The Witz Laboratory

Since 2002:
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• 2023 Heterogeneity in the Metastatic Microenvironment: JunB-Expressing Microglia Cells as Potential Drivers of Melanoma Brain Metastasis Progression. Orit Adir  , Orit Sagi-Assif  , Tsipi Meshel  , Shlomit Ben-Menachem  , Metsada Pasmanik-Chor  , Dave S. B. Hoon  , Isaac P. Witz  and Sivan Izraely. Cancers 2023, 15, 4979

• 2023 A heterodimer of α and β hemoglobin chains functions as an innate anticancer agent. Maharrish Chelladurai , Dan Xu, Sivan Izraely , Shlomit Ben-Menachem, Roman Bengaiev, Orit Sagi-Assif , Weirong Yuan, Metsada Pasmanik Chor, Dave S Hoon , Wuyuan Lu , Isaac P Witz. Int. J. Cancer 1; 1-12

• 2023  The Vicious Cycle of Melanoma-Microglia Crosstalk: Inter-Melanoma Variations in the Brain-Metastasis-Promoting IL-6/JAK/STAT3 Signaling Pathway. Sivan Izraely, Shlomit Ben-Menachem, Sapir Malka, Orit Sagi-Assif, Matias A. Bustos, Orit Adir, Tsipi Meshel, Maharrish Chelladurai, Suyeon Ryu, Romela I. Ramos, Metsada Pasmanik-Chor,Dave S. B. Hoon  and Isaac P. Witz. Cells 2023, 12, 1513

• ​2022   LY6S, a New IFN-Inducible Human Member of the Ly6a Subfamily Expressed by Spleen Cells and Associated with Inflammation and Viral Resistance. Shmerling M, Chalik M, Smorodinsky NI, Meeker A, Roy S, Sagi-Assif O, Meshel T, Danilevsky A, Shomron N, Levinger S, Nishry B, Baruchi D, Shargorodsky A, Ziv R, Sarusi-Portuguez A, Lahav M, Ehrlich M, Braschi B, Bruford E, Witz IP, Wreschner DH. Immunohorizons. 2022 Apr 19;6(4):253-272

• 2022  Cancer microenvironment and genomics: evolution in process. Leong SP, Witz IP, Sagi-Assif O, Izraely S, Sleeman J, Piening B, Fox BA, Bifulco CB, Martini R, Newman L, Davis M, Sanders LM, Haussler D, Vaske OM, Witte M.Clin Exp Metastasis. 2022 Feb;39(1):85-99.

• 2021   Cancer drug resistance induced by EMT: novel therapeutic strategies.  De Las Rivas J, Brozovic A, Izraely S, Casas-Pais A, Witz IP and Figueroa A.  Archives of Toxicology.

• 2021     Cancer Microenvironment and Genomics: Evolution in Process. Leong S, Wiz IP, Sagi-Assif O, Izraely S, Sleeman J, Piening B, Fox B, Bifulco C, Martini R, Newman L, Sanders L, Haussler D, Vaske O, Witte M.  Clinic Exp. Metastasis

• 2021     Constitutive low expression of antiviral effectors sensitizes melanoma cells to a novel oncolytic virus. Sarah Dellac , Hamutal Ben-Dov, Ayala Raanan , Hanna Saleem , Rachel Zamostiano , Rinat Semyatich, Sara Lavi , Isaac P Witz , Eran Bacharach , Marcelo Ehrlich   .Int J of Cancer

• 2020     The melanoma brain metastatic microenvironment: aldolase C partakes in shaping the malignant phenotype of melanoma cells – a case of inter‐tumor heterogeneity. Sivan Izraely,  Shlomit Ben‐Menachem,  Orit Sagi‐Assif,  Tsipi Meshel, Sapir Malka, Alona Telerman, Matias A. Bustos, Romela Irene Ramos, Metsada Pasmanik‐Chor,  Dave S. B. Hoon , Isaac P. Witz.  Molecular Oncology.

