Yifat Merbl, PhD

About the Investigator:

The goal of Prof. Merbl’s research is to unlock the mysteries of proteasomes in cancer. She received her BSc degree from Bar-Ilan University, MSc from the Weizmann Institute of Science, and PhD from Harvard Medical School. After postdoctoral training at Harvard, she returned to Weizmann where she is an Associate Professor in the Department of Systems Immunology. The power of her lab’s interdisciplinary approach, bridging capabilities in biochemistry, cell biology, immunology, and in vivo models, together with proteomics and computational biology, allow her to develop and address basic science questions as well as translational ones.

About the Research:

Proteasomal degradation is a process where proteins in cells are broken down by a complex called the proteasome. The proteasome acts like a recycling center, chopping up unneeded or damaged proteins into smaller pieces called peptides. This process is vital for our body’s defense against tumors. It helps process antigens, causes tumor inflammation, and influences how well immunotherapy works. However, we don’t fully understand its impact because tumor degradation has not been studied thoroughly.

Prof. Merbl and her team have developed a method called Mass Spectrometry Analysis of Proteolytic Peptides (or MAPP) to explore how cells and tissues break down proteins. By isolating proteasomes and identifying trapped peptides, they gained an in-depth knowledge about tumor degradation and its effect on immunotherapy.

Now, they aim to improve MAPP for better use in cancer treatment. The Merbl lab plans to adapt it for specific tissue samples, reduce the number of samples needed, and include computer analyses. Their goal is to show that MAPP can identify cancer-specific antigens for immunotherapy. By studying proteasome activity and protein breakdown in patients’ tumors, they hope to ultimately improve cancer diagnostics, prognostics, and treatments.