From left to right: Yael, Jonathan and Carmit

Scientific activities

Hyper-IL-6 protein and gene therapy in the treatment of liver failure and neoplasia (overview)

Reversal of fulminant hepatic failure by Hyper-IL-6 gene therapy *©(zipped power-point presentation. click to download)

An IL-6/sIL-6R fusion protein, expressed by hyrdrodynamics-based transfection, cooperates synergistically with hepatocyte growth factor to induce hepatocyte replication in vivo

Mechanisms of Hyper-IL-6 enhanced liver regeneration and its application in the treatment of organ failure and in gene therapy strategies.

Exploration of the anti-neoplastic utility of a novel oncolytic adenoviral vector encoding an IL-6/sIL-6R fusion protein

* "Hyper IL-6 gene therapy reverses fulminant hepatic failure", by N. Hecht et al., from Molecular Therapy Volume 3, 683-687, © copyright 2001, Elsevier Science (USA), reproduced by permission of the publisher. Single copies of the article can be downloaded and printed for the reader's personal research and study.

International Scientific Collaborations

Prof. Dr. Stefan Rose-John Director, Department of Biochemistry, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Medical Faculty, Kiel, Germany

For many years, the Goldyne Savad Gene Therapy Institute, under the directorship of Prof. Eithan Galun, has enjoyed an active and fruitful collaboration with Prof. Rose-John and his laboratory. This collaboration centers upon the genetically engineered, Interleukin-6 (IL-6) based designer cytokine, appropriately named Hyper-IL-6 because of its super agonistic qualities, that was originally developed in the laboratory of Prof. Rose-John. The therapeutic potential of Hyper-IL-6 in the treatment of fulminant hepatic failure (FHF) as shown in experiments performed by Prof. Galun, E. Zeira, et al. (2000), was the first major product of this collaboration. Since then, the study of the use of Hyper-IL-6 in gene therapy strategies for the treatment of liver disease and neoplasia, and the molecular mechanism in these processes have been the major thrusts of our collaboration. 

Human embryonic stem cells:

A new avenue for treatment of human diseases

Members

Benjamin Reubinoff, M.D., Head scientist;
Vitaly Ablamunits, M.D., Ph.D.
Israel Ben-Dor, Ph.D.;
Hanita Khaner, Ph.D.;
Etti Ben Shushan, Ph.D.;
Michal Gropp, Ph.D.
Tikva Tako Turetsky, M.Sc.
Pavel Itsykson, M.Sc., Ph.D. Student
Orna Singer, M.Sc.
Maria Idelson, M.Sc., Ph.D. Student
Shelly Tannenbaum, B.Sc.

From left to right: Back row: Benny (Benjamin), Vitaly, Pasha (Pavel), Israel. Front row: Orna, Shelly, Masha (Maria), Michal, Hanita, Tikva, Etti.

Scientific activities

Human embryonic stem cells: A new avenue for treatment of human diseases (overview)

Neural progenitors from human ES cells (a specific project)

Collaborations

Our group collaborates with researchers from:

The Goldyne Savad Institute of Gene Therapy:
Prof. Eithan Galun - on Genetic modification of human embryonic stem cells

The objective of the project is to develop methodologies for the genetic modification of human ES cells. Genetic modification of human ES cells is of significant importance for various applications. It may facilitate genetic selection of pure stem cell population or specific types of differentiated cells. Genetically modified human ES cells could be used to deliver and express foreign DNA in the course of gene therapy. Genetic alterations of human ES cells such as knockout of MHC locus may be used to generate clones that will not induce immune response after transplantation. Modification of gene expression by human ES cells may be useful for the study of function of new genes, as well as for the creation of human disease models in vitro.

Dr Amnon Peled - on Hematopoietic differentiation of human embryonic stem cells.

The differentiation of human ES cells along the hematopoietic lineage is characterized in this project and methods for the establishment of pure populations of hematopoietic stem cells are developed. This technology may allow the use of human ES cells as an unlimited source of blood cells for bone marrow transplantation and transfusion therapies.

Hadassah Hospital

Prof. Tamir Ben-Hur, Department of Neurology - on Neural differentiation of human embryonic stem cells.

Human embryonic stem cells may serve as a renewable donor source of neural cells for transplantation in a variety of neurodegenerative disorders.

The objective of the project is to develop the technology that will facilitate the utilization of human ES cells for cell therapy of the nervous system.

Dr. Gil Leibowitz, Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism - on Differentiation of human ES cells into pancreatic cells.

Islet transplantation can result in insulin independence and potentially cure of Type 1 diabetes. A major obstacle for widespread use of islet transplantation is limited tissue supply. The goal of the project is to generate an unlimited source of pancreatic b-cells derived from human ES cells that can be used for transplantation to patients with diabetes.

Others Quark Biotechnology Incorporation (QBI)
The discovery of novel genes that regulate the growth and differentiation of human ES cells.
The derivation of pluripotent stem cells from human embryos is a major scientific breakthrough. Nevertheless to realize the great potential of human ES cells we need to further uncover the key genes and factors that govern the growth and differentiation of these cells. The focus of the project is to identify genes critical to stem cell renewal and differentiation. 

Imaging transgene expression in live animals

using a bioluminescence camera CCCD