• 2020     Upregulation of cell surface GD3 ganglioside phenotype is associated with human melanoma brain metastasis. Romela Irene Ramos , Matias A Bustos , Jinfeng Wu , Peter Jones , Shu Ching Chang , Eiji Kiyohara, Kevin Tran , Xiaoqing Zhang , Stacey L Stern , Sivan Izraely , Orit Sagi-Assif , Isaac P Witz , Michael A Davies , Gordon B Mills , Daniel F Kelly , Reiko F Irie , Dave S B Hoon  . Molecular Oncology.

• 2020     Inter-Tumor Heterogeneity-Melanomas Respond Differently to GM-CSF-Mediated Activation. Adi Moshe , Sivan Izraely , Orit Sagi-Assif, Sapir Malka , Shlomit Ben-Menachem , Tsipi Meshel , Metsada Pasmanik-Chor , Dave S B Hoon , Isaac P Witz . Cells

• 2020     The Challenge of Classifying Metastatic Cell Properties by Molecular Profiling Exemplified with Cutaneous Melanoma Cells and Their Cerebral Metastasis from Patient Derived Mouse Xenografts. Benjamin Neuditschko, Lukas Janker , Laura Niederstaetter , Julia Brunmair , Katharina Krivanek , Sivan Izraely , Orit Sagi-Assif , Tsipi Meshel , Bernhard K Keppler, Giorgia Del Favero , Isaac P Witz, Christopher Gerner . Molecular Cell Proteomics.   

• 2019     Regeneration Enhances Metastasis: A Novel Role For Neurovascular Signaling in Promoting Melanoma Brain Metastasis. Roshini Prakash , Sivan Izraely, Nikita S. Thareja, Maya Rappaport, Riki Kawaguchi, Rex H. Lee, Orit Sagi-Assif, Shlomit Ben-Menachem, Tsipi Meshel, Michal Machnicki, Shuichi Ohe, Dave S. Hoon, Giovanni Coppola, Isaac P. Witz, S Thomas Carmichael. Frontiers in Neuroscience  

• 2018    The Metastatic Microenvironment: Melanoma-Microglia Cross-Talk Promotes the Malignant Phenotype of Melanoma Cells​. Izraely S, Ben-Menachem S, Sagi-Assif O, Telerman A, Zubrilov I, Ashkenazi O, Meshel T, Maman S, Orozco JIJ, Salomon MP, Marzese DM, Pasmanik-Chor M, Pikarsky E, Ehrlich M, Hoon DSB, Witz IP. International Journal of Cancer

• 2018   Cystatin C takes part in melanoma-microglia cross-talk: possible implications for brain metastasis. Moshe A, Izraely S, Sagi-Assif O, Prakash R, Telerman A, Meshel T, Carmichael T, Witz IP. Clinical & Experimental Metastasis

• 2017   ANGPTL4 promotes the progression of cutaneous melanoma to brain metastasis. Izraely S, Ben-Menachem S, Sagi-Assif O, Meshel T, Marzese DM, Ohe S, Zubrilov I, Pasmanik-Chor M, Hoon DSB, Witz IP. Oncotarget

• 2017   CCR4 is a determinant of melanoma brain metastasis. Klein A, Sagi-Assif O, Meshel T, Telerman A, Izraely S, Ben-Menachem S, Bayry J, Marzese DM, Ohe S, Hoon DSB, Erez N, Witz IP. Oncotarget

• 2017   The Beta Subunit of Hemoglobin (HBB2/HBB) Suppresses Neuroblastoma Growth and Metastasis. Maman S, Sagi-Assif O, Yuan W, Ginat R, Meshel T, Zubrilov I, Keisari Y, Lu W, Lu W, Witz IP. Cancer Research

• 2016   Hexokinase 2 is a determinant of neuroblastoma metastasis. Botzer LE, Maman S, Sagi-Assif O, Meshel T, Nevo I, Yron I, Witz IP. British Journal of Cancer

• 2016   PHOX2B is a suppressor of neuroblastoma metastasis. Naftali O, Maman S, Meshel T, Sagi-Assif O, Ginat R, Witz IP. Oncotarget

