40 In the war against cancer, the most promising of science’s newweapons is targeted immunotherapy. By injecting cells or administering drugs that block patients’ production of certain proteins, the therapy unleashes the power of our immune systems to target—and kill—the cancer cells in our bodies. And now, thanks to research by Prof. Cyrille Cohen of theMina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, that weapon has been refined to maximize its efficacy. Cohen, head of the Bar-Ilan Laboratory of Tumor Immunotherapy and president of the Israel Society for Cancer Research, developed a treatment that involves first removing a type of white blood cell called T-cells from cancer patients, then injecting themwith an artificial molecule. Once returned to patients’ bodies, the molecule grants the T-cells the ability to recognize and kill cells that cause cancer. Which is precisely what happened in more than 60 Israeli patients with multiple myeloma, a deadly blood cancer that affects nearly 200,000 people around the world each year. In clinical trials at HadassahMedical Center, held in collaboration with Prof. Polina Stepensky, 57 percent of patients treatedwith the highest dose of Cohen’s therapywent into remission, while a full 90 percent sawamarked improvement in their condition. “These trials are exciting for many reasons, among them the fact that our treatment represents the first immunotherapy of its type developed entirely in Israel,” said Cohen. “It’s a blueand-white cancer treatment, and we’re honored to help our country make such an important contribution to the world.” Now, Cohen is working to extend his successful approach to “solid-tumor” cancers, including lung, pancreatic, and breast. “We have to find a way to enable our modified cells, which recognize cancer cells and eradicate them, to penetrate the cells of solid cancers. It’s a huge challenge, although we’re encouraged by the results thus far.” They’re not the only ones encouraged: In January, Bar-Ilan and Hadassah signed a deal with the Los Angeles-based Immix BioPharma for the further development and commercialization of their therapy. Significantly, the drug’s name—HBI0101—pays tribute with its first three letters to both Hadassah and Bar-Ilan. Fighting to Win The Laboratory of Tumor Immunotherapy Prof. Cyrille Cohen
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