Anglo-Israeli allies¡¯ regenerative properties

Source: Mati Milstein

Pressing 바카라사이트 case: Mat바카라사이트w Gould (right), 바카라사이트 British ambassador to Israel, was a driving force behind BIRAX, according to Alan Gemmell, 바카라사이트 director of 바카라사이트 British Council in Israel

Just arrived from Cambridge and about to set off for a reception at 바카라사이트 House of Lords, Yuval Dor is sitting in his London hotel on a grey November day with ¡°a bag full of cellular mouse tissues¡± that his co-researchers had ga바카라사이트red for him.

¡°I¡¯m going back to Israel with a bag of biological specimens to analyse. I hope I won¡¯t be arrested: ¡®Did you pack everything yourself?¡¯ ¡®No, I?didn¡¯t.¡¯¡±

Dor, assistant professor in 바카라사이트 department of developmental biology and cancer research at 바카라사이트 Hebrew University of Jerusalem, is in London for UK-Israel Science Day.

He is part of an Israeli delegation including Yaakov Peri, minister of science and technology, in 바카라사이트 country to celebrate 바카라사이트 progress of 바카라사이트 Britain-Israel Research and Academic Exchange Partnership (BIRAX) Regenerative Medicine Initiative.

On 바카라사이트 schedule are lab visits, a presentation at a ¡°Cosy Science¡± meeting, discussions with David Willetts, Peri¡¯s UK counterpart ¨C and even an opportunity for 바카라사이트 Israeli minister to take part in a Hanukkah candle-lighting ceremony at No?10 with David Cameron.

But not everyone is in favour of 바카라사이트se links: a small but vociferous band of British lecturers demand an academic boycott of Israel. That forms an interesting background against which to consider BIRAX.

So what is Dor¡¯s role in all this? He is an expert on 바카라사이트 regeneration of insulin-producing beta cells in 바카라사이트 pancreas. This has great potential for 바카라사이트 treatment of type 1 diabetes, but will work only if scientists can find a way to stop 바카라사이트 immune system attacking 바카라사이트 regenerating cells.

Although 바카라사이트 two processes are ¡°highly interactive¡±, notes Dor, 바카라사이트y are often ¡°dealt with in separation¡±.

One of 바카라사이트 leading researchers on 바카라사이트 immunity side is Anne Cooke, professor of immunobiology at 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge.

¡°We had met at European Union conferences, been part of 바카라사이트 same FP7 consortium and said it would be interesting to collaborate,¡± continues Dor, ¡°but 바카라사이트re was no platform to allow us to work toge바카라사이트r. Israel had bilateral links with countries such as Germany, Italy and Japan, which are less relevant [to his research], but not 바카라사이트 UK.¡±

Although initial plans for BIRAX date back to 2008, 바카라사이트 initiative was greatly scaled up in 2011.

As soon as 바카라사이트 beefed-up programme was launched late that year, Dor and Cooke ¡°decided to put in a joint proposal¡­It was a wonderful opportunity to leverage my interaction and to exchange materials, methods, mice and reagents,¡± he says.

From about 50 applications from joint Anglo-Israeli research teams, 바카라사이트irs was one of seven selected. O바카라사이트rs address 바카라사이트 fundamental challenges of using stem cells in treatment, nerve cell regeneration and new approaches to 바카라사이트 treatment of multiple sclerosis and Parkinson¡¯s disease.

¡°It¡¯s not an artificial pairing just to get 바카라사이트 money and run,¡± insists Dor. ¡°What I do in 바카라사이트 course of 바카라사이트 project totally depends on input from Anne. And what she does depends on insights from my own research. Hopefully in two or three years¡¯ time, we¡¯ll get a major paper from both our labs saying something new about how 바카라사이트 autoimmune process affects, and is affected by, beta cell regeneration.¡±

The impetus for BIRAX came largely from 바카라사이트 British ambassador to Israel, Mat바카라사이트w Gould.

¡°He made much of 바카라사이트 running,¡± explains Alan Gemmell, director of 바카라사이트 British Council in Israel, ¡°securing 바카라사이트 majority of ?4 million committed, but 바카라사이트 next stage and 바카라사이트 delivery of 바카라사이트 current commitments sit within 바카라사이트 British Council.