• 2015   Vemurafenib resistance selects for highly malignant brain and lung-metastasizing melanoma cells. Zubrilov I, Sagi-Assif O, Izraely S, Meshel T, Ben-Menahem S, Ginat R, Pasmanik-Chor M, Nahmias C, Couraud PO, Hoon DS, Witz IP. Cancer Letters

• 2015   Astrocytes facilitate melanoma brain metastasis via secretion of IL-23. Klein A, Schwartz H, Sagi-Assif O, Meshel T, Izraely S, Ben Menachem S, Bengaiev R, Ben-Shmuel A, Nahmias C, Couraud PO, Witz IP, Erez N. The Journal of Pathology

• 2015   The metastatic microenvironment: Claudin-1 suppresses the malignant phenotype of melanoma brain metastasis. Izraely S, Sagi-Assif O, Klein A, Meshel T, Ben-Menachem S, Zaritsky A, Ehrlich M, Prieto VG, Bar-Eli M, Pirker C, Berger W, Nahmias C, Couraud PO, Hoon DS, Witz IP. International Journal of Cancer

• 2013   The metastatic microenvironment: lung-derived factors control the viability of neuroblastoma lung metastasis. Maman S, Edry-Botzer L, Sagi-Assif O, Meshel T, Yuan W, Lu W, Witz IP. International Journal of Cancer

• 2012   The metastatic microenvironment: Brain-derived soluble factors alter the malignant phenotype of cutaneous and brain-metastasizing melanoma cells. Klein A, Sagi-Assif O, Izraely S, Meshel T, Pasmanik-Chor M, Nahmias C, Couraud PO, Erez N, Hoon DS, Witz IP. International Journal of Cancer

• 2012   The metastatic microenvironment: brain-residing melanoma metastasis and dormant micrometastasis. Izraely S, Sagi-Assif O, Klein A, Meshel T, Tsarfaty G, Pasmanik-Chor M, Nahmias C, Couraud PO, Ateh E, Bryant JL, Hoon DS, Witz IP. International Journal of Cancer

• 2011   Lung-residing metastatic and dormant neuroblastoma cells. Edry Botzer L, Maman S, Sagi-Assif O, Meshel T, Nevo I, Bäuerle T, Yron I, Witz IP. American Journal of Pathology

• 2010   The 5th international conference on tumor microenvironment: progression, therapy and prevention Versailles, France, October 20-24, 2009: conference summary. Mohla S, Witz IP. Cancer Microenvironment

• 2010   Chemokine-chemokine receptor axes in melanoma brain metastasis. Izraely S, Klein A, Sagi-Assif O, Meshel T, Tsarfaty G, Hoon DS, Witz IP. Immunology Letters

• 2010   Gene-Expression-Based Analysis of Local and Metastatic Neuroblastoma Variants Reveals a Set of Genes Associated with Metastatic Progression. Nevo I, Oberthuer A, Edri-Botzer L, Sagi-Assif O, Maman S, Pasmanik-Chor M, Kariv N, Fischer M, Yron I and Witz IP. International Journal of Cancer

• 2009   The Involvement of Fractalkine Receptor in Bone Marrow-Endothelium Transmigration of Neuroblastoma Cells. Nevo I, Sagi-Assif O, Meshel T, Ben-Baruch A, Jöhrer K, Leider Trejo L, Kharenko O, Yron I and Witz IP. Cancer Letters.

• 2008   Generation and Characterization of Novel Local and Metastatic Human Neuroblastoma Variants. Nevo I, Sagi-Assif O, Edry Botzer L, Amar D, Maman S, Kariv N, Leider-Trejo LE, Savelyeva, L, Schwab M, Yron I and Witz IP. Neoplasia.

• 2008   E-Selectin Regulates Gene Expression in Metastatic Colorectal Carcinoma Cells and enhances HMGB1 Release. Aychek T, Miller K, Sagi-Assif O, Israeli-Amit M, Levi-Nissenbaum O, Pasmanik-Chor M, Jacob-Hirsch J, Amariglio N, Rechavi G and Witz IP. International Journal of Cancer.

