Prof. (Emeritus) Zvi Fishelson

Zvi Fishelson is a Professor Emeritus at Tel Aviv University. He got B.Sc. from Tel Aviv University and Ph.D. from the Weizmann Institute of Science, followed by a Postdoctoral training at the Research Institute of the Scripps Clinic in La Jolla. 

He authored over 100 publications and 7 book chapters. He investigated the cross-talks between cancer cells and the immune system, focusing on the Complement innate immune system. 

His group discovered novel molecular mechanisms used by cancer cells to evade the toxicity of the immune effector molecules. Key proteins expressed at elevated levels in aggressive cancers have been identified and investigated as potential targets in cancer therapy.

Preclinical experiments in xenograft mouse models, using specific siRNAs or peptides, supported the claim that blocking these genes indeed leads to reduced tumor growth and longer survival of the tumor-bearing mice. 

His research team is currently designing novel reagents that will promote cancer cell death and plan to develop them as therapeutic reagents for patients with immune-resistant cancers.