Professor Eithan Galun

Research Interests

A small animal model for Hepatitis B and C virus (HBV & HCV) infections
Human monoclonal anti HBV and HCV antibodies that underwent a clinical translation
Understanding the role of IL6 and IL6 trans-signalling in tissue regeneration
A siRNA based therapy against pancreatic cancer – currently in phase II clinical studies
Found the mechanism of inflammation induced anemia – miR122 dependent
Identified the role of miR122* in HCC development
Mechanism of radiation induced alopecia, and found a therapy for this
Mechanism of the “killer” of the horn of Africa, Nodding syndrome: An autoimmune malady
Role of microRNAs in the development of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis
Role of IL6 in radiation induced senescence and xerostomia
Mechanism of HCC development following radio-frequency ablation
Role of the lncRNA H19 in HCC development
Developed the oncolytic virus, Newcastle Disease virus for treating Glioblastoma multiforme
Developed femtosecond ultrafast infrared laser for gene transduction
Currently developing new drugs for NASH based on our findings of miR-122 in triglyceride metabolism.

Both hepatocytes derived microRNA-122 and microRNA-122*, as others and we show have a tumor suppressive effects. This figure adopted from an editorial (Hepatology. 2016 Nov;64(5):1424-1426) on our report summarizes the known about microRNA 122/122* biogenesis and targets through which tumor suppression is mediated

Figure 2: Upon inflammation TNFα induces microRNA-122 expression and secretion. This microRNA then circulates in the blood stream to reach the cells in the kidney which produce erythropoietin. This microRNA-122 targets the seed sequence of the message of erythropoietin to reduce its expression.

Figure 3: Free fatty acids via RORα induce the expression of microRNA-122. This increase then is followed by microRNA-122 effect inside the liver for the reduction of triglycerides biosynthesis by targeting the 3’-UTRs of two mRNAs of genes involved in triglycerides biosynthesis. The microRNA-122 then is secreted out of hepatocytes to target peripheral cells including adipocytes, muscle cells and heart muscle cells. In these cells, there is also a reduction of triglyceride biosynthesis, and increase in free fatty acids which then reach the liver and hepatocytes through the circulation and complete this “hormonal” type of circle, by inducing moicroRNA-122 increase.

Figure 4: Our team is interested to identify the cell of origin of liver cancer, the hepatocellular cancer. To do this we have engineered a number of mouse models and are now following them. We have found that there is evidence for the origin of a specific type of cancer in the liver that originates from the putative liver stem cell. We are now further investigating this and developing therapeutic approaches.