Adi Zoref-Lorenz, MD, PhD

About the Investigator:

Dr. Adi Zoref-Lorenz is a physician-scientist specializing in hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), a life-threatening hyperinflammatory syndrome often associated with hematologic malignancies. She is a faculty member at Tel Aviv University and practices medicine at the Hematology Institute at Meir Medical Center in Israel. At Meir Medical Center, she founded the Oncologic Hyper Inflammation (OHI) Laboratory and established an HLH service, both aimed at advancing patient care through a blend of research and clinical practice.

About the Research:

Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a life-threatening condition where the body’s immune system goes into overdrive, causing severe inflammation. It can occur due to genetic factors or secondary to cancers or infections. In adults, blood cancers (hematologic malignancies) are a major cause of HLH, leading to a very low survival rate of just 10-20%. Historically, most of what we know about HLH comes from studying children with the genetic form of the disease called familial HLH. In these cases, genetic mutations disrupt the immune system, causing it to attack the body.

To better address HLH in adults with blood cancers, Dr. Zoref-Lorenz developed a new tool called the Optimized HLH Inflammatory (OHI) index, categorizing patients into two groups based on laboratory blood test values: OHI+ and OHI-. This tool helps diagnose and predict the course of HLH, specifically in patients with blood cancers. Her research has shown that patients with HLH triggered by blood cancers often die from organ failure rather than the cancer itself, and also found that patients in the OHI+ group share a similar immune response to children with familial HLH, particularly involving a protein called interferon-gamma (IFN-γ). Targeting IFN-γ is the only approved treatment for familial HLH.

The ultimate goal of this project is to improve the tools used to diagnose and treat HLH in patients with blood cancers, aiming to improve their chances of survival and quality of life.