ICRF supports several Israeli scientists conducting studies in breast cancer. This month the spotlight turns to Professor Neta Erez, Head of the Laboratory of Tumor Biology and Chair of the Department of Pathology at Tel Aviv University, who is studying the early stages of tumor metastasis, with a focus on the metastatic microenvironment. Funded by ICRF since 2011, Professor Erez and her team are studying cancer-related inflammation and the role of stromal (connective tissue cells) and immune cells in supporting the metastasis of breast cancer tumor cells to the lungs. Cancer mortality is almost exclusively a result of metastasis. Yet, very little is known about the role of the metastic environment in allowing the primary tumor to propagate and colonize the metastic organ.

Professor Erez’s goal is to further understand how cells in the tissue in which a microenvironment of tumors facilitate the growth of metastic tumor cells. Currently, most anti-cancer therapy is applied following the operative resection of the tumor in order to prevent relapse. She hopes to discover molecular pathways that could lead to the development of novel therapies to efficiently inhibit breast cancer metastases.

•Breast cancer is the second most deadly cancer in the U.S. and Israel. Ashkenazi Jews are ten times more likely to have a BRCA gene mutation.

• In 2020, it is estimated that among women in the U.S. there will be more than 276,480 new cases of invasive breast cancer, 48,530 new cases of ductal carcinoma in situ (a non- invasive breast cancer), and 42,170 breast cancer deaths. According to the Susan G. Komen foundation, in 2020 there will be 131.6 new cases of breast cancer per 100,000 women and 19.9 deaths per 100,000 women.

• The Israel Cancer Association reports that breast cancer comprises about one third of all new cancer cases each year in women. It is the most prevalent malignant disease in women of all population groups in Israel and constitutes about one-fifth of all cancer mortality in women. In 2017 (the most recent data available from the National Cancer Registry), 5,279 new patients were diagnosed in Israel; 4,689 were diagnosed with an invasive tumor and 630 in situ. In 2017, 1,078 women died of invasive breast cancer in Israel. The majority of morbidity—both with invasive breast cancer and in situ—is in women 50 and older.

• The World Health Organization ranks Israel 26 worldwide in the number of new patients per year, and 64 in mortality rates, evidence of a decrease in mortality rates due to the upward trend in early detection and up-to-date treatments.

• About one-third of all breast cancer cases, according to the Israel Cancer Association, are preventable by adopting healthy habits such as maintaining optimum weight, exercising, refraining from smoking and alcohol consumption. Simultaneously, breast exams, according to age-based guidelines and genetic history, are also of paramount importance in mitigating the disease.

ICRF mourns the recent death of Dr. Peter Stambrook, a key organizer and leader of the Scientific Review Panel and past Chair of the International Scientific Council. Respected and beloved by all who knew him, Dr. Stambrook was deeply involved in the process of selecting grant recipients and advising declined applicants on how to improve their applications for a future submission.

Born in 1941 in London to parents who fled Vienna in 1939, Stambrook immigrated to the U.S. in 1953 and settled in Ithaca, New York. He received a bachelor’s degree in biology from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York, and a master’s degree in zoology from Syracuse University. Following his doctorate, he completed a two-year postdoctoral fellowship in the Department of Cell Biology at the University of Kentucky Medical Center. 

Click here for the University of Cincinnati's tribute to Dr. Stambrook.

Additional details and registration will be available shortly on our website.

Webinar sponsorship opportunities are still available for 2020. To learn more,

please contact caitlin.shmidheiser@icrfonline.org.

Jason Alexander joined the ICRF Women’s Advisory Committee (WAC) for a special Zoom call to mark the start of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Alexander, the host of ICRF’s first-ever nationwide Ribbons of Hope virtual gala in August, generously auctioned off the private call in support of the event, which ultimately raised over $1.4 million for groundbreaking cancer research.

The Committee, which brings together a diverse cadre of women business leaders and philanthropists, formed in early 2020 and was instrumental in the online event's success. WAC members spearheaded a new fund focused on women’s cancers in honor of the Alexander family. The fund has already raised over $23,000.

The group also seeded the concept behind the special monthly ICRF Presents: Brilliant Minds webinar series and has continued to evolve the series to spotlight survivor perspectives and stories of hope, including that of member Linnea Olson.

The future of drug development will be driven by an intersection of computer science, mathematics,

engineering and nanoscience. Key to such innovation is bio-convergence, technology inspired by naturally occurring processes. Israel is planning to invest $30 million dollars in bio-convergence, according to a recent article in Israel 21c.

ICRF-funded scientist Professor Ronit Satchi-Fainaro heads a 30-person nano medicine cancer research laboratory in the department of physiology and pharmacology at Tel Aviv University. Her lab includes research associates in biology, chemistry, medical engineering, and bioinformatics. Recently, the lab developed a method for 3D printing of cancerous brain tumors using MRI on images. After producing 20 mini-tumors, they connected them to a set of tubes and pumps that delivered simulated blood, chemotherapy and other cancer treatments, enabling physicians to test drugs on a perfect replica of the actual tumor.

Professor Satchi-Fainaro is also working on an immune-modulated response for Covid-19 and an immunotherapy nano-vaccine for melanoma.

Israel Cancer Research Fund (ICRF) Toronto Board President Bonnie Fish and ICRF Toronto Executive Director Jennifer Ouaknine are thrilled to announce a record Major Gift to ICRF Toronto of US $1 Million to create the Beverley Librach Abshez Fund for Ovarian and Female Reproductive Cancer Research.

This is the largest single gift raised by ICRF Toronto.

ICRF Toronto is honored to be the recipient of this generous gift in memory of Beverley Librach Abshez who died of ovarian cancer. The anonymous donors believe that focused research by Israeli cancer scientists in this area will take the world closer to a cure.

"This extraordinary gift will make a real difference in the fight against female reproductive cancers. Israeli scientists are making great strides in cancer research every day and funding like this is critical to ensuring their efforts continue. Even in these unprecedented times, our donors continue to provide hope," commented Bryna Goldberg, ICRF International Chair.

In September, ICRF Chicago lost a dear friend and board member, Dubi Fishel, who bravely waged a battle against metastatic pancreatic cancer for over three years. Dubi was raised in Israel and served in the military. Dubi and his wife Francine lived on Kibbutz Urim in the Western Negev, raising their three children, Daphna, Gilead, and Carin. Dubi was a leader in agriculture development and textile manufacturing.

The family moved to the United States in 1984, making their home in Northbrook, Illinois. For over 25 years, Dubi worked as an operations executive in several manufacturing industries and then ran his own consulting business. Dubi was also a dedicated volunteer for the Village of Northbrook, as a producer and director of NBK-TV and devoted time to Keshet, an organization supporting individuals with disabilities.

To donate to the Dubi Fishel fund, please click here.