The winner of Paper of the Month for January 2025 is Dr. Ilana (Alona) Goor from Prof. Yoram Reiter lab, whose article has been accepted for publication in Life Sciences Alliance.
This is an impressive achievement that marks the culmination of a long period of in-depth research.
To celebrate the occasion, we asked her to share a few insights about the scientific work in the lab, the discoveries presented in the article, and a bit about herself.
Ilana – tell us briefly about yourselves. What did you study, what led you to this field, and what is your current role and workplace?
I am a graduate of the faculty where I conducted my research project, followed by a direct PhD track in the Reiter Lab. Currently, I am a researcher at Pluri Biotech, a company focused on various biotechnological applications of placenta-derived stromal cells.
What is the general focus of the Reiter Lab?
Molecular immunology and immunotherapy for cancer and autoimmune diseases. The lab bridges basic research with clinical translation.
Tell us about the winning article: what was the central research question, what did you discover, and what was exciting or surprising during the process?
Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease caused by autoreactive T cells attacking the central nervous system. Existing treatments suppress the entire immune system, necessitating a more targeted approach. The research proposes using TCRL antibodies to block specific epitopes presented by antigen-presenting cells (APCs). These antibodies work in two ways: blocking interactions between T cells and APCs and eliminating specific APCs. Research results show that TCRL antibodies can identify and kill specific APCs, inhibit activation of autoreactive T cells, and reduce disease severity in a murine model. These findings indicate the potential of TCRL antibodies as an innovative treatment for multiple sclerosis and as a research tool.
What is the significance of your discovery? What future directions or applications could your research lead to? How do you see its impact on the field in the coming years?
The discovery has great potential in developing innovative drugs for autoimmune diseases as well as developing innovative research tools for the field.
How do you maintain a healthy work-life balance? Do you have a tip that helps you manage personal life and research?
The most important thing is to decide what’s important to you 😉 Everyone has different priorities, aspirations, and desires in life. So, first of all – decide what your priorities are and strive to fulfill them. Secondly, know how to give your full attention to the moment you’re in – meaning when you’re at work, be 100% at work, and when you’re at home, be 100% at home.
⬅ Link to the article: https://doi.org/10.26508/lsa.202402996
⬅ Link to Prof. Yoram Reiter’s page: https://did.li/DDTaa
⬅ Link to the Reiter Lab website: https://reiter.net.technion.ac.il/
