Meital Gal-Tanamy, PhD

About the Investigator

I am an associate Professor at the Faculty of Medicine, Bar-Ilan University, and the head of the Molecular virology lab. I am also the President of the Israel Society of Microbiology (ISM). I have 22 years’ experience in virology, studying Hepatitis C and B viruses. I have a track record of excellence in the field of virus-host interactions and liver disease. My research is focused on understanding the pathogenesis of HCV infection and their effect on the mechanisms leading to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

About the Research

Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) is a leading cause of liver cancer worldwide. While powerful modern drugs can now cure the viral infection, they surprisingly fail to eliminate the risk of developing cancer later. Our research discovered that this is likely because the virus leaves behind a “molecular scar” on the liver’s DNA-long-lasting changes to how genes are switched on and off-that persist even after the virus is eradicated.

Currently, we do not know if this dangerous scar forms when the body fights off the virus naturally (spontaneous clearance), or if it requires long-term illness. Answering this is urgent because the scientific community is considering infecting healthy volunteers to test new vaccines. It is ethically critical to know if a short, “temporary” infection leaves permanent damage before proceeding.

Because we cannot obtain liver samples from healthy people who cleared the virus, we will use a unique mouse model that mimics human infection. We will compare mice that naturally clear the virus against those that remain chronically infected. We will also determine if the scar is caused directly by the virus or by general liver inflammation.

This study will provide essential safety data for future vaccine trials. Ultimately, by identifying what drives this “scar,” we hope to develop new treatments to reverse it and prevent cancer in millions of cured patients.