Prof. Illana Gozes

Professor Emerita of Clinical Biochemistry, Sackler Faculty of Medicine

 

Former Lily and Avraham Gildor Chair for the Investigation of Growth Factors

 

Director, Dr. Diana and Zelman Elton Laboratory for Molecular Neuroendocrinology

 

Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Molecular Neuroscience

 

Member, The Council for Higher Education (CHE), Israel

 

Chief Scientific Officer, Coronis Neuroscience

 

Council Member, European Society for Neurochemistry

 

President Summer Neuropeptide Conference

Neuronal Plasticity and Nerve Cell Protection in Disease

Our research is characterized by a multi-level approach to the study of brain function, behavior, memory and drug discovery, from molecules to cures. Targeting autism, schizophrenia as well as Alzheimer’s disease and related neurodegeneration and utilizing a multidisciplinary approach, our group investigates different aspects of neuronal plasticity and nerve cell protection, at the molecular, cellular and system level. 

A major focus in the laboratory is on nerve structure and transport mechanisms. We have discovered novel families of proteins associated with cross talk among nerve cells and their support cells, including activity-dependent neurotrophic factor (ADNF) and activity-dependent neuroprotetive proteins (ADNPs, with ADNP being a major gene mutated in autism). Small ADNF and ADNP derivatives are in clinical development. The lead compound, davunetide is planned for an advanced Phase II clinical trial with the biotech industry.

Davunetide has previously shown efficacy in several Phase II clinical trials (i.e. in patients suffering from mild cognitive impairment, preceding Alzheimer's disease and in schizophrenia patients, protecting activities of daily living).

Publications

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=Gozes+i&sort=date

Reviews

87. I. Gozes. The cytoskeleton as a drug target for neuroprotection: the case of the autism-mutated ADNP. Biol Chem. 2016 Mar;397(3):177-84. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25955282

 

88. I. Gozes, C. Helsmoortel, G. Vandeweyer, N. Van der Aa, F. Kooy, S. Bedrosian Sermone. The Compassionate Side of Neuroscience: Tony Sermone Undiagnosed Genetic Journey—ADNP Mutation. J Mol Neurosci (2015) 56:751–757. DOI 10.1007/s12031-015-0586-6. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25955282

 

89. I. Gozes, P.W. Baas, C. Richter-Landsberg. International Meeting Molecular Neurodegeneration: News and Views in Molecular Neuroscience in Health and Disease. Delmenhorst, Germany, July 20–22, 2015. J Mol Neurosci. 2015 Oct;57(2):153-9. doi: 10.1007/s12031-015-0637-z. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26319265

 

90. I. Gozes, Y. Ivashko-Pachima, ADNP: in search for molecular mechanisms and innovative therapeutic strategies for frontotemporal degeneration. Front Aging Neurosci 2015, 7:205.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26578950

 

91. D.J. Klionsky, …I. Gozes (~1000 authors). Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy (3rd edition). Autophagy. 2016 Jan 2;12(1):1-222. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26799652

 

92. Pennuto M, I. Gozes. Introduction to the Special Issue on Spinal and Bulbar Muscular Atrophy. J Mol Neurosci. 2016 Mar;58(3):313-6. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26875173

 

93. Y. Ivashko-Pachima, L.Y. Zhou, P. Lei, I. Gozes.  Microtubule-Tau Interaction as a Therapeutic Target for Alzheimer's Disease. J Mol Neurosci. 2016 Feb;58(2):145-52. doi: 10.1007/s12031-016-0715-x.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26816082

 

94. Gozes I. The Future for Dementia Research: a Perspective from the Journal of Molecular Neuroscience. J Mol Neurosci. 2016 Nov;60(3):410-411. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27647306

 

95. Dutt S, Binney RJ, Heuer HW, Luong P, Attygalle S, Bhatt P, Marx GA, Elofson J, Tartaglia MC, Litvan I, McGinnis SM, Dickerson BC, Kornak J, Waltzman D, Voltarelli L, Schuff N, Rabinovici GD, Kramer JH, Jack CR Jr, Miller BL, Rosen HJ, Boxer AL; AL-108-231 investigators (including Gozes I). Progression of brain atrophy in PSP and CBS over 6 months and 1 year. Neurology. 2016 Nov 8;87(19):2016- 2025.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27742814

 

96. Gozes I. PACAP, VIP, and ADNP: Autism and Schizophrenia. In: Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase Activating Polypeptide (Dora Reglodi and Andrea Tamas, Editors, Current Topics in Neurotoxicity 11, Springer) 2016 pp. 781-792.

