Identifying the Personalized Innate Immune System Strength - Brainstorming session at Bina

We held a cross-institutional brainstorm at Bina - Bridge Innovate Nurture Advance to scope a new collaboration between Meir Medical Center's Hemato-Oncology Unit and the Weizmann Institute of Science.

The challenge: Managing neutropenia today relies largely on neutrophil counts, but count≠function. There’s an unmet need to characterize neutrophil functionality, not just quantity, to better predict which patients are at highest risk of severe infections after chemotherapy and guide treatment decisions.

Our goal: To co-develop a diagnostic toolbox that integrates mathematical modeling and biomarker identification to measure neutrophil function and count, enabling more precise risk stratification and patient-specific prevention and treatment decisions.

What’s next: finalizing study design, selecting functional assays, and planning clinical validation.

With thanks to the participants:
Prof. ‏Vered Rom-Kedar‏, who conceived and initiated this project.
Prof. ‏Tony Futerman‏, Head of the Bina Steering Committee; 
Weizmann Institute of Science Immunology Researchers: Prof. ‏Roi Avraham‏, Prof. ‏Liran Shlush‏, Prof. ‏Steffen Jung‏, and Dr. ‏Noa Bossel Ben-Moshe‏
From Meir Medical Center: Dr. ‏Gilad Itchaki‏, Dr. ‏Tali Tohami‏, Dr. ‏Rona Ortenberg‏, and ‏Uri Goren‏.
Bina's scientific advisor: Dr. ‏Vered Gigi, PhD‏
From Bina unit: Dr. ‏Merav Marom‏, Dr. ‏Ronny Peri Naor, PhD‏ Naor, Dr. ‏Reut Mashiach‏