Helen & Sidney Rogal Chair in
Pulmonary Medicine
Pulmonology
Department of Medicine
Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School
Jerusalem, Israel
Telephone: 972-2-6777548
Fax: 972-2-6435897
E-mail: Raffi@hadassah.org.il
Date of Birth: December 24, 1947
Birthplace: Haifa, Israel
Marital Status: Married with 13 children
Education
1968-1975 - M.D., Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Israel
10/75-11/76 - Rotating Internship, Shaare Zedek Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
12/76-6/80 - Residency in Internal Medicine, Shaare Zedek Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
7/80-6/81 - Senior Residency in Internal Medicine, Veterans Administration Medical Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, US
7/81-6/82 - Clinical Fellowship in Pulmonary Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, US
7/82-9/84 - Research Fellowship, Pulmonary Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, US
Selected Appointments at Hadassah & the Hebrew University
10/85-6/90 - Lecturer in Medicine, Hebrew University-Hadassah School of Medicine
7/90-11/95 - Senior Lecturer in Medicine, Hebrew University-Hadassah School of Medicine
12/95-2/07 - Associate Professor of Medicine, Hebrew University-Hadassah School of Medicine
1999-present - Helen & Sidney Rogal Chair in Pulmonary Medicine, Hebrew University-Hadassah School of Medicine
3/07-present - Professor of Medicine (Pulmonology), Hebrew University-Hadassah School of Medicine
6/01-present - Member, Ethics Committee, Hadassah Medical Organization
4/02-3/06 - Head, Adult Pulmonology Unit, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center
3/06-present - Head, Institute of Pulmonary Medicine, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center
Academic Appointments at Other Institutions
10/84-6/92 - Adjunct Assistant Research Professor of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, US
10/86-6/92 - Adjunct Assistant Professor of Pathology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, US
4/86-6/03 - Special Scientific Staff, Mallory Institute of Pathology, Boston, MA, US
7/92-present - Adjunct Research Associate Professor of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, US
7/92-present - Adjunct Research Associate Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, US
Certification
1. M.D. Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Israel, 1977
2. E.C.F.M.G. 1975
3. FLEX, Massachusetts 1980
4. American Board of Internal Medicine, Certified 1983
5. Israeli Board of Internal Medicine, Certified 1985
6. Israeli Board of Pulmonary Medicine, Certified 1985
Competitive Grant Support Since 1993
10/02-9/05 Israel - Science Foundation (ISF), together with Dr. Shulamit Wallach-Dayan, for research on Thy1 fibroblasts in bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis.
10/01-10/03 Chief Scientist’s Office, Ministry of Health, for research on the role of IFN-g in bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis.
5/01-4/02 - Public Committee for the Designation of Estate Funds, Israel, for research on early detection of lung cancer and the role of urokinase receptor inhibition in bleomycin-induced lung injury.
1/00-12/01 - Israel Cancer Association, for research on the effect of tretinoin in an experimental model of bleomycin-induced pulmonary injury.
10/98-10/99 - Public Committee for the Designation of Estate Funds, Israel, for research on ATRA in COPD, and PET scans in lung cancer.
5/96-4/98 - Chief Scientist, Israeli Ministry of Health, for the study of the bronchial epithelial hypersecretory state.
10/93-9/94 - Joint Hebrew University and Hadassah research grant, together with Dr. I.S. Lossos (PI), for research on the effect of cyclosporin A on bleomycin-induced lung injury.
1/91‑12/93 - National Institutes of Health (NIH), together with T.G. Christensen (co PI), for research on bronchial epithelial cell kinetics.
Support from Other Sources Since 1993
2007 - Actelion Pharmaceuticals, Ltd. for a study of the efficacy of Bosentan in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
2007 - Glaxo Smith Kline, Ltd. for a study of the efficacy and safety of GW685698 twice daily in patients with asthma
2006-07 - Merck, Sharp and Dohm Israel, Ltd. for a study comparing oral Montelukast with Fluticasone-Proprionate inhalation in patients with chronic asthma, who smoke
2006-07 - Merck, Sharp and Dohm Israel, Ltd. for a study of the clinical effectiveness of intravenous Montelukast in patients with acute asthma
2004-05 - Merck Therapeutics Ltd. for a clinical study of PDE4 inhibitor in patients with COPD.
