic stem cells and T-cells activity during aging as well as understanding antigen recognition mechanisms by their receptors and its coupling to cellular response in mast cells as a model.

R. Alon

Biophysics of selectin and integrin-mediated rolling adhesions in shear flow.

Chemokine regulation of integrin adhesiveness and cell motility.

Intracellular regulation of integrin functions implicated in lymphocyte adhesion to vascular endothelium and migration to target tissues.

A. Ben-Nun

Demonstration of new primary target antigens (MOG, MOBP, .....) in multiple sclerosis and the implications for pathogenic processes and immune-specific therapy.

Epitope-directed immune-specific therapy of MOG-induced EAE mediated by altered peptides. Mechanisms of T cell modulation.

T cell receptor and ligand interaction in autoimmune disease.

Non-superantigenic bacterial toxins, T cell subsets and autoimmune disease.

Effect of encephalitogenic myelin-specific T cells and demyelinating antibodies on nerve conduction in the central nervous system in vitro.

G. Berke

Cancer Immunity: a) Tetrameric MHC-peptide complexes in cancer detection and as cancer vaccines, b) Fas/Fas-L in tumor immunity c) Tumor escape mechanisms.

Immunological memory in cancer.

Apoptosis of the heart muscle.

L. Eisenbach

Indentification of human TAA peptides through differential display methods (DNA chips, SAGE) and HLA transgenic mice.

Antigen presentation by engineered MHC molecules
L. Eisenbach, Dr Gideon Gross

tumor escape and tolerance

cryoimmunotherapy

the role of small interferon induced genes in tumorigenicity and apoptosis

TCR evolution

Autoimmunity and immunotherapy
L. Eisenbach, Dr Ilan Volovitz, Prof. Irun Cohen

High throughput analysis of antibody response to tumor development
L. Eisenbach, Prof. Irun Cohen

Z. Eshhar

Adoptive Cellular Immunotherapy of Cancer
Z. Eshhar, T. Waks, Dr A. Maliar, Dr C. Mavor-Servais, A. Globerson, A. Macus

1.  Adoptive immunotherapy of breast cancer

2.  Adoptive immunotherapy of pancreatic cancer

3.  Adoptive immunotherapy of prostate cancer

4.  Adoptive immunotherapy using allogeneic cells

Genetic Programming of the Recognition of T-Cells (Treg
Z. Eshhar, Dr E. Elinav, T., D. Blatt

1.  Redirecting Treg to colitis

2.  Redirecting Treg to arthritis and EAE

Genetic Signature of Prostate Cancer Metastases and Resistance to Irradiation
Z. Eshhar, Prof. E. Domany, Dr I. Kela, Dr A. Harmelin

Modulation of Allergic Responses
Z. Eshhar, Dr G. Gross, T. Waks

Genetic predisposition of protate cancer to irradiation
Z. Eshhar, Prof E. Domany, Dr A. Harmelin, Dr L. Agemy

N. Friedman

Studies of intercellular cytokine comunication networks in T-cell development and differentiation

Modeling hepatitis induced tumorigenesis at the single cell level
N. Friedman, Y. Ben-Neriah (Hebrew University), E. Pikarsky (Hebrew University)

S. Jung

Structure/Function analysis of the CX3C chemokine receptor family

Dendritic cell functions in the Maintenance of Gut Homeostasis and Development of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)

Monocyte functions in Inflammation and Tissue repair

The Bone Marrow Immune Niche
S. Jung, I. Shachar, G. Shakhar

T. Lapidot

Mechanism of human stem cell migration and development, both normal and leukemic and the factors that regulate these processes in vivo.

1.  The interplay between chemokines, cytokines, proteolytic enzymes adhesion molecules, osteoblasts and osteoclasts in regulation of the stem cell niche and blood formation.

2.  Mechanism of stress induced mobilization and recruitment of stem cells from the bone marrow into the circulation during inflammation, injury and bleeding as part of organ repair.

3.  Steady state homeostatic release and function of blood circulating stem cells.

4.  In vivo migration and dissemination of leukemic human AML stem cells, the role of the proteolytic enzyme elastase and the chemokine SDF-1.

5.  T lymphocyte and stem cells / blood vessel wall interactions during transendothelial migration, assayed by electron and confocal microscopy.

6.  CXCR4/SDF-1 signaling in normal and leukemic hematopoiesis.

7.  Lentiviral vectors for stem cell gene transfer. GFP and CXCR4 overexpression

8.  The essential roles of the adhesion molecule CD44 in normal and malignant stem cell motility, assayed by migration and confocal microscopy.

CD45 signalling in stem cell development

Y. Reisner

The role of megadose stem cell transplants in overcoming MHC barriers in sublethally irradiated recipients: A new approach for tolerance induction.

Mechanism(s) of tolerance induction by different veto cells.

Human/mouse chimera: New models for human antibody production and for induction of human CTLs against human tumors.

M. Sela

Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) to ErbB-1 and ErbB-2 receptors and their role in potential anti-tumor strategy.
M. Sela, Y. Yarden

Synergistic effects of combinations of mAb against distinct epitopes on EGFR/ErbB-1 and ErbB-2 receptors: accelerated receptor aggregation, down regulation and inhibition of tumor growth.
M. Sela, Y. Yarden

Effective synergism by anti ErbB-2 mAb combinations comprising one mAb against the dimerization site of ErbB-2.
M. Sela, Y. Yarden

Mechanism of action of Copolymer 1 (Copaxone), a therapeutic vaccine against multiple sclerosis.
M. Sela, R. Arnon

I. Shachar

Determine the mechanisms regulating peripheral B cell maturation and survival.

Follow the mechanisms controlling homing of immune cells in health and disease.

Analyze the pathway regulateing the survival cascades in Chronic lymphocytic leukemia
I. Shachar, Dr Michal Haran, Kaplan Medical center