His important contribution included a host of breakthrough insights and discoveries, publications and collaborations in the field of cancer research
Prof. Yitzhak (Itzik) Weitz from the Schmonis School at Tel Aviv University won the Szent-Györgyi Prize for the Advancement of Cancer Research for the year 2023, as determined by the Prize Committee of the National Cancer Research Fund (NFCR) in the USA. The prize will be awarded to Prof. Weitz, a world-renowned researcher in the field of cancer , for his groundbreaking research, which revealed that information flow and two-way signal transmission between cancer cells and the tumor microenvironment Cancer cells play a crucial role in tumor growth and metastasis.
The Saint-Georges Prize is awarded annually to scientists whose pioneering discoveries contributed to the prevention, diagnosis or treatment of cancer, had a profound and long-term impact on the understanding of cancer, and created a promise to improve or save the lives of cancer patients. The award will be presented to Prof. Weitz in a festive ceremony to be held on 21.10.23 at the National Press Club in Washington, USA.
Prof. Yitzhak Weitz expressed great satisfaction and said: "Knowing that my work shaped the understanding of the microenvironment of the cancer tumor, and laid the foundation for life-saving immunotherapy treatments, gives me a tremendous sense of satisfaction. Winning the Saint-Georgy Prize is a great honor for me, and I thank the committee from the bottom of my heart The award for the prestigious recognition, which allows me to stand in the same line with the honorable winners who preceded me."
Prof. Weitz achieved many achievements during an impressive career of more than 50 years. Today, as professor emeritus at Tel Aviv University, he serves as the head of the laboratory for the study of the microenvironment and metastasis of cancer tumors at the Schmonis School of Biomedical Research and Cancer Research in the George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences. His important contribution during decades of research included a multitude of breakthrough insights and discoveries, publications and collaborations, with an emphasis on the critical role of the microenvironment in the biology of cancer cells, in the development of tumors and in the formation of metastases.
In the early stages of his scientific journey, in the 60s, Prof. Weitz conducted pioneering experiments that demonstrated that components of the immune system infiltrate the microenvironment of the cancerous tumor and influence its behavior. His research revealed that humoral immune factors located in the environment of the cancerous tumor exert a decisive influence on the fight of the immune system in the development of the tumor, its proliferation and invasion of distant organs and the formation of metastases. These important findings laid the foundation for the main aspects of the immunotherapy used today, thereby greatly helping cancer patients and advancing medicine towards finding a cure for cancer.
Dr. Rakesh K. Jain, recipient of the 2022 Geirgi-Sent Award and Chairman of the Award Committee for 2023, expressed his joy at Prof. Weitz's win and emphasized the significant impact of his work on the development of treatments designed to damage molecules in the tumor's microenvironment . Jain, who also studies the microenvironment of cancerous tumors, believes that this field will continue to generate opportunities for the development of life-saving treatments in the future.
