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 20, 2015... Before breakthroughs in breast cancer research ever appear in the news or on the market, there are cadres of researchers working tirelessly, largely unseen, to develop these improvements. At the Weizmann Institute, these scientists are coming together from across the fields – biologists and mathematicians, geneticists and chemists, plants scientists and physicists – in the interest of defeating breast cancer.
https://www.weizmann-usa.org/news-media/in-the-news/signs-of-aging-even-in-the-embryo/
Nov 21, 2013...
A mouse embryo that has been stained in blue to show the areas where senescent cells, which simply stop dividing, occur even during fetal development. Clockwise, from left: the embryo at 11.5 days, a close-up of the senescent cells on the limbs at that time, and the cells at 14.5 days. Mekayla Storer
In 1961, two biologists named Leonard Hayflick and Paul Moorehead discovered that old age is built into our cells. At the time, many scientists believed that if healthy human cells were put in a flask with a steady supply of nutrients, they would multiply forever. But when Dr. Hayflick and Dr. Moorehead reared fetal human cells, that’s not what they found. Time and again, their cells would divide about 50 times and then simply stop.
Apr 03, 2016...
Cancer cells (Pixabay)
Scientists at the Weizmann Institute may have found the cure for prostate cancer, at least if it is caught in its early stages – via a drug that doctors inject into cancerous cells and treat with infrared laser illumination.
Using a therapy lasting 90 minutes, the drug, called Tookad Soluble, targets and destroys cancerous prostate cells, studies show, allowing patients to check out of the hospital the same day without the debilitating effects of chemical or radiation therapy or the invasive surgery that is usually used to treat this disease.
Nov 30, 2017... Unlocking the Potential of Metabolites: The Schwartz Family Center for Metabolic Biology
https://www.weizmann-usa.org/news-media/in-the-news/coming-soon-a-vaccine-against-cancer/
Apr 17, 2011...
Holding out hope of a vaccine for some of today's deadliest diseases — Vacciguard CEO Dr. Anat Eitan.
The notion of a vaccine for cancer—or for many other deadly diseases nearly impossible to control, let alone cure—may seem to be no more than wishful thinking. But that is exactly what Israeli biomed startup Vacciguard is introducing: A technology tool for developing vaccines against a wide range of diseases from cancer to West Nile virus.
Jul 27, 2012...
Researchers conduct a study at the Weizmann Institute of Science. Photo credit: Doron Horowitz/Flash90
Scientists have long been aware of the mechanics of epigenetics in the body, in which environmental and other factors affect cells, in a sort of non-genetic “mutation.” As cells divide, they “activate” only the genes that are necessary for their own use, even if they carry the entire gene sequence of a person. But sometimes, proper differentiation of the cells into different types with different functions fails, possibly because of improper molecular “labeling” in a cell. And following this line of research, a team led scientists at the Weizmann Institute have discovered a link between cancer and epigenetic changes.
Aug 04, 2009... REHOVOT, ISRAEL—August 3, 2009—Biomolecular computers, made of DNA and other biological molecules, only exist today in a few specialized labs, remote from the regular computer user. Nonetheless, Tom Ran and Shai Kaplan, research students in the lab of Prof. Ehud Shapiro of the Weizmann Institute's Biological Chemistry, and Computer Science and Applied Mathematics Departments have found a way to make these microscopic computing devices "user friendly," even while performing complex computations and answering complicated queries.
May 14, 2020...
May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month. And one important fact to be aware of is that the most common skin cancers, basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, aren’t the ones that kill.
The least common variety, melanoma, causes most skin-cancer deaths because it quickly spreads (metastasizes) to other parts of the body.
That’s why many researchers around the world focus on melanoma, so-called because it starts in melanocyte cells that give skin its color.
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.
May 28, 2020...
The first comprehensive survey of the microorganisms that live inside tumours has found that bacteria reside in those from many different cancer types, but it is unclear whether they contribute to tumour growth.
These bacteria make up part of a tumour’s microbiome – the complex community of bacteria, fungi and other microbes that live inside it.
Bacteria have previously been found in tumours in the bowel and other tissues in the body that are routinely exposed to microbes. However, less is known about their presence in tumours from other cancers, like those of the bone, brain and ovary.
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