2002-04 - Novartis Pharma Ltd., together with Dr. N. Berkman, for a clinical study on omaslizumab in patients with moderate-to-severe asthma.
2002 - Glaxo Research Development Ltd., for a clinical study comparing steroid inhalors in asthmatics.
2000 - Glaxo Wellcome, for a clinical study of Zyban in patients with COPD.
5/99-4/00 - Israel Lung Association, for research on ATRA in COPD and PET scans in lung cancer
1999 Glaxo Wellcome, for a clinical study comparing Serotide and Singulair in asthmatics
Teaching at the Hebrew University
Medical degree (MD) students
1996-1998 - Itzhak Gur: Lymphokines of bleomycin-induced lung injury in sensitive C57Bl/6 and resistant BALB/c mice.
1996-1998 - Sigalit Kremer: Immunomodulation of bleomycin-induced lung injury.
1998-1999 - Anat Tzurel: Control of lung fibrosis by Halofuginone.
1998-2000 - Gila Ben-David: The response to acupuncture of asthmatic patients.
1999-2001 - Einav Horovitz: Use of anti-murine IFNg mAbs to clarify the role of IFNg in bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis in mice.
1999- 2001 - Keren Zilka-Agassi: The effect of IL-2-PE66 and IL2-Bax on bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis.
1999-2001 - Ofer Chen, degree completed “with distinction”: The effect of urokinase-type plasminogen activator inhibition on bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis.
Sergei Chernomordik: Control of bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis by Apigenin and Lovastatin.
Basic Science research training for medical residents
1995-1996 - Dr. Uri Laxer, The role of low molecular weight heparin in bleomycin-lung injury.
1996-1997 - Dr. Avia Preminger, Effect of chloroquine on bleomycin-induced lung injury in mice.
1998-1999 - Dr. Michael Segel, IFNg expression in murine bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis.
2005-2007 - Dr. Nissim Arish, The critical role of epithelial telomerase activity in murine bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis.
Research fellow
1997-2000 – Gavriel Izbicki: The role of Th1 and Th2 cytokines in bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis.
Masters degree (MSc) students
1999-2001 - Pazit Cohen: Origin and regulation of endogenous IFNg in bleomycin-induced fibrosis. Magna cum laude.
2002-2005 - Chana Ben-Yehuda: Mechanisms of persistent eosinophilic inflammation in asthmatic airways (with Dr. N. Berkman)
2004-2007 - Oshrat Golan: The role of telomerase activity and telomerase length in bleomyicn-induced lung fibrosis.
Doctoral degree (PhD) students
2001-present - Regina Golan: Apoptotic mechanism in bleomycin lung injury.
2005-present - Pazit Cohen: Thy1 and lung myofibroblasts.
2005-present - Martin Cohen: Chronic inflammation and remodeling in asthma (with Dr. N. Berkman).
Post-doctoral fellow
2001-2004 - Dr. Shulamit B. Wallach-Dayan: Pulmonary cellular interactions in bleomycin-induced lung injury.
Courses taught:
1990‑present: Director of undergraduate teaching in Pulmonary Medicine, Hebrew University‑ Hadassah School of Medicine, including:
Introduction to Internal Medicine – Pulmonary Section (4th year students)
Instruction to students on rotation in Department of Medicine (4th year, Ein Kerem and Mount Scopus)
Elective in Pulmonary Medicine (6th year students) at Ein Kerem
Referee for Professional Journals and Grant Agencies
§ American Journal of Physiology - Lung Cellular and Molecular Physiology
§ Pharmacogenetics
§ Cell and Tissue Research
§ European Journal of Pharmacology
§ Experimental Lung Research
§ Israel Medical Association Journal
§ Harefuah
§ German-Israeli Foundation for Scientific Research and Development
§ United States-Israel Binational Science Foundation
§ Israel Science Foundation
§ Israel Cancer Association
§ Chief Scientist, Ministry of Health, Israel
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
Scientific & Clinical Papers in Peer-Reviewed Journals Since 2000
64. Lossos IS, Breuer R, Intrator O, Lossos A. (2000). Cerebrospinal fluid lactate dehydrogenase isoenzyme analysis for the diagnosis of central nervous system involvement in hematooncological patients. Cancer 88:1599-1604.
