Cytokines

A new field of clinical research is being carried out in our laboratory and is now being introduced as clinical tests is the field of cytokines.

Cytokines are hormone-like mediators of immune cells such as T, B-cells or monocytes, which effect many other cell types and their function. We are routinely involved in bioassays, ELISA's or RIA's of the various existing cytokines.

The diagnostic alternatives and improved effect of clinical treatment makes close follow up of the course of disease increasingly important. This is where various serum markers (as levels of cytokines, for example) can make an important contribution to the management of patients and treatment modalities. Levels of certain cytokines can indicate whether the disease is stable or progressive, and thus if cytostatic treatment should be initiated or changed when found ineffective. In several malignant hematological diseases such as Hairy Cell Leukemia (HCL) or Lymphomas, we have found the production of various cytokines to be extremely important and indicative of the disease state. Recently, we introduced the -2-Microglobulin and the soluble IL-2 Receptor (sIL-2R) as routine tests for Lymphomas and HCL.

These tests indicate the efficacy of the treatment and are prognostic for relapse and metastatic spread. We continue to evaluate the potential of additional cytokine levels to be markers for malignant diseases, autoimmune diseases or AIDS.

We perform routine tests, clinical research as well as basic research in collaboration with many scientists from different hospitals and universities in Israel.

Prof. Barak was appointed by WHO and the Israeli Ministry of Health as Head of the Israeli Standardization Laboratory for Cytokines.

The basic research on cytokines consists of the purification and characterization of the M20 IL-1 Inhibitor. This molecule is a very potent one, which we have shown in various published studies to be extremely active in reducing inflammatory conditions and in leukemia. This is a new molecule, different from other IL-1 Inhibitor published molecules and has a great clinical potential.

In addition to the two main fields shown, we also evaluate the immune system of patients treated on different protocols.