Page 15 - Revista FRONTAL Edição Especial iMed 12.0

BRAIN

TAMIR BEN-HUR MD, PHD

ONE METHOD TO ENHANCE THE PROTECTIVE POWERS OF STEM CELLS

AUTHOR
RITA PEREIRA NETO

Professor Ben-Hur is a top neurolo- tions that by “solution” he means prevent-
gy doctor from Israel. He is a specialist in ing or postponing the onset of the disease,
regenerative medicine and neuroimmu- since a cure is still quite far off.
nology and is Chairman of the Division One therapeutic method is to en-
for Clinical Neurosciences at the Hadas- hance the protective powers of stem cells
sah Medical Center. Dr. Ben-Hur focuses by manipulating them so that they func-
on treatment of multiple sclerosis, nerve tion better and continue to do the job for
system regeneration, malignant tumors in which they were intended. As Prof. Ben-
children and stem cells therapy. Hur notes, 5% of the brain’s cells are stem
Professor Tamir Ben-Hur did his cells, the basic building blocks of life and
pre-clinical studies at the Hebrew Univer- that is a lot. “What are they doing there?”
sity-Hadassah Medical School, finishing in The brain is not developing anymore and
1983. He then earned his MD and PhD in yet they are still there.
Microbiology, specializing in Virology, at Professor Ben-Hur and his colleagues
the same university in 1989. Professor Ben- hypothesized that these stem cells have
Hur trained in Neurology at Hadassah Uni- a therapeutic function persisting through
versity Hospital until 1994 and conducted adulthood. And, indeed, his laboratory
post-doctoral studies at the prestigious at Hadassah was the first to reveal many
Pasteur Institute in Paris between 1995 years ago that stem cells heal injuries in
and 1997. He is Chief permanent physician the brain by reducing inflammation. Fur-
in the Department of Neurology since thermore, when specific stem cells called
2000, served as head of the program for neural precursor cells (NPCs) were trans-
Neurology, Neurosurgery and Rehabilita- planted into the mouse brain, they proved and Academic Exchange Partnership)
tion in the Hebrew University – Hadassah to support the growth and survival of the “Towards regenerative medicine in multi-
Faculty of Medicine between 1999 and brain’s neurons. With age, these NPCs be- ple sclerosis” between 2012 and 2016 and
2005, and as member of the teaching come dysfunctional and Dr. Ben-Hur hy- from the Cure Alzheimer`s Fund Stem cell
and research committees of the Faculty pothesizes that it is the environment that consortium between 2013 and 2015.
of Medicine during the same period. He induces this dysfunction. Professor Ben-Hur is a member of
was treasurer of the Israeli Neurological Professor Ben-Hur defends that what multiple prestigious organizations such
Association between 2002 and 2008 and is needed is a screening tool that alerts as The Israel Neurological Association, The
is a member of its scientific committee. doctors to a detrimental shift in the American Neurological Association, The
Professor Ben-Hur was Chairman of the brain’s environment before symptons ap- International Society of Neuroimmunolo-
Department of Neurology at Hadassah pear, however he says that in the mean- gy, The American Academy of Neurology
University Medical Center between 2005 time “with what we already know today, and The Society for Neuroscience.
and 2018 and is currently Chairman of the we can protect ourselves to a significant Dr. Ben-Hur has published over 100
Division for Clinical Neurosciences at the degree from developing Alzheime’s dis- papers in basic and clinical neurosciences
same university. ease” by healthy eating, regular exercise and serves on the editorial board of sev-
With the chance that anyone of us and healthy sleep. The answer may lie eral neuroscience journals. Professor Ben-
could acquire Alzheimer’s disease dou- with our stem cells, the basic building Hur presents the field of basic and clinical
bling every 5 years after age 60 and sta- block of our brains, as well as in other ex- translation of cell therapy in neurological
tistics showing that 40-50% of those over citing approaches. diseases in many international conferenc-
®
85 years will get the disease, Prof. Tamir Professor Ben-Hur’s team has received es, such as the iMed Conference 12.0.
Ben-Hur views the illness as an epidemic multiple grants namely The British Coun-
that is crying out for a solution but cau- cil and Birax (the Britain Israel Research

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