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.
Oct 24, 2019...
JERUSALEM, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) – Israeli scientists revealed the mechanism of the sea cone snail’s venom, which may lead to new drugs for abnormal heart rate and high blood pressure, the Weizmann Institute of Science (WIS) reported Thursday.
The findings may also lead to the development of safe natural insecticides, because some components of this venom only kill insects, and not mammals.
The findings, published in the scientific journal PNAS, may explain some of the side effects of potassium-blocking drugs, such as heart arrythmia and hypertension drugs, and lead to the development of better ones.
Jan 09, 2007...
NEW YORK, NY—January 9, 2007—Prof. Ada Yonath of the Weizmann Institute of Science’s Department of Structural Biology was named as one of the winners of the prestigious Wolf Prize in Chemistry.
Prof. Yonath will receive the 2006-2007 chemistry prize in May, along with Prof. George Feher, a physicist at the University of California, San Diego. The two scientists will share the $100,000 prize granted by the Wolf Foundation in Israel.
https://www.weizmann-usa.org/news-media/news-releases/stem-cells-might-heal-damaged-lungs/
Jul 14, 2015...
In this image from a photon-2 microscope, new lung cells are continuously created to replace the damaged ones: (left) lung tissue 6 weeks after stem cell transplantation and (right) 16 weeks after transplantation. Cells that originated in the transplanted stem cells are green, as opposed to the uncolored host lung cells.
Collectively, diseases of the airways such as emphysema, bronchitis, asthma, and cystic fibrosis are the second leading cause of death worldwide. More than 35 million Americans alone suffer from chronic respiratory disease. Weizmann Institute of Science researchers have now proposed a new direction that could, in the future, lead to the development of a method for alleviating some of the suffering of these patients. The study’s findings, which recently appeared in Nature Medicine, show how it might be possible to use embryonic stem cells to repair damaged lung tissue.
Nov 05, 2013...
Nancy and Stephen Grand
NEW YORK—November 5, 2013—The American Committee for the Weizmann Institute of Science announced today that Nancy and Stephen Grand of San Francisco have committed $50 million to advance the international study of personalized medicine.
The funds will be used by the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel, to operate the recently established Israel National Center for Personalized Medicine (INCPM). The Grand gift is the single largest contribution ever made to the American Committee in its 70-year history supporting scientific research and science education.
Sep 14, 2012... REHOVOT, ISRAEL—September 14, 2012—Cancer chemotherapy can be a life-saver, but it is fraught with severe side effects, among them an increased risk of infection. Until now, the major criterion for assessing this risk has been the blood cell count: if the number of white blood cells falls below a critical threshold, the risk of infection is thought to be high. A new model built by Weizmann Institute of Science mathematicians, in collaboration with physicians from the Meir Medical Center in Kfar Saba, Israel, and the Hoffmann-La Roche research center in Basel, Switzerland, suggests that for proper risk assessment, it is essential to evaluate not only the quantity of these blood cells, but also their quality, which varies from one person to another.
https://www.weizmann-usa.org/news-media/in-the-news/science-seeks-to-unlock-marijuana-s-secrets/
May 29, 2015...
There’s nothing new about cannabis, of course. It’s been around humankind pretty much forever.
In Siberia charred seeds have been found inside burial mounds dating back to 3000 B.C. The Chinese were using cannabis as a medicine thousands of years ago. Marijuana is deeply American too – as American as George Washington, who grew hemp at Mount Vernon. For most of the country’s history, cannabis was legal, commonly found in tinctures and extracts.
Jun 19, 2014...
According the World Health Organization, mood disorders such as depression affect some 10% of the world’s population and are associated with a heavy burden of disease. That is why numerous scientists around the world have invested a great deal of effort in understanding these diseases. Yet the molecular and cellular mechanisms that underlie these problems are still only partly understood.
The existing antidepressants are not good enough: Some 60-70% of patients get no relief from them. For the other 30-40%, that relief is often incomplete, and they must take the drugs for a long period before feeling any effects. In addition, there are many side effects associated with the drugs. New and better drugs are clearly needed, an undertaking that requires, first and foremost, a better understanding of the processes and causes underlying the disorders.
https://www.weizmann-usa.org/news-media/in-the-news/safer-chemo-thanks-to-israeli-math/
Oct 10, 2012...
Not all white blood cells are created equal. Image via www.shutterstock.com
Waning white blood-cell counts in chemotherapy patients are commonly taken as a warning of an increased risk of infection.
Now, a new Israeli study suggests that it is critical to evaluate not only the quantity of these “neutrophil” blood cells essential to immunity against infection, but also their quality, which varies from one patient to another.
Jan 18, 2011... REHOVOT, ISRAEL—January 18, 2011—Antioxidants are sold over the counter everywhere. They’re added to food, drink, and face cream. But according to Prof. Nava Dekel of the Weizmann Institute of Science’s Department of Biological Regulation, we still don’t have a complete understanding of how they act in our bodies. New research by Prof. Dekel and her team, recently published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), has revealed an unexpected possible side effect of antioxidants: they might cause fertility problems in females.
Mar 10, 2014...
Weizmann Institute scientists, Clalit Health Services physicians and legal advisor, and information system experts from both organizations recently participated in the first meeting of its kind, intended to promote collaborative research that will enable the development of new models of medical intervention, as well as advance the field of personalized medicine.
The meeting was sponsored by the Nancy and Stephen Grand Israel National Center for Personalized Medicine, which was recently established on the Weizmann Institute campus at a cost of $120 million. Participants explored, among other things, ways in which medical data and research provided by Clalit Health Services can be used, with the aim of advancing both scientific research and medicine.
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