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.
Oct 27, 2020...
REHOVOT, ISRAEL—October 27, 2020—Acute liver failure is a devastating, rapidly progressing disease that results in death in 80% of cases, unless an emergency liver transplant is performed. In the developed world, its leading cause is a substantial overdose of acetaminophen, also known as paracetamol.
In a study published in Nature Medicine, researchers from the labs of Prof. Eran Elinav and Prof. Ido Amit in the Weizmann Institute of Science’s Department of Immunology have, using mouse models of acute liver failure, discovered three liver-cell subsets that orchestrate the development of this condition. The scientists also identified signals – from the gut microbiome as well as the diseased liver – that jointly activate these cells, and showed that selectively blocking the signals and depleting the microbiome led to marked improvement in liver function and prolonged survival in the mice. An analysis of liver tissue from human patients with acute liver failure revealed a molecular pattern strikingly similar to the one identified in mice in the study, raising hopes that the findings may in the future be translated into a treatment for humans.
Oct 27, 2020...
A new study from the Weizmann Institute of Science, published in Nature Medicine, has found new subsets of cells and signals from the gut microbiome and the diseased liver that contribute to acute liver failure.
The researchers, who work in the labs of Profs. Eran Elinav and Ido Amit in the Immunology Department, hope that this and other research findings will contribute to new treatments for the condition.
https://www.weizmann-usa.org/news-media/news-releases/bacteria-may-aid-anti-cancer-immune-response/
Mar 17, 2021... REHOVOT, ISRAEL—March 17, 2021—Cancer immunotherapy may get a boost from an unexpected direction: bacteria residing within tumor cells. In a new study published in Nature, researchers at the Weizmann Institute of Science and their collaborators have discovered that the immune system “sees” these bacteria and shown that they can be harnessed to provoke an immune reaction against the tumor. The study may also help clarify the connection between immunotherapy and the gut microbiome, explaining the findings of previous research showing that the microbiome affects the success of immunotherapy.
Mar 17, 2021...
Cancer cells present bacterial peptides on the outside of their walls, marking them as a foreign element to the body’s immune system, Weizmann Institute scientists report in a new article published in Nature.
This is crucial as while immunotherapy has been able to help melanoma cancer patients in roughly 40% of cases, the new findings could pave the road to more effective treatments and many lives saved in the future.
Dec 08, 2021... REHOVOT, ISRAEL—December 8, 2021—Cigarette smoking, practiced by over a billion people worldwide, is considered a leading cause of disease, accounting for over six million deaths each year. Many people don’t quit smoking, despite expressing a desire to do so, because they are concerned about the substantial weight gain that often accompanies smoking cessation. The cause of this weight gain is unclear, as studies suggest that most people don’t eat more after quitting smoking. In a study published today in Nature, Weizmann Institute of Science researchers report discovering that obesity developing after “smoking cessation” in mice may be driven by the weight-modulating compounds released by their gut microbes.
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.
Aug 04, 2022... REHOVOT, ISRAEL—August 4, 2022—The myriads of microbes in our gut, collectively termed the microbiome, are considered important to our health, but they can also harbor bacteria that contribute to inflammatory bowel disease or other disorders. Currently, however, it is impossible to target such disease-contributing bacteria without harming the surrounding beneficial microbes. Antibiotics kill friendly microbes along with the harmful ones, and in any event, they tend to trigger bacterial resistance and to have side effects. In a study published today in Cell, Weizmann Institute of Science researchers have demonstrated the feasibility of a potential therapy for killing inflammation-causing gut bacteria in a targeted manner: by using viruses that infect them.
Sep 29, 2022...
REHOVOT, ISRAEL—September 29, 2022—Cancer tumors contain multiple species of fungi that differ per tumor type, according to a large study led by researchers at the Weizmann Institute of Science and the University of California, San Diego.
The study, published today in Cell, potentially has implications for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer, as well as for the detection of cancer through a blood test. It complements scientists’ understanding of the interaction between cancer cells and the bacteria that exist in tumors alongside fungi, bacteria that have been shown to affect cancer growth, metastasis, and response to therapy. The researchers systematically profiled fungal communities in more than 17,000 tissue and blood samples taken from patients with 35 types of cancer. They found that fungi can be detected in all of these cancer types. Fungi were mostly found “hiding” inside the cancer cells or in immune cells inside the tumors.
Sep 15, 2022...
If you take your coffee with Splenda or drink a diet soda at lunch, you might be interested in the Weizmann Institute’s new findings on sugar substitutes.
Artificial sweeteners were created to provide the sweetness of sugar without the calories – but it turns out they come with an added cost. New research conducted by Weizmann researchers (and recently published in Cell) suggests that sweeteners do have an effect on the human body. In fact, they can alter our microbiomes and change our blood sugar levels.
Sep 29, 2022...
Look up an image of a tumor on Google, and you’ll probably end up with a brightly colored cluster of cancer cells on a drab background of healthy tissue. A tumor may also contain millions of microbes, representing dozens of species.
“I think this is an ecosystem,” she said. “It means the cancer cells are not alone.”
Scientists have long known that our bodies are home to microbes, but have tended to treat tumors as if they were sterile. In recent years, however, researchers have laid that notion to rest, demonstrating that tumors are rife with microbes.
©2022 American Committee for the Weizmann Institute of Science
FOR THE FOURTH CONSECUTIVE YEAR