• 2007   The Involvement of the Sialyl Lewis-A Selectin Ligand in the Extravasation of Human Colorectal Carcinoma Cells. Ben David T, Sagi-Assif O, Meshel T, Yron I and Witz IP. Immunology Letters

• 2007   CXCL10 promotes invasion-related properties in colorectal carcinoma cells. Zipin A, Meshel T, Sagi-Assif O, Shalmon B, Witz IP, Ben-Baruch A.

• 2006   The Pyst2-L phosphatase is involved in cell-crowding. Levy-Nissenbaum O, Ben-Menachem S, Sagi-Assif O, Witz IP. Immunology Letters

• 2005   Cellular characteristics of neuroblastoma cells: regulation by the ELR(-)-CXC chemokine CXCL10 and expression of a CXCR3-like receptor. Goldberg-Bittman L, Sagi-Assif O, Meshel T, Nevo I, Levy-Nissenbaum O, Yron I, Witz IP, Ben-Baruch A. Cytokine

• 2004   Tumor-microenvironment interactions: the fucose-generating FX enzyme controls adhesive properties of colorectal cancer cells. Zipin A, Israeli-Amit M, Meshel T, Sagi-Assif O, Yron I, Lifshitz V, Bacharach E, Smorodinsky NI, Many A, Czernilofsky PA, Morton DL, Witz IP. Cancer Research

• 2004   The expression of the chemokine receptor CXCR3 and its ligand, CXCL10, in human breast adenocarcinoma cell lines. Goldberg-Bittman L, Neumark E, Sagi-Assif O, Azenshtein E, Meshel T, Witz IP, Ben-Baruch A. Immunology Letters

• 2004   The tumor microenvironment: CXCR4 is associated with distinct protein expression patterns in neuroblastoma cells. Nevo I, Sagi-Assif O, Meshel T, Geminder H, Goldberg-Bittman L, Ben-Menachem S, Shalmon B, Goldberg I, Ben-Baruch A, Witz IP. Immunology Letters

• 2004   Does the dual-specificity MAPK phosphatase Pyst2-L lead a monogamous relationship with the Erk2 protein? Levy-Nissenbaum O, Barak E, Burg TG, Sagi-Assif O., Kloog Y, Witz IP. Immunology Letters

• 2004    Characterization of the dual-specificity phosphatase PYST2 and its transcripts. Levy-Nissenbaum O, Sagi-Assif O, Witz IP.  Genes Chromosomes Cancer

• 2003   cDNA microarray analysis reveals an overexpression of the dual-specificity MAPK phosphatase PYST2 in acute leukemia. Levy-Nissenbaum O, Sagi-Assif O, Raanani P, Avigdor A, Ben-Bassat I, Witz IP. Methods Enzymol

• 2003    The dual-specificity phosphatase PYST2 is constitutively highly expressed in myeloid leukemia and other malignant cells. Levy-Nissenbaum, O., Sagi-Assif, O., Kapon, D., Hantisteanu, S., Burg, T., Raanani, P., Avigdor, A., Ben-Bassat, I. and Witz IP. Oncogene

• 2003   Over expression of the dual-specificity MAPK phosphatase PYST2 in acute leukemia. Levy-Nissenbaum, O., Sagi-Assif, O., Raanani, P., Avigdor, A., Ben-Bassat, I. and Witz, IP. Cancer Letters

• 2003   Progression of mouse mammary tumors: MCP-1-TNFa cross-regulatory pathway and clonal expression of pro-malignancy and anti-malignancy factors. Neumark, E., Sagi-Assif, O., Shalmon, B., Ben-Baruch, A. and Witz, IP. International Journal of Cancer

• 2003    cDNA microarray analysis reveals an over expression of the dual-specificity MAPK phosphatase PYST2 in acute leukemia. Levy-Nissenbaum, O., Sagi-Assif, O., Raanani, P., Avigdor, A., Ben-Bassat, I. and Witz, IP. Meth. Enzymology