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.
Chemokine activation of leukocyte integrins at endothelial contacts under shear stress
Invasive filopodia, key functional units in lymphocyte transendothelial migration (TEM)
Leukocyte trafficking to lungs of heavy smokers: implications for susceptibility to chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD) and progression of epithelial lung cancers
The role of talin1 and Kindlin-3 in integrin activation and lymphocyte adhesiveness to inflamed vessels under shear stress
Role of lymph node chemokines in lymphocyte scanning of dendritic cells
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.
T cell receptor evolution for immunotherapy
Antigen presentation by engineered MHC molecules
L. Eisenbach, Dr Gideon Grosstumor escape and tolerance
cryoimmunotherapy
the role of small interferon induced genes in tumorigenicity and apoptosis
Cancer Stem Cells and immunotherapy
Autoimmunity and immunotherapy
L. Eisenbach, Dr Ilan Volovitz, Prof. Irun CohenStudies 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)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. ShakharStem cell regulation via dynamic interactions of the nervous and immune systems with the microenvironment.
- The interplay between chemokines, cytokines, proteolytic enzymes adhesion molecules, osteoblasts and osteoclasts in regulation of the stem cell niche and blood formation.
- Mechanism of stress induced mobilization and recruitment of stem cells from the bone marrow into the circulation.
- Steady state homeostatic release and function of blood circulating stem cells.
- SDF-1 / CXCR4 axis as a major regulator of hematopoietic stem cells retention and egress.
- Bone remodeling and hematopoietic stem cell regulation by their niche.
- Hematopoietic stem cell regulation by the nervous system.
- Regulation of niche cells by cell contact.
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. YardenSynergistic 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. YardenEffective synergism by anti ErbB-2 mAb combinations comprising one mAb against the dimerization site of ErbB-2.
M. Sela, Y. YardenMechanism of action of Copolymer 1 (Copaxone), a therapeutic vaccine against multiple sclerosis.
M. Sela, R. ArnonSynergy of antibodies towards decreasing pancreatic cancer.
M. Sela, Y. Yarden
I. Shachar
Determine the mechanisms regulating peripheral B cell maturation and survival in health and disease.
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