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About Us

The Israel Cancer Research Fund/ICRF is a voluntary charitable organization that receives its total income from private donations. ICRF was founded in 1975 by a group of American and Canadian researchers, oncologists, and lay people determined to harness Israel's educational and scientific resources in the fight against cancer. Its initial purpose was to stem the "brain drain" of Israeli researchers by providing funds for postdoctoral fellowships for young Ph.D.'s. ICRF is the only U.S.-based charity solely devoted to supporting cancer research in Israel.

Since its inception, ICRF has provided more than $33 million to support innovative studies by Israeli scientists. Our awardees are selected through a rigorous peer-review process that is conducted by a world-class scientific panel. We support individuals at all of the major research institutions in Israel. ICRF-funded researchers have been making significant progress and have been able to develop improved chemotherapies, advanced techniques in bone marrow transplantation, and an enhanced understanding of tumor suppressor genes.

By continuing to support cancer research in Israel for the benefit of all mankind, the ICRF:

makes it possible for scientists to utilize Israel's unique population of diverse ethnic groups which afford unequalled opportunities to study genetic and environmental data that contribute to cancer;
places a strong emphasis on young scientists pioneering in new directions with fresh approaches to areas of research that have challenged the experts;
respects and draws upon Israel's unparalleled convergence of some of the finest scientists and physicians in the free world - a resource that must not

Celebrating Life… giving Hope through Achievement…

• Velcade - a drug used to treat multiple myeloma, a cancer of the bone marrow, was developed based on the research of

ICRF Professors and Nobel Prize winners, Drs. Avram Hershko & Aaron Ciechanover, Technion, Israel Institute of Technology

•Gleevec - the first drug to directly target cancer cells, was developed based on the research work of ICRF awardee, Dr. Eli Canaani, Weizmann Institute of Science

•Doxil - the first drug encapsulated in a liposome (or microscopic fat bubble) for direct delivery to a tumor site, was developed by ICRF awardee, Dr. Alberto Gabizon, Shaare Zedek Medical Center

• The p53 Gene - originally thought to cause cancer, was correctly identified as a tumor suppressor, and its role in the majority of human cancers further elucidated by ICRF

awardees, Drs. Moshe Oren and Varda Rotter, Weizmann Institute of Science

• DNA Methylation - is a molecular process that turns genes on and off. Pioneering work in this area was performed by ICRF Professor and Israel Prize winner, Dr. Howard Cedar, Hebrew University/Hadassah Medical School

• The RAD51 Gene - The discovery that a minor mutation in this gene increases the risk of breast cancer in women with the BRCA2 gene mutation was made by ICRF awardee Dr. Ephrat Levy-Lahad, Shaare Zedek Medical Center

• A Novel Bone Marrow Transplant Technique - to greatly expand the donor pool for leukemia treatment, was developed by ICRF awardee,Dr.Yair Reisner,Weizmann Institute of Science