Selected recent publications

Matot I, Cohen K, Pappo O, Barash H, Abramovitch R. 2008. Liver response to hemorrhagic shock and subsequent resuscitation: MRI analysis. Shock 29(1):16-24.

Barash H, Gross E, Matot I, Edrei Y, Tsarfaty G, Spira G, Vlodavsky I, Galun E, Abramovitch R. 2007. Functional MR imaging during hypercapnia and hyperoxia: noninvasive tool for monitoring changes in liver perfusion and hemodynamics in a rat model. Radiology 243(3):727-35.

Ben Moshe T, Barash H, Kang TB, Kim JC, Kovalenko A, Gross E, Schuchmann M, Abramovitch R, Galun E, Wallach D. 2007. Role of caspase-8 in hepatocyte response to infection and injury in mice. Hepatology 45(4):1014-24.

Gafni Y, Zilberman Y, Ophir Z, Abramovitch R, Jaffe M, Gazit Z, Domb A, Gazit D, 2006. Design of a Filamentous Polymeric Scaffold for in vivo Guided Angiogenesis.  Tissue Eng 11:3021-34.

Grunewald M, Avraham I, Dor Y, Bachar-Lustig E, Itin A, Yung S, Chimenti S, Landsman L, Abramovitch R, Keshet E. 2006. VEGF-induced adult neovascularization: recruitment, retention, and role of accessory cells. Cell 124(1):175-89.

Cohen I, Pappo O, Elkin M, San T, Bar-Shavit R, Hazan R, Peretz T, Vlodavsky I, Abramovitch R. 2006. Heparanase promotes growth, angiogenesis and survival of primary breast tumors. Int J Cancer 118(7):1609-17.

Zcharia E, Zilka R, Yaar A, Yacoby-Zeevi O, Zetser A, Metzger S, Sarid R, Naggi A, Casu B, Ilan N, Vlodavsky I, Abramovitch R. (2005) Heparanase accelerates wound angiogenesis and wound healing in mouse and rat models. FASEB J 19(2):211-21.

Darash-Yahana M, Pikarsky E, Abramovitch R, Karplus R, Kasem S, Pal B, Zeira E, Galun E and Peled A. (2004) Role of high expression levels of CXCR4 in tumor growth, vascularization and metastasis. FASEB J 18:1240-2.

Abramovitch R, Itzik A, Harel H, Nagler A, Vlodavsky I and Siegal T, (2004) Halofuginone inhibits angiogenesis and growth in implanted metastatic rat brain tumor model--an MRI study. Neoplasia 6:480-89.

Abramovitch R, Tavor E, Jacob-Hirsch J, Zeira E, Amariglio N, Pappo O, Rechavi G, Galun E, and Honigman A (2004). A pivotal role of cyclic AMP-responsive element binding protein in tumor progression. Cancer Res 64(4): 1338-1346.

Pikarsky E, Porat RM, Stein I, Abramovitch R, Amit S, Kasem S, Gutkovich-Pyest E, Urieli-Shoval S, Galun E, Ben-Neriah Y. (2004) NF-kappaB functions as a tumour promoter in inflammation-associated cancer. Nature 43:461-66.

Shabat S, Nyska A, Long PH, Goelman G, Abramovitch R, Ezov N, Levin-Harrus T, Peddada S, Redlich M, Yedgar S, Nyska M., (2004) Osteonecrosis in a Chemically Induced Rat Model of Human Hemolytic Disorders Associated with Thrombosis - A New Model for avascular Necrosis of Bone. Calcif Tissue Int 74(3):220-228.

Dor Y., Djonov V., Abramovitch R, Itin A, Fishman G.I., Carmeliet P, Goelman G,  and Keshet E., (2002) Conditional organ-specific switching of VEGF expression: re-evaluating the feasibility of pro-angiogenic therapy. EMBO J 21(8):1939-1947.

Goldshmidt O, Zcharia E, Abramovitch R, Metzger S, Guatta-Rangini Z, Aingorn H, Friedmann Y, Mitrani E and Vlodavsky I. (2002) Cell surface expression and secretion of heparanase markedly promote tumor angiogenesis and metastasis. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 99(15):10031-10036.

Research group

Harel, Hila, Ph.D. student – Phone 677-7770/7918

Edrei, Yifat, M.Sc. student

Collaborators

Prof. Eithan Galun, Hadassah University Hospital

Dr. Idit Matot, Hadassah University Hospital

Dr. Eitan Gross, Hadassah University Hospital

Prof. Israel Vlodavsky, Hadassah University Hospital

Prof. Eli Keshet, Hebrew University

Prof. Tali Siegal, Hadassah University Hospital

Prof. Shmuel Ben-Sasson, Hebrew University

Prof. Alik Honigman, Hebrew University

RESEARCH SUMMARY

Analysis of vascular remodeling in vivo is a major challenge both for the study of the regulatory mechanisms of its initiation and inhibition, and for the clinical evaluation of pathological processes. In vivo assays for the study of angiogenesis are essential for the study of cancer, wound healing and reproduction. Angiogenesis is being assessed today by immunohistological staining of biopsy specimens, an invasive procedure that gives only local information.

Application of MRI as a noninvasive detection tool can provide a full 3-dimensional information about vessel density, functionality and maturation. Most of the previous approaches for the study of angiogenesis by MRI relied on the use of exogenous contrast agents. In our work, vascular development is followed by gradient echo (GE) MRI using the intrinsic contrast originating from deoxyhemoglobin (Blood Oxygenation Level Dependent (BOLD) contrast). Our research projects are the following:

•     Applying a new noninvasive technique for quantitative assessment of tumor angiogenesis to the clinic

•     Development of MRI methods for evaluating the feasibility of VEGF-mediated pro-angiogenic therapy

•     Assessment of anti-angiogenic therapies in cancer models using MRI

•     Analysis of the angiogenic potential of heparanase