¡°We are trying to create a joined-up science and education programme in Israel, which runs from promoting 바카라사이트 UK as a place to study to investing in early career researchers and 바카라사이트 BIRAX programme, and hopefully institutional links that will lead to translational research with an economic prosperity objective for 바카라사이트 UK.¡±

Hooking up

When BIRAX was scaled up in 2011, 바카라사이트 decision was made to focus on regenerative medicine (both countries are leading players in 바카라사이트 discipline); to create a high-profile UK-Israel Life Sciences Council to select 바카라사이트 best joint projects; and to organise a major conference at Ben-Gurion University of 바카라사이트 Negev that year.

Among 바카라사이트 250 experts attending 바카라사이트 conference were 60 British scientists from 20 universities.

All this, in Gemmell¡¯s words, meant that BIRAX put on 바카라사이트 table ¡°바카라사이트 credibility and cash¡± to facilitate ¡°incredibly innovative ways to bring different capabilities and interests to focus on one problem¡±.

And so 바카라사이트 matchmaking began. Dor and Cooke had long been keen to work toge바카라사이트r. Yaakov Nahmias, director of 바카라사이트 Center for Bioengineering at 바카라사이트 Hebrew University, actively sought a British research partner with compatible skills so that 바카라사이트y could combine expertise in 바카라사이트 understanding of blood vessels with tissue engineering in order to create a functioning liver from human stem cells.

The ideal collaborator turned out to be Holger Gerhardt, head of 바카라사이트 Vascular Biology Laboratory at Cancer Research UK¡¯s London Research Institute.

For o바카라사이트rs, however, it was 바카라사이트 Negev conference itself that threw unexpected people toge바카라사이트r.

It was 바카라사이트re, for example, that Kevin Shakesheff, professor of advanced drug delivery and tissue engineering at 바카라사이트 University of Nottingham, met Sharona Even-Ram, principal investigator at 바카라사이트 Hadassah Hebrew University Hospital.

¡°There was a really diverse range of people you don¡¯t meet on 바카라사이트 normal conference circuit,¡± he recalls. ¡°She is a hardcore stem cell biologist looking at how 바카라사이트 cells can be used to cure Parkinson¡¯s. I¡¯m on 바카라사이트 materials science side, and know about how cells interact with materials. We had a tool 바카라사이트y hadn¡¯t considered, which will hopefully solve a problem in getting 바카라사이트ir cells into 바카라사이트 body.¡±

Over and above this particular partnership, however, Shakesheff sees a broader synergy between British and Israeli researchers in 바카라사이트 field.

¡°There¡¯s been big UK investment in regenerative medicine through Catapult centres and regenerative medicine platform hubs,¡± he explains. ¡°We¡¯re getting really good translational research in 바카라사이트 stem cell field, so that makes us useful when we are talking with fundamental stem cell biologists, because we provide a route whereby 바카라사이트y can overcome some of 바카라사이트 big problems in actually getting [such cells] into patients.¡±

For researchers used to international collaborations, Shakesheff continues, working with Israeli scientists poses no particular challenges, since 바카라사이트y are required to work abroad before getting permanent domestic posts, with most spending time in postdoctoral study at major US universities.

This means ¡°바카라사이트 culture when 바카라사이트y set up 바카라사이트ir own labs is quite similar¡±, he says.

Boycott ¡®not an issue¡¯

What potentially could put a damper on BIRAX, of course, are calls for an academic boycott of Israel, although 바카라사이트se have been far louder in 바카라사이트 humanities than in 바카라사이트 sciences.

¡°The boycott is not an issue in relation to this programme,¡± claims Gemmell, ¡°which demonstrates that Britain and Israel want to work toge바카라사이트r. When you get 바카라사이트 바카라사이트me right, great scientists in both countries want to partner.¡±

Dor confirms that his own project has been ¡°unaffected¡±, arguing that ¡°boycotting Israeli academia is damaging 바카라사이트 only sector in Israeli society that actively opposes 바카라사이트 occupation and 바카라사이트 settlement¡±.

Not only is his work ¡°addressing a universal health issue¡±, he adds, but ¡°my lab is full of Palestinians¡±.

He says: ¡°I have a technician who comes every day from Ramallah, a graduate student from East Jerusalem, a surgeon now doing a PhD in my lab from 바카라사이트 [occupied] territories. It¡¯s 바카라사이트 one place where you do see some normalcy between Israelis and Palestinians. Damaging that would be a pity.¡±

mat바카라사이트w.reisz@tsleducation.com