Hebrew University Scientists Help Attain
Breakthrough in Research in Cell Functions
JERUSALEM—Scientists at re-
search centers in three countries ;
—Britain, Israel and the United
States—have jointly made im-
portant strides in the study of
cell functions, which may open
new horizons in a variety of fields.!
from eye surgery to space flight
and cattle breeding.
The three institutions are the
Hebrew University of Jerusalem,
the Institute of Ophthalmology in
London and the Stanford Medical
Center, Stanford, Calif.
The research received a push in
1967, when Dr. Shabtay Dickstein,
senior lecturer in applied pharma-
cology at the Hebrew University
School of Pharmacy, during a san-
batical, at the Institute of Ophthal-
mology in London, took up studies
on the connection between the
biochemistry of the cell and its
specific physiological function. It
was recognized at the time that
single cells, or single cell layers,
are more suitable for studying
the behavior of a cell than corn-
plex organs. The inside layer of
thickness and transparency.
seemed to be eminently suitable
for such studies.
At the London Institute, David
Maurice, a corneal physiologist of
international renown, built a spe-
cial microscope which permitted
the measurement of tissue thick-
ness to -/10,000 cm. "This apparat-
us" Dr. Dickstein says. "together
with some knowledge of biochem-
istry and a good deal of luck, assis-
ted in the discovery that glutathi-
one, an amino acid present in,
every cell, is capable of preserving
the water pumping efficiency of
certain corneal cells and so pre-
serving its transparency."
Apart from important theoreti-
cal implications on cell functions,
the discovery opened up several
practical possibilities. •
The so-called 'eye banks' that
exists in various places have so far
been able to function only as col-
lecting and distributing agencies
because the eyes have been slowly
but steadily deteriorating from the
time of collection. The deep-freez-
ing methods of preservation that
have been tried leave much to be
desired, so that at present corneal
transplantation in many areas is
a more or less emergency proce-
dure in which the surgeon has to
keep the patient and the theater
ready until a suitable eye donor—
a fresh cadaver—is on hand; in
many areas such donor sources
are forbidden and transplantation
of eyes from other areas involves
serious deterioration of the corne-
as.
Work towards a true corneal
bank, similar to a blood bank, is
being pursued in a joint effort of
the Hebrew University-Hadassah
Medical School and the London
Institute of Ophthalmology. Pre-
liminary experiments have indi-
cated that sufficiently prolonged
short-term storage of corneas is a
real possibility.
Drug to Prevent Damage
It is hoped, though the scien-
tists are not working on the sub-
ject, that it might serve as a mod-
el for other organ banks.
Another practical aspect of the
discovery concerns stress. It is
known that chronic stress, such as
long residence in hot or cold cli-
mates, certain radiation damage,
etc., oxydizes glutathione and
similar compounds in the cells and
is detrimental to the function of
Hebrew l.'s Mt.Seopus Campus
Dotted With New Buildings
various organs and to the entire
body. Progress in this field was
made when Hebrew University
doctoral student Jacob Kaplansky,
during research work under Dr.
Dickstein's supervision, endeav-
ored to find drugs which could
prevent this damage. It was, in-
deed, proved that one of the natur-
al hormones in the body, when in
larger quantities, prevents all
kinds of degenerative changes to
the whole body, to individual or-
gans and to important compounds
in the cell. This approach has
great promise in fields ranging
from flight in outer space to breed-
ing cattle.
Human beings as well as farm
animals encounter in their day-to-
day life various kinds of physical
stresses which greatly retard
their performance. By preventing
the physiological harm to the body-
through the use of a drug, both
the mental and physical perform-
ances would be increased.
Future Plans
The research project is now pro-
ceeding as a genuine cooperative
endeavor encompassing scientists
in three continents.
At the department of ophthal-
mology of the Hebrew University-
Hadassah Medical School, headed
by Prof. Isaac C. Michaelson, a
team is working on corneal pres-
, ervation and on the biochemistry
of the corneal endothelial (inner)
layer of cells. In the university's
department of applied pharma-
cology, (headed by Prof. Felix G.
Sulman), there. is a continuing
search for still better antistress,
antidegenerative compounds.
Meanwhile, at the Institute of
Ophthalmology in London, Prof.
Barrie Jones and his research
team are trying to put to practical
use the scientific techniques and
discoveries on the cornea, as well
as developing important therapeut-
ic and diagnostic aspects in the
field.
Furthermore, Dr. David Maur-
ice, who currently is a member of
Stanford Medical Center in 'Cal-
ifornia, is developing the biophysi-
cal aspects of these problems, as
well as serving as a counselor for
those working on the cornea.
THE DETROIT JEWISH
6—Friday, April 10, 1970
NEWS
UJA Division to Cite
JTA's Robert Arnow
J110e6
In
for men/
Presents
MAN
BUSH
Robert If. Arnow, president of
the Jewish Telegraph Agency
and a leader in Jewish com-
munal affairs, will be honored
for his commitment to the hu-
manitarian aims of the United
Jewish Appeal at a testimonial
dinner tendered by the UJA's
Scarsdale division May 11.
//,
Kosher Food Program
Canceled at Albany U.
ALBANY, N.Y. (JTA)—Officials
of the State University at Albany
have announced that a kosher food
program, consisting of kosher
frozen dinners, will not be offered
next year. The dinners are provid-
ed on request as part of the stand-
ard food contract for dormitory
residents, at an additional cost of
5120 per year.
University officials said that only
30 students signed for the program
this year and that it was not feas-
ible to continue the program for
such a small number. Students
have replied that the small number
of users is due to the high extra
cost of such food, inferior quality
of the meals and lack of variety.
The Hillel Society at Albany Uni-
versity is looking into other plans
to provide kosher food for observ-
ant students.
///
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162 5. Woodward
Birmingham
Thurs. 8 Fri 'til 9 P.M.
MI 7-2353
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JERUSALEM — Swiss Friends gian cultural center. In addition,
162 Bagley — Detroit
/ 4
of the Hebrew University April 1 it contains a dozen small apart-
Dolly 'til 5:45 P.M.
dedicated a student residence, ments for visiting lecturers, yet
0
1-4544
building on Mt. Scopus, donated another long-sought facility at the
by their organization as part of university. The building, construct-
$ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $
an international project to provide ed in a circle around a courtyard,
student housing on the university's is designed by the Jerusalem
architect Ze