About Us
Founded in 1944, the American Committee for the Weizmann Institute of Science develops philanthropic support for the Weizmann Institute in Israel, and advances its mission of science for the benefit of humanity.
Jun 02, 2020... REHOVOT, ISRAEL—June 2, 2020—Cancer cells are comfy havens for bacteria. That conclusion arises from a rigorous study of over 1,000 tumor samples of different human cancers. The study, headed by researchers at the Weizmann Institute of Science, found bacteria living inside the cells of all the cancer types – from brain to bone to breast cancer – and even identified unique populations of bacteria residing in each type of cancer. The research suggests that understanding the relationship between a cancer cell and its “mini-microbiome” may help predict the potential effectiveness of certain treatments or may point, in the future, to ways of manipulating those bacteria to enhance the actions of anticancer treatments. The findings of this study were published in Science and featured on the cover.
https://www.weizmann-usa.org/blog/from-israel-to-chernobyl-treating-victims-of-the-nuclear-disaster/
Jun 16, 2020...
The Chernobyl nuclear power plant catastrophe on April 26, 1986 has always loomed large in our imaginations, particularly for those of us living through the Cold War.
Last year, the event was front and center yet again – and new generations learned about it – when HBO’s limited series, “Chernobyl,” took us through the disaster, step by harrowing misstep. The show also reminded us of the heroes, from the scientists trying to reach the truth to the workers who sacrificed themselves.
Jul 16, 2020... REHOVOT, ISRAEL—July 16, 2020—Choosing the right drug for each cancer patient is key to successful treatment, but physicians currently have few reliable pointers to guide them in designing treatment protocols. Researchers at the Weizmann Institute of Science and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard have now developed a new method for selecting the best drug therapy for a given tumor, based on assigning scores to the cells’ internal messaging activities. In addition to helping physicians choose from a list of existing treatments, the method can help identify new molecular targets for the development of future drugs. In fact, the researchers have already used it to single out a gene that can be targeted for effectively treating breast cancers with a BRCA mutation. The study was recently published in Nature Communications.
Aug 10, 2020... REHOVOT, ISRAEL—August 10, 2020—Invading cells’ private space – prying into their internal functions, decisions, and communications – could be a powerful tool that may help researchers develop new immunotherapy treatments for cancer. As reported in Cell, a research group at the Weizmann Institute of Science have developed a technology enabling them to see inside tens of thousands of individual cells, at once, in greater detail than ever before.
Sep 04, 2020...
Blood cancers are far too common, comprising almost 10% of new cancer diagnoses each year in the U.S. Almost every 10 minutes, an American succumbs to a blood cancer. Unfortunately, many of these are children.
That's why the Weizmann Institute of Science’s researchers are conducting innovative studies and taking novel approaches to blood cancers. September is Blood Cancer Awareness Month, and we’d like to share with you some of Weizmann’s current investigations.
Aug 14, 2020...
A research group headed by Professor Ido Amit has developed new technology that enables them to look at the internal functions of cells.
This could be a powerful tool in the development of new immunotherapy treatments for cancer, according to the Weizmann Institute.
The new technique, called INs-seq (intracellular staining and sequencing) enables scientists to measure proteins, processes and biochemical pathways occurring inside cells.
Oct 06, 2020...
October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a time that is typically packed with runs, walks, and other events. While this year is different due to the coronavirus, stepping up to support and advance the science is as important as ever.
Breast cancer research is actively underway at the Weizmann Institute of Science, with researchers applying their formidable skills to improve understanding, diagnosis, and treatment of this still-too-common disease. Working in collaboration with oncologists and other medical professionals around the world, Institute scientists are continually making groundbreaking progress, demonstrating the role that curiosity-driven, interdisciplinary science plays in the battle against breast cancer. Just a few of the innovative projects taking place right now include:
https://www.weizmann-usa.org/news-media/news-releases/uncovering-the-anti-myeloma-resistance-files/
Feb 23, 2021... REHOVOT, ISRAEL—February 23, 2021—Multiple myeloma patients live much longer today than in the past, thanks to new targeted anti-myeloma drugs, but ultimately most people develop resistance to the medications, and in some the disease is resistant to therapy from the start. Weizmann Institute of Science researchers, in collaboration with physicians from Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center (TASMC), have made use of extremely sensitive genomic technology to reveal genetic pathways that characterize some of the more resistant cases of multiple myeloma. Their study, reported in Nature Medicine, may lead to a more informed, personalized treatment for these patients, and paves the way for using this new technology to discover disease targets in other cancers.
Feb 28, 2021...
Researchers from the Weizmann Institute of Science and the Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center have found 30 genes that seem to be responsible for the resistance that multiple myeloma shows to treatment, which may help lead to more informed, personalized treatment for patients.
Malignant myeloma is a cancer of the antibody-producing plasma cells in bone marrow. Most patients develop resistance to medications and in some, the cancer is resistant to therapy from the start.
Oct 18, 2021...
October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a time that is typically packed with runs, walks, and other events. While this year is different due to the coronavirus, stepping up to support and advance the science is as important as ever.
Breast cancer research is actively underway at the Weizmann Institute of Science, with researchers applying their formidable skills to improve understanding, diagnosis, and treatment of this still-too-common disease. Working in collaboration with oncologists and other medical professionals around the world, Institute scientists are continually making groundbreaking progress, demonstrating the role that curiosity-driven, interdisciplinary science plays in the battle against breast cancer. Just a few of the innovative projects taking place right now include: