List of Publications (Last 5 years):
1. M.J. Besser, E. Schallmach, K. Oved, A.J. Treves, G. Markel, Y. Reiter, J. Schachter . Modifying IL-2 concentrations during culture improves function of T-cells for adoptive immunotherapy. Cytotherapy. 11:206-217, 2009
2. G. Markel, R. Seidman, Y. Cohen, M.J. Besser, T.C. Sinai, A.J. Treves, A. Orenstein, R. Berger, J. Schachter. Dynamic expression of protective CEACAM-1 on melanoma cells during specific immune attack. Immunology. 126:186-200, 2009
3. G. Markel, T. Cohen-Sinai, M.J. Besser, K. Oved, A.J. Treves, E. Freidman, Y. Keisari, Z. Dotan, J. Ramon, J. Schachter. Preclinical evaluation of adoptive cell therapy for patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma. Anticancer Res. 29:145-154, 2009
4. M.J. Besser, R. Shapira-Frommer, A.J. Treves, D. Zippel, O. Itzhaki, E. Schallmach, A. Kubi, B. Shalmon, I. Hardan, R. Catane, E. Segal, G. Markel, S. Apter, A. Ben Nun, I. Kuchuk I, A. Shimoni, A. Nagler, J. Schachter. Minimally-cultured or selected autologous tumor infiltrating lymphocytes following a lymphodepleting chemotherapy regimen in metastatic melanoma patients. J Immunother. 32:415-423, 2009
5. G. Markel, R. Seidman, M.J. Besser, N. Zabari, R. Ortenberg, R. Shapira, A.J. Treves, R. Loewenthal, A. Orenstein, A. Nagler, J. Schachter. Natural Killer lysis receptor (NKLR)/NKLR-ligand matching as a novel approach for enhancing anti-tumor activity of allogeneic NK Cells. PLoS ONE. 4:e5597, 2009
6. K. Oved, E. Eden, M. Akerman, R. Noy, R. Wolchinsky, O. Izhaki, E. Schallmach, A. Kubi, N. Zabari, J. Schachter, U. Alon, Y. Mandel-Gutfreund, M.J. Besser*, Y. Reiter* (*corresponding authors). Featured article: Predicting and controlling the reactivity of immune cell populations in cancer. Mol Syst Biol. 5:265, 2009
Selected for "Editors' Choice": Highlights of the recent literature. 2009. Science. 324:569.
7. L. Hershkovitz, J. Schachter, A.J. Treves, M.J. Besser. Focus on adoptive T cell transfer trials in melanoma. Clin Devel Immunol. e2010:260267, 2010
8. G. Markel, R. Ortenberg, R. Seidman, S. Sapoznik, N. Koren-Morag, M.J. Besser, J. Bar, R. Shapira, A. Kubi, G. Nardini, A. Tessone, A.J. Treves, E. Winkler, A. Orenstein, J. Schachter. Systemic dysregulation of CEACAM1 in melanoma patients. Cancer Immunol Immun. 59:215-230, 2010
9. M.J. Besser, R. Shapira-Frommer, A.J. Treves, D. Zippel, O. Itzhaki, L. Hershkovitz, D. Levy, A. Kubi, E. Hovav, N. Chermoshniuk, B. Shalmon, I. Hardan, R. Catane, G. Markel, S. Apter, A. Ben-Nun, I. Kuchuk, A. Shimoni, A. Nagler, J. Schachter. Clinical responses in a phase II study using adoptive transfer of short-term cultured tumor infiltration lymphocytes in metastatic melanoma patients. Clin Cancer Res. 16:2646–2655, 2010
10. O. Itzhaki, E. Hovav, Y. Ziporen, D. Levy, A. Kubi, D. Zickich, L. Hershkovitz, A.J. Treves, B. Shalmon, G. Markel, J. Schachter, M.J. Besser. Establishment and large-scale expansion of minimally-cultured “Young” Tumor Infiltrating Lymphocytes (TIL) for adoptive transfer therapy. J Immunother. 34:212-220, 2011.
