Named Grant:

The ICRF – Joseph Safra Memorial Grant for Glioblastoma Research

About the Investigator:

Dr. Burstyn-Cohen’s research focuses on understanding how TAM signaling (cell-to-cell communication that helps regulate immune responses and cell growth) maintains healthy tissues. In particular, she studies how these proteins may promote cancer growth on the one hand and shut down immune responses on the other hand. This generates conditions that are favorable for cancer growth. Dr. Burstyn-Cohen undertook two postdoctoral trainings, one at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and another at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in San Diego. She has been an Associate Professor at the Hebrew University since 2011.

About the Research:

In this study, Dr. Burstyn-Cohen proposes investigating PROS1 overexpression in aggressive brain tumors called glioblastomas (GBM). PROS1 is a protein that helps regulate blood clotting and has been linked to specific diseases and conditions. The aggressiveness and high frequency of relapse of GBM can be attributed to its widely invasive and infiltrative nature, as well as the diverse characteristics of its various tumor types. Interestingly, the Burstyn-Cohen research team found a correlation between these aggressive GBM tumors and PROS1 overexpression. Moreover, PROS1 overexpression is correlated with a particularly fierce group of cells within brain cancer called Glioma Stem Cells (GSCs).

Dr. Burstyn-Cohen’s research aims to understand the contribution of PROS1 to GBM aggressiveness. Her initial studies found that blocking PROS1 expression makes GBM more sensitive to radiation and chemotherapy. Her group will study the effects of PROS1 overexpression and its neutralization on brain cancer, the generation of glioma stem cells, and the survival, proliferation, and migration of these cells — all features necessary for tumor growth. This proposed study aims to understand how PROS1 supports brain tumors and experimentally blocks and silences their expression, sensitizing GBM to treatment to benefit patients.