Israel’s NeoTX Therapeutics (see here Mar 2020) has had FDA approval to begin Phase 2a human trials of its Naptumomab Estafenatox (NAP) treatment for non-small cell lung cancer. NAP binds bacteria to the tumor while activating tumor specific immune cells. … Continue reading →

Israel’s MyBiotics (see here previously) is to partner Hadasit – the technology transfer arm of Hadassah Medical Center, to identify gut microbiome-based cancer therapies. They will study up to 100 melanoma patients treated with PD-1/PD-L1 checkpoint inhibitor immunotherapies. https://www.timesofisrael.com/mybiotics-hadassah-to-study-impact-of-microbiome-on-cancer-therapies/

Scientists at Israel’s Weizmann Institute, working with others in the Netherlands and Norway, have discovered that melanoma cells can “frameshift” to grow whilst avoiding the immune system.  The process, however, generates new peptides (short proteins) that scientists can now target … Continue reading →

Israel’s Oncohost (reported here previously) presented the results of its latest proteomic (proteins) cancer study to the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer’s (SITC). Oncohost’s PROphet host response profiling platform can predict the best therapy to use for specific cancer patients. … Continue reading →

Scientists at Israel’s Technion Institute have uncovered the atomic structure of Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) in the immune system. It could lead to the design of similar artificial materials for technological and medical applications such as treating infections and even killing … Continue reading →

Tel Aviv University researchers have developed an innovative cancer treatment. They shoot microbubbles at cancer cells and then blow them up using ultrasound. This destroys 80% of the cancer cells and a simultaneous “trojan horse” immune system gene therapy kills … Continue reading →

Tel Aviv University researchers have found that the weeks before and after cancer surgery are critical for the prevention of metastases development. Patients require immune-therapeutic treatment as well as treatment to reduce inflammation and physical and psychological stress. https://ecancer.org/en/news/18246-immune-system-treatment-to-reduce-stress-prevents-cancer-metastases https://www.nature.com/articles/s41571-019-0319-9?proof=true … Continue reading →

Scientists at Israel’s Sheba Medical Centre are trialing a new cancer treatment called immunopheresis. It involves filtering a patient’s blood to remove proteins produced by malignant cells from the bloodstream. These proteins suppress the immune system’s cancer-killing T-cells. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/283420

Israeli biotech Nucleai (reported here previously) has progressed from merely analyzing biopsies. It now uses its computer vision and machine learning to study the characteristics of tumors, helping predict which cancer patients will respond to which immunotherapy medication. https://www.timesofisrael.com/nucleai-raises-6-5-million-to-help-pharma-firms-match-drugs-to-cancer-patients/

There are some “nectin” proteins that help cancer cells evade the immune system. Israel’s Nectin Therapeutics (at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem) places novel monoclonal antibodies into these nectins to stimulate the immune system and help it fight cancers in … Continue reading →