11. E. Greenberg, L. Hershkovitz, O. Itzhaki, S. Hajdu, Y. Nemlich, R. Ortenberg, N. Gefen, L. Edry, I. Barschak, Y. Keisari, M.J. Besser, J. Schachter, N. Shomron, G. Markel. Regulation of cancer aggressive features in melanoma cells by microRNA molecules. PlosOne. 6:e18936, 2011
12. C.J. Shu, P. Kvistborg, B. Heemskerk, M. Fankhauser, C. Albæk Thrue, M. Toebes, N. van Rooij, C. Linnemann, M. van Buuren, J.H.M. Urbanus, J.B. Beltman, P. thor Straten, Y.F. Li, P.F. Robbins, M.J. Besser, J. Schachter, G.G. Kenter, M.E. Dudley, S.A. Rosenberg, J.B.A.G. Haanen, S. Reker Hadrup, T.N.M. Schumacher. TIL therapy broadens the tumor-reactive CD8+ T cell compartment in melanoma patients. OncoImmunol. 1(4):409-418, 2012
13. S. Sapoznik, O. Hammer, R. Ortenberg, M.J. Besser, T. Ben-Moshe, J. Schachter, G. Markel. Novel anti-melanoma immunotherapies: disarming tumor escape mechanisms. Clin Devel Immunol. doi:10.1155/2012/818214. 2012
14. D.B. Zippel, M. Besser, R. Shapira, A. Ben-Nun, D. Goitein, T. Davidson, A.J. Treves, G. Markel, J. Schachter, M.Z. Papa. Adoptive cell therapy with autologous tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and high-dose interleukin-2 for metastatic melanoma: The surgeon's perspective. Exp Ther Med. 3(5): 898-902, 2012
15. S. Sapoznik, R. Ortenberg, G. Galore-Haskel, S. Kozlovski, D. Levy, C. Avivi, I. Barshack, C.J. Cohen, M.J. Besser, J. Schachter, G. Markel. CXCR1 as a novel target for directing reactive T cells toward melanoma: implications for adoptive cell transfer immunotherapy. Cancer Immunol Immun. 61(10):1833-1847, 2012
16. R. Ortenberg, L. Raz, L. Hershkovitch, S. Sapoznik-Danon, M.J. Besser, J. Schachter, G. Markel. Novel immunotherapy for malignant melanoma with a monoclonal antibody that blocks CEACAM1 homophilic interactions. Mol Cancer Ther. 11(6):1300-1310, 2012
17. H. Vernitsky, O. Rechavi, N. Rainy, M.J. Besser, M. Nagar, J. Schachter, Y. Lerenthal, M. Ehrlich, Y. Kloog, I. Goldstein. Ras oncoproteins transfer from melanoma cells to T cells and modulate their effector functions. J Immunol. 189(9):4361-4370, 2012
18. O. Itzhaki, E. Greenberg, B. Shalmon, A. Kubi, A.J. Treves, R. Shapira-Frommer, C. Avivi, R. Ortenberg, E. Ben-Ami, J. Schachter, M.J. Besser*, G. Markel* (*corresponding authors). Nicotinamide inhibits vasculogenic mimicry, an alternative vascularization pathway observed in highly aggressive melanoma. PlosOne. 8(2):e57160, 2013
19. M.J. Besser, T Shoham, O. Harari-Steinberg, N. Zabari, R. Ortenberg, A. Yakirevitch, A. Nagler, R. Loewenthal, J. Schachter, G. Markel. Development of allogeneic NK cell adoptive transfer therapy in metastatic melanoma patients: in vitro preclinical optimization studies. PlosOne. 8(3):e57922, 2013
20. O. Itzhaki, D. Levy, D. Zikich, A.J. Treves, G. Markel, J. Schachter, M.J. Besser. Adoptive T-cell transfer in melanoma. Immunother. 5(1):79-90. 2013
21. Y. Nemlich, E. Greenberg, M. Ortenberg, M.J. Besser, I. Barshack, J. Jacob-Hirsch, E. Jacoby, E. Eyal, L. Rivkin, V. Prieto, N. Chakravarti, L. Duncan, D. Kallenberg, D. Bennett, N. Amariglio, M. Bar-Eli, J. Schachter, G. Rechavi, G. Markel. Fundamental cell regulation by ADAR1 enzyme is lost in metastasis by microRNAs to promote malignancy. J Clin Invest. 123(6):2703-2718, 2013
22. D. Zikich, J. Schachter, M.J. Besser. Immunotherapy for the Management of Melanoma: The Next Steps. Am J Clin Dermatol. 14(4):261-272. 2013
23. M.J. Besser, R. Shapira-Frommer, O. Itzhaki, A.J. Treves, D. Zippel, D. Levy, A. Kubi, N. Shoshani, D. Zikich, Y. Ohayon, D. Ohayon, B. Shalmon, G. Markel, R. Yerushalmi, S. Apter, A. Ben-Nun, E. Ben-Ami, A. Shimoni, A. Nagler, J. Schachter. Adoptive Transfer of Tumor Infiltrating Lymphocytes in Metastatic Melanoma Patients: Intent-to-Treat Analysis and Efficacy after Failure to Prior Immunotherapies. Clin Cancer Res. 19(17):4792-4800, 2013
24. E. Greenberg, M.J. Besser, E. Ben-Ami, R. Shapira-Frommer, O. Itzhaki, D. Zikich, D. Levy, A. Kubi, E. Eyal, A. Onn, Y. Cohen, I. Barshack, J. Schachter, G. Markel. A comparative analysis of total serum miRNA profiles identifies novel signature that is highly indicative of metastatic melanoma. Biomarkers. 18(6):502-508, 2013
25. M.J. Besser. Author’s View: Is there a future for adoptive T cell transfer in melanoma?
OncoImmunol. 2(10):e26098. 2013