65. Gur I, Or R, Segel MJ, Shriki M, Izbicki G, Breuer R. (2000). Lymphokines of bleomycin- induced lung injury in sensitive-C57BL/6 and resistant-BALB/c mice. Exp. Lung Res. 26:521-534.
66. Lossos IS, Izbicki G, Or R, Goldstein RH, Breuer R. (2000). The effect of suramin on bleomycin-induced lung injury. Life Sciences 67:2873-2881.
67. Glazer M, Nusair S, Breuer R, Lafair J, Sherman Y, Berkman N. (2000). The role of BAL in the diagnosis of pulmonary mucormycosis. Chest 117;279-282.
68. Rubinstein R, Breuer R, Chisin R. (2001). Newer diagnostic and therapeutic methods in lung cancer. Harefuah 140:100-103. (In Hebrew)
69. Berkman N, Kremer S, Or R, Lossos IS, Christensen TG, Goldstein RH, Breuer R. (2001). Human recombinant interferon-a2a and interferon-aA/D have different effects on bleomycin-induced lung injury. Respiration 68:169-177.
70. Segel MJ, Or R, Tzurel A, Lucey EC, Goldstein RH, Izbicki G, Breuer R. (2001). All-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA) is of no benefit in bleomycin-induced lung injury. Pulm. Pharmacol. Ther. 14:403-407.
71. Berkman N, Ohnona S, Chung FK, Breuer R. (2001). Eotaxin-3 but not eotaxin gene expression is upregulated in asthmatics 24 hours after allergen challenge. Am. J. Respir. Cell Mol. Biol. 24:682-687.
72. Nusair S, Breuer R, Amir G, Berkman N. (2002). Closed pleural needle biopsy: predicting diagnostic yield by examining pleural fluid parameters. Respir. Med. 96:890-894.
73. Shapira MY, Berkman N, Ben-David G, Avital A, Bardach E, Breuer R. (2002). Short term acupuncture therapy is of no effect in patients with moderate persistent asthma. Chest 121:1396-1400.
74. Lossos IS, Or R, Ginzburg V, Christensen TG, Mashriki Y, Breuer R. (2002). Cyclosporin A upmodulates bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis in BALB/c mice. Respiration 69:344-349.
75. Izbicki G, Segel MJ, Christensen TG, Conner MW, Breuer R. (2002). Time course of bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis. Int. J. Exp. Path. 83:111-119.
76. Tzurel A, Segel MJ, Or R, Goldstein RH, Breuer R. (2002). Halofuginone does not reduce fibrosis in bleomycin-induced lung injury. Life Sci 71:1599-1606.
77. Izbicki G, Or R, Christensen TG, Segel MJ, Fine A, Goldstein RH, Breuer R. (2002). Bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis in IL-4-overexpressing and knockout mice. Am. J. Physiol. Lung Cell Mol. Physiol. 283:L1110-L1116.
78. Nusair S, Amir G, Or R, Breuer R. (2002). Invasive airway aspergillosis with new airflow obstruction mimicking post-BMT bronchiolitis obliterans. Bone Marrow Transplant 29:711-713.
79. Berkman N, Avital A, Bardach E, Springer C, Breuer R, Godfrey S. (2003). The effect of montelukast on bronchial provocation tests and exhaled nitric oxide levels in asthmatic patients. Isr. Med. Assoc. J. 5:778-781.
80. Lucey EC, Goldstein RH, Breuer R, Rexer BN, Ong DE, Snider GL. (2003). Retinoic acid does not affect alveolar septation in adult FVB mice with elastase-induced emphysema. Respiration 70:200-205.
81. Segel MJ, Izbicki G, Cohen PY, Or R, Christensen TG, Wallach-Dayan SB, Breuer R.PI (2003). Role of interferon-g in the evolution of murine bleomycin lung fibrosis. Am. J. Physiol. Lung Cell Mol. Physiol. 285:L1255-L1262.
