Associate Professor Retired
PhD, 1979
cancer, bio chemistry, cell death, hemathology |
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- Ph.D. 1979, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel. M.Sc. with honors 1973, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, and Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel. B.Sc. with distinction 1970, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, and Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel.
- Our line of research concentrates on identifying novel anti-cancer agents and investigating their mode of action. These agents include derivatives of nonsteroidal anti-estrogens, which act in an estrogen receptor-independent manner. Compounds of this group were found to be much more active against leukemia than the known members used currently for cancer therapy. These findings led to a clinical trial in patients with leukemia conducted at the Hematology Institute of Soroka University Medical Center. The results with chronic lymphocytic leukemic patients seem promising. A patent application has been filed on this treatment of melanoma. Another group of anticancer agents include a different group of synthetic substituted triarylethylenes compounds which reveal high efficacy against different types of transformed cell lines derived from leukemia, melanoma, prostate cancer and other cancers. These compounds kill cancer cells by induction of apoptosis. The biochemical mechanism leading to cell death has been explored. A "start up" together with collaborators to advance this project has been initiated. Another aspect of our research addresses the processes of cell death in general, and particulary necrosis by focusing on the role of serine proteases. The findings of these studies may lead to the development of agents that may prevent cell death. Other aspects dealt with regulation of hematopoiesis and biochemical mechanisms involved in the action of cytokines on transformed cells.