Itai Benhar, PhD

About the Investigator:

Prof. Itai Benhar is an expert in the field of antibody engineering, drug discovery and drug delivery. His research group is currently focused on three major topics: 1) evaluation of novel formats of bispecific antibodies as potential anti-cancer agents; 2) Antibody discovery for treating cancer, allergies, inflammation, and viral infections; and 3) Targeted drug-carrying nanomedicines. He received his BSc and his PhD degrees in Molecular Biology from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. After postdoctoral training at the NIH, he joined Tel Aviv University, where he is now a Full Professor in the Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research at the George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences.

About the Research:

B cells are an essential part of the immune system, particularly in fighting infections. However, some B cells can become harmful. These “bad” B cells might attack the body’s own tissues, turn cancerous (such as in B-cell lymphomas), or react negatively to certain drugs. Traditional methods to get rid of these harmful B cells often target all B cells indiscriminately, using treatments like monoclonal antibodies or CAR T-cells. This approach eliminates both good and bad B cells, which can lead to significant side effects and make patients more vulnerable to infections.

Prof. Benhar’s research project aims to evaluate a new type of treatment using “tetravalent bispecific antibodies.” These specially-designed antibodies have four binding sites instead of the usual two. They are engineered to specifically target and kill only the harmful B cells. The plan is to test these antibodies in cell cultures and in a mouse model of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL). The Benhar lab hopes that this targeted approach will effectively eliminate the bad B cells while preserving the good ones, thereby maintaining a healthy immune response.