American donors put faith (and dollars) in TAU cance...( Will the cure for cancer have a Made...),Health

Will the cure for cancer have a Made In Israel stamp on it? American donors to the Israel Cancer Research Fund (ICRF) think there is a very good chance it could.

In September 2007, the ICRF gave a $350,000 seven-year grant to Tel Aviv Universitys Prof. Yossi Shiloh from the Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, Sackler School of Medicine. The fund donated tens of thousands more to eight other researchers at the university in a vote of confidence.

This year, awards totalling $1.65 million were announced at the home of U.S. Ambassador to Israel Richard Jones on September 5, 2007. Tel Aviv University received more than 10% of the overall grants. Ambassador Jones's home was an appropriate venue for the ceremony, as the event marked over 30 years of support for Israeli cancer research by the North American group.

At the ceremony, Prof. Shiloh commented on the fertile ground of cancer collaboration between the U.S. and Israel. Tonight we are guests at the home of the United States Ambassador to Israel. Holding this event here means more than just having a great venue for the reception. It signifies the strengthening of the scientific ties between the United States and Israel."

He added, Most Israeli scientists have spent some part of their career in the U.S. Our ties with American science and American funding agencies are now stronger than ever, and collaborative projects nourish the scientific soil in both countries.

Prof. Shiloh, who received his post-doctoral education from Harvard University, made his first breakthrough in cancer research in 1995 when he discovered the gene for the rare genetic disease ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T). He remarks, A-T is a very complex disease, involving neuronal degeneration, immunodeficiency, extreme radiation sensitivity and a striking predisposition to cancer. It was clear from the start that understanding A-T would open a window to many medical problems, not the
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