 

97. Gozes I. Sexual divergence in activity-dependent neuroprotective protein impacting autism, schizophrenia, and Alzheimer's disease. J Neurosci Res. 2017 Jan 2;95(1-2):652-660. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27870441

 

98. S. Sragovich, A. Merenlender-Wagner, and I. Gozes, ADNP Plays a Key Role in Autophagy: From Autism to Schizophrenia and Alzheimer's Disease. BioEssays : news and reviews in molecular, cellular and developmental biology 39 (2017).

 

99. I. Gozes, G. Hoglinger, J.P. Quinn, N.M. Hooper, and K. Hoglund, Tau Diagnostics and Clinical Studies. Journal of molecular neuroscience : MN 63 (2017) 123-130. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29082468

 

100. I. Gozes, Specific protein biomarker patterns for Alzheimer's disease: improved diagnostics in progress. EPMA J 8 (2017) 255 - 259. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29021836https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28940660

 

101. Gozes I, Ivashko-Pachima Y, Sayas CL. ADNP, a Microtubule Interacting Protein, Provides Neuroprotection Through End Binding Proteins and Tau: An Amplifier Effect. Front Mol Neurosci. 2018 May 1;11:151. doi: 10.3389/fnmol.2018.00151. eCollection 2018. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnmol.2018.00151/full

 

102. Gozes I. Front. Neurosci., ADNP Regulates Cognition: A Multitasking Protein. 26 November 2018 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2018.00873 https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnins.2018.00873/full?&utm_source=Email_to_authors_&utm_medium=Email&utm_content=T1_11.5e1_author&utm_campaign=Email_publication&field=&journalName=Frontiers_in_Neuroscience&id=429007

 

103. Dardiotis E, Aloizou AM, Markoula S, Siokas V, Tsarouhas K, Tzanakakis G, Libra M, Kyritsis AP, Brotis AG, Aschner M, Gozes I, Bogdanos DP, Spandidos DA, Mitsias PD, Tsatsakis A. Cancer-associated stroke: Pathophysiology, detection and management (Review) Int J Oncol. 2019 Mar;54(3):779-796. doi: 10.3892/ijo.2019.4669. Epub 2019 Jan 2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30628661

 

104. Shioda S, Gozes I. Neuropeptides: From Bench to Bedside. Curr Pharm Des. 2018;24(33):3867. doi: 10.2174/138161282433190109122611. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30693852

Books

 

 

 

Neuroprotection in Alzheimer's Disease, 1st Edition

https://www.elsevier.com/books/neuroprotection-in-autism-schizophrenia-and-alzheimers-disease/gozes/978-0-12-814037-6

Grants

2016-2019       Ministry of Science and Technology, Israel, Eshkol Fellowships (Shlomo Sragovich, Gal Hacohen Kleiman, student fellowships)

2017-2020       NSF-BSF (US-Israel BiNational Science Foundation) - Computational Approaches to Assess Replicability of Neurobehavioral (~$32000, direct with three partners, including Prof. Yoav Benjamini and Professor Ilan Golani and Jackson Labs.)

2019-2020       Ministry of Defense Israel, Science Unit, Brain trauma biomarkers

2019-2022       ERA-NET Neuron, he pleiotropic effects of ADNP in Mental Disorders (Ministry of Health)

2008-               A.M.N. Foundation

Donations:       Drs. Ronith and Armand Stemmer, Mr Arthur Gerbi (French Friends of Tel Aviv University), and Spanish Friends of Tel Aviv University, Ms. Alicia Koplowitz