Alexander Levitzki
Encyclopedia
Alexander Levitzki (born 1940) is an Israeli biochemist
who is a Professor of Biochemistry at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
.
in Israel. He received his Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Biophysics from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
and the Weizmann Institute of Science
, in 1968. From 1968 to 1971, he was a post-doctoral fellow at the Department of Biochemistry, University of California at Berkeley in California, with Professor Daniel E. Koshland, Jr.
In 1974, he became an associate Professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
. In 1976, he was promoted to Professor of Biochemistry at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
. He has been Visiting Scientist at the National Cancer Institute, and Fogarty International Scholar , NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, Visiting Scholar at Stanford University
in California
, Visiting Professor at the University of Oregon (Eugene) and Visiting Professor at the University of California , San Francisco. He is also a member of the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities and was the head of its science section.
) against a wide spectrum of protein tyrosine kinases. Levitzki demonstrated (1993) that such an inhibitor of Bcr-Abl kinase induces death of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) cells.This work led to the development of Gleevec by Novartis(1996) that is currently used, with great success, for therapy of patients afflicted by this disease. Levitzki also pioneered the inhibitors of EGF receptor, PDGF receptor, Her-2/neu, Jak-2, VEGFR and peptide based cell permeable PKB/Akt inhibitors. Levitzki also showed that PDGFR kinase inhibitors (PDGFR directed tyrphostins), released from nanoparticles or from a drug eluting stent can be used to inhibit restenosis after balloon angioplasty.
In 2006 his research team developed a method for inducing brain tumor
cells to "commit suicide".
, in life sciences (following in the footsteps of his father, Jacob Levitzki
, who had received the prize, for exact sciences, in 1953).
In 2005, he was awarded the Wolf Prize in Medicine
for "pioneering signal transduction therapy and for developing tyrosine kinase inhibitors as effective agents against cancer and a range of other diseases".
Biochemist
Biochemists are scientists who are trained in biochemistry. Typical biochemists study chemical processes and chemical transformations in living organisms. The prefix of "bio" in "biochemist" can be understood as a fusion of "biological chemist."-Role:...
who is a Professor of Biochemistry at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Hebrew University of Jerusalem
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem ; ; abbreviated HUJI) is Israel's second-oldest university, after the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. The Hebrew University has three campuses in Jerusalem and one in Rehovot. The world's largest Jewish studies library is located on its Edmond J...
.
Birth and education
Alexander Levitzki was born in 1940 in Palestine. He completed his M.Sc. in Chemistry from the Hebrew University of JerusalemHebrew University of Jerusalem
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem ; ; abbreviated HUJI) is Israel's second-oldest university, after the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. The Hebrew University has three campuses in Jerusalem and one in Rehovot. The world's largest Jewish studies library is located on its Edmond J...
in Israel. He received his Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Biophysics from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Hebrew University of Jerusalem
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem ; ; abbreviated HUJI) is Israel's second-oldest university, after the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. The Hebrew University has three campuses in Jerusalem and one in Rehovot. The world's largest Jewish studies library is located on its Edmond J...
and the Weizmann Institute of Science
Weizmann Institute of Science
The Weizmann Institute of Science , known as Machon Weizmann, is a university and research institute in Rehovot, Israel. It differs from other Israeli universities in that it offers only graduate and post-graduate studies in the sciences....
, in 1968. From 1968 to 1971, he was a post-doctoral fellow at the Department of Biochemistry, University of California at Berkeley in California, with Professor Daniel E. Koshland, Jr.
Daniel E. Koshland, Jr.
Daniel Edward Koshland, Jr. reorganized the study of biology at the University of California at Berkeley and was the editor of the leading US science journal, Science, from 1985 to 1995...
Academic career
In 1970, Alexander Levitzki became a Senior Scientist at the Department of Biophysics, Weizmann Institute of Science. In 1974, he became an Associate Professor at the same institute.In 1974, he became an associate Professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Hebrew University of Jerusalem
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem ; ; abbreviated HUJI) is Israel's second-oldest university, after the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. The Hebrew University has three campuses in Jerusalem and one in Rehovot. The world's largest Jewish studies library is located on its Edmond J...
. In 1976, he was promoted to Professor of Biochemistry at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Hebrew University of Jerusalem
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem ; ; abbreviated HUJI) is Israel's second-oldest university, after the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. The Hebrew University has three campuses in Jerusalem and one in Rehovot. The world's largest Jewish studies library is located on its Edmond J...
. He has been Visiting Scientist at the National Cancer Institute, and Fogarty International Scholar , NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, Visiting Scholar at Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, Visiting Professor at the University of Oregon (Eugene) and Visiting Professor at the University of California , San Francisco. He is also a member of the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities and was the head of its science section.
Research
Alexander Levitzki is known for developing specific chemical inhibitors of cancer-induced protein kinases. He was the first to develop systematically tyrosine phosphorylation inhibitors (tyrphostinsTyrphostins
A tyrosine-kinase inhibitor is a pharmaceutical drug that inhibits tyrosine kinases, enzymes responsible for the activation of signal transduction cascades...
) against a wide spectrum of protein tyrosine kinases. Levitzki demonstrated (1993) that such an inhibitor of Bcr-Abl kinase induces death of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) cells.This work led to the development of Gleevec by Novartis(1996) that is currently used, with great success, for therapy of patients afflicted by this disease. Levitzki also pioneered the inhibitors of EGF receptor, PDGF receptor, Her-2/neu, Jak-2, VEGFR and peptide based cell permeable PKB/Akt inhibitors. Levitzki also showed that PDGFR kinase inhibitors (PDGFR directed tyrphostins), released from nanoparticles or from a drug eluting stent can be used to inhibit restenosis after balloon angioplasty.
In 2006 his research team developed a method for inducing brain tumor
Brain tumor
A brain tumor is an intracranial solid neoplasm, a tumor within the brain or the central spinal canal.Brain tumors include all tumors inside the cranium or in the central spinal canal...
cells to "commit suicide".
Awards
In 1990, he was awarded the Israel PrizeIsrael Prize
The Israel Prize is an award handed out by the State of Israel and is largely regarded as the state's highest honor. It is presented annually, on Israeli Independence Day, in a state ceremony in Jerusalem, in the presence of the President, the Prime Minister, the Knesset chairperson, and the...
, in life sciences (following in the footsteps of his father, Jacob Levitzki
Jacob Levitzki
Jacob Levitzki, also known as Yaakov Levitsky was an Israeli mathematician.-Biography:Levitzki was born in 1904 in Ukraine, then part of the Russian Empire, and emigrated to then Ottoman-ruled Palestine in 1912...
, who had received the prize, for exact sciences, in 1953).
In 2005, he was awarded the Wolf Prize in Medicine
Wolf Prize in Medicine
The Wolf Prize in Medicine is awarded once a year by the Wolf Foundation in Israel. It is one of the six Wolf Prizes established by the Foundation and awarded since 1978; the others are in Agriculture, Chemistry, Mathematics, Physics and Arts. The Prize is probably the third most prestigious award...
for "pioneering signal transduction therapy and for developing tyrosine kinase inhibitors as effective agents against cancer and a range of other diseases".