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 future of humanity.
May 12, 2021...
COVID-19 is so dangerous because the virus uses a three-pronged attack mechanism to stop cells from quickly triggering the immune system, Israeli scientists have concluded.
They offer a portrait of how exactly the SARS-CoV-2 virus behaves once inside human cells — they say it’s the most detailed to date — in an article published on Wednesday in the peer-reviewed journal Nature.
After hundreds of hours in their labs monitoring the virus interacting with cells, they have concluded that the virus mounts a hostile takeover on the cell’s protein-making machinery, and stops it from making proteins needed to galvanize the immune system.
May 14, 2021... The American Committee’s Women for Science (W4S) initiative hosted an engaging webinar, featuring two leading neuroscientists: Weizmann Institute President Prof. Alon Chen and Prof. Michal Schwartz of the Department of Neurobiology. Following introductory remarks by W4S Co-Chair Ellen Merlo, Prof. Chen provided an overview Weizmann’s flagship Institute for Brian and Neural Sciences. Featured speaker Prof. Michal Schwartz then presented her trailblazing research, based on her groundbreaking discoveries about the connection between the immune system and the brain. Her innovative work is paving the way to a revolutionary platform for the treatment of Alzheimer’s and age-related dementia. To conclude the program, Prof. Schwartz participated in a dynamic Q&A, moderated by Ellen Merlo.
May 19, 2021... REHOVOT, ISRAEL—May 19, 2021—Our livers work hard to perform a significant range of activities: helping us digest food, maintaining body temperature, and serving as an important checkpoint of the immune system for everything that we eat. It is inside the liver that the unique, rich, and complex network of immune cells and pathways is set up to decide whether a food particle is harmless or a dangerous pathogen that should be neutralized and removed. The liver is, therefore, very sensitive to the food we consume, and sometimes a poor diet can induce a serious dysregulation of the immune activities within it.
Dec 09, 2021... REHOVOT, ISRAEL—December 9, 2021—An exclusive “license” for making insulin in the human body belongs to the beta cells scattered throughout the pancreas. But because beta cells can become scarce or dysfunctional in people with diabetes, scientists have been searching for other cells that might be coaxed into manufacturing the vital glucose-regulating hormone. In a study published today in Nature Medicine, researchers from the Weizmann Institute of Science and from Yale School of Medicine discovered insulin-making cells in an unexpected place, the fetal intestine. This discovery may open up new directions in the future development of potential treatments for diabetes.
Feb 18, 2022... REHOVOT, ISRAEL—February 18, 2022—Even after prevailing over a viral infection, our immune system stays active, protecting us from any lingering viruses or recurring disease. But what happens if we pick up a bacterial infection – say, salmonella food poisoning from take-out chicken soup – while recovering from flu or COVID-19? A new study at the Weizmann Institute of Science published today in Immunity, shows that in such cases, the immune system has a clever way of setting priorities, one that might be exploited for the development of future therapies against autoimmune diseases.
Apr 04, 2022... REHOVOT, ISRAEL—April 4, 2022—Supporting actors sometimes steal the show. In a new study published today in Cell, researchers headed by Prof. Ido Amit at the Weizmann Institute of Science have shown that supporting cells called fibroblasts, long viewed as uniform background players, are in fact extremely varied and vital. A subset of these cells, according to the study, may lie at the origins of scleroderma—a rare autoimmune disease. The findings open a new direction for developing a future therapy against this devastating, incurable disorder.
https://www.weizmann-usa.org/news-media/feature-stories/remembering-prof-michael-sela/
May 31, 2022...
The worldwide community of the Weizmann Institute of Science deeply mourns the passing of our beloved longtime leader, preeminent scientist, and dear friend, Prof. Michael Sela.
Throughout his illustrious career, Michael made numerous discoveries that forever changed immunological research, shedding light on the genetic control of the immune response.
He co-invented the blockbuster drug Copaxone® for the treatment of multiple sclerosis as well as three cancer treatment drugs – Erbitux®, Vectibix®, and Portrazza® – which have improved the lives of millions worldwide.
Jun 27, 2022... REHOVOT, ISRAEL—June 27, 2022— Of all the fungi that live in the human body, the most infamous is probably the yeast Candida. This distant cousin of baker’s yeast is notorious for causing various types of thrush that can be a major nuisance, but it can also lead to an invasive infection that may, on occasion, prove fatal. In a study published today in Nature Immunology, a Weizmann Institute of Science research team headed by Prof. Jakub Abramson uncovered a previously unknown defense mechanism employed by the immune system in fighting Candida infections.
https://www.weizmann-usa.org/news-media/feature-stories/viruses-gain-the-upper-hand/
Dec 14, 2022...
We’re used to thinking of the immune system as a separate entity, almost a distinct organ, but the truth is much more complicated.
Breakthroughs in recent years – some resulting from research performed in Prof. Rotem Sorek’s lab at the Weizmann Institute of Science’s Molecular Genetics Department – have shown that individual bacterial cells possess their own autonomous, innate immune system that can identify, locate, and deal with intruders.
https://www.weizmann-usa.org/news-media/news-releases/surviving-on-an-empty-battery/
Aug 17, 2023... REHOVOT, ISRAEL—August 17, 2023—Every time we make a call, send a text message, or watch a video, some of the energy stored in the cell phone battery is depleted. Living cells also store energy in “currencies” they can cash in when needed to fuel life processes. The main energy currency used by all life on Earth is a molecule known as ATP. But even though charging cells with ATP molecules is of vital importance, discharging them could be equally crucial – and potentially lifesaving.
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