82. Barkan D, Nusair S, Resnick IB, Bitan M, Segel MJ, Or R, Ackerstein A, Samuel S, Breuer R, Shapira MY. (2004). Tube thoracostomy during allogeneic stem cell transplantation does not carry an increased risk for infections or bleeding. Clin. Transplant 18:85-88.
83. Nusair S, Breuer R, Shapira MY, Berkman N, Or R. (2004). Low incidence of pulmonary complications following non-myeloablative stem cell transplantation. Eur. Respir. J. 23:440-445
84. Berkman N, Avital A, Breuer R, Bardach E, Springer C, Godfrey S. (2005). Exhaled nitric oxide in the diagnosis of asthma: comparison with conventional diagnostic tests. Thorax 60:383-388
85. Segel MJ, Aqeilan R, Zilka K, Lorberboum-Galski H, Wallach-Dayan SB, Conner MW, Christensen TG, Breuer R. (2005). The effect of IL-2 Bax, a novel IL-2 receptor targeted chimeric protein, on bleomycin lung injury. Int. J. Exp. Pathol 86:279-288.
86. Nusair S, Or R, Junadi S, Amir G, Breuer R. (2005). Simultaneous donor marrow cell transplantation with reduced intensity conditioning prevents tracheal allograft obliteration in a bronchiolitis obliterans murine model. Chest: 128:4024-4029.
87. Wallach-Dayan SB, Izbicki G, Cohen PY, Golan R, Fine A, Breuer R. (2006). Bleomycin initiates apoptosis of lung epithelial cells by ROS but not by Fas/FasL pathway. Am. J. Physiol. Lung Cell Mol. Physiol: 290:L790-L796.
88. Shaham D, Breuer R, Copel L, Agid R, Makori A, Kisselgoff D, Goitein O, Izhar U, Berkman N, Heching N, Sosna J, Bar-Ziv J, Libson E. (2006) Computed tomography screening for lung cancer: applicability of an international protocol in a single-institution environment. Clin Lung Cancer 7(4):262-267.
89. Golan-Gerstl G, Wallach-Dayan S, Amir G, Breuer R. (2007). Epithelial cell apoptosis by FasL-positive myofibroblasts in lung fibrosis. Am J Resp Cell Mol Biol 36:270-275.
90. Fridlender Z, Cohen PY, Golan-Gerstl R, Wallach-Dayan S, Breuer R. (2007). Telomerase activity in bleomycin-induced epithelial cell apoptosis and lung fibrosis. Eur Respir J 30(2):205-213.
91. Nusair S, Rubinstein R, Freedman N, Amir G, Bogot NR, Izhar U, Breuer R. Positron emission tomography (PET) scans in interstitial lung disease. Respirology (in press).
92. Kohan M, Bader R, Ilaria P, Levi-Schaffer F, Breuer R, Berkman N. Enhanced osteopontin expression in a murine model of allergen-induced airway remodeling. Clin Exp Allergy (in press).
Participation in Scientific Conferences & Lectures Since 2000
28. Izbicki G, Hirschfeld E, Or R, Fine A, Breuer R. Bleomycin induces apoptosis in murine lung alveolar epithelial cells. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2000;161:A159. American Thoracic Society International Conference, Toronto, May 2000.
29. Breuer R. The use of Ibopropium bromide in smoking cessation. Israel Association of Pharmacologists, Jerusalem, March 2001
30. Segel MJ, Cohen P, Wallach-Dayan SB, Breuer R. IL-12 dependant increased IFNg expression in bleomycin lung injury. Am J Resp Crit Care Med 2001;163:A758. American Thoracic Society International Conference, San Francisco, May 2001.
31. Wallach-Dayan SB, Izbicki G, Siminovski Y, Breuer R. Fibroblast and epithelial cells, Fas/Fas-ligand apoptotic pathway in bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis. Scientific Conference of the Israel Society of Pulmonology, 2002.
32. Nusair S, Or R, Breuer R. Bone marrow transplantation ameliorates airway fibroproliferative (AFP) lesion in a murine model of post-transplant bronchiolitis obliterans (BO). Am J Resp Crit Care Med 2002;165:A403. American Thoracic Society International Conference, Atlanta, May 2002.
33. Fridlender ZG, Wallach-Dayan SB, Cohen PY, Breuer R. Bleomycin induced apoptosis of lung epithelial cells is mediated by reduction of telomerase activity. Am J Resp Crit Care Med 2004;169:A796. American Thoracic Society International Conference, Orlando, May 2004.
34. Breuer R. Pathogenesis and therapy of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Merck Therapeutics Ltd., Petach Tikvah, May 2004.
35. Golan-Gerstl R, Wallach-Dayan SB, Breuer R. Lung fibroblasts induce Fas/FasL-mediated epithelial cell apoptosis. Scientific Conference of the Israel Society of Pulmonology, June, 2004.
36. Golan-Gerstl R, Wallach-Dayan SB, Breuer R. Fas/FasL expression and function in myofibroblasts isolated from bleomycin-treated C57BL/6 mice. Scientific Conference of the Israel Society of Pulmonology, March 2005.
37. Fridlender ZG, Wallach-Dayan SB, Cohen PY, Golan O and Breuer R. Telomerase activity and telomeric length in bleomycin induced apoptosis of murine lung epithelial cells. Scientific Conference of the Israel Society of Pulmonology, March 2005.
38. Berkman N, Ben-Yehuda C, Bader R, Uxxedo I, Levi-Schaffer F, Breuer R. Eotaxin/CCL11 and eotaxin-2/CCL24 expression and eosinophilic airway inflammation in OVA-challenged BALB/c mice. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2005;2:A96. American Thoracic Society International Conference, San Diego, May 2005.
39. Golan-Gerstl R, Wallach-Dayan SB, Breuer R. Fas/FasL expression and function in myofibroblasts isolated from bleomycin-treated C57BL/6 mice. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2005;2:A325. American Thoracic Society International Conference, San Diego, May 2005.
40. Fridlender ZG, Wallach-Dayan SB, Cohen PY, Golan O, Breuer R. Telomerase activity and telomeric length in bleomycin induced apoptosis of murine lung epithelial cells. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2005;2:A326. American Thoracic Society International Conference, San Diego, May 2005.
41. Fridlender ZG, Wallach-Dayan SB, Golan O, Golan-Gerstl R, Cohen PY, Arish N, Breuer R. Increased telomerase activity in epithelial cells surviving bleomycin-induced lung injury. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2007:A967. American Thoracic Society International Conference, San Francisco, May 2007. Abstract
42. Arish N, Fridlender ZG, Cohen PY, Wallach-Dayan SB, Breuer R. Overexpression of telomerase protests muring lung epithelial cells from bleomycin-induced apoptosis. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2007:A393. American Thoracic Society International Conference, San Francisco, May 2007. Abstract
43. Golan-Gerstl R, Wallach-Dayan SB, Breuer R. The role of FLIP in regulating lung myofibroblasts. Fas signaling of apoptosis and proliferation. Scientific Conference of the Israel Society of Pulmonology, Cesarea, Israel, May 2007.
44. Cohen PY, Wallach-Dayan S, Breuer R. The mechanisms of Thy 1-mediated regulation of lung myofibroblast apoptosis and proliferation. Scientific Conference of the Israel Society of Pulmonology, Cesarea, Israel, May 2007.
45. Wallach-Dayan S, Golan-Gerstl R, Breuer R. Myofibroblast escape from immune surveillance: a mechanism for tissue fibrosis. Scientific Conference of the Israel Society of Pulmonology, Cesarea, Israel, May 2007.
46. Fridlender ZG, Arish N, Wallach-Dayan S, Golan-Gerstl R, Breuer, R. Telomerase activity of epithelial cells in bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis. Scientific Conference of the Israel Society of Pulmonology, Cesarea, Israel, May 2007.
47. Arish N, Fridlender ZG, Wallach-Dayan S, Breuer R. Overexpression of telomerase protects lung epithelial cells from bleomycin- and Fas-induced apoptosis. Scientific Conference of the Israel Society of Pulmonology, Cesarea, Israel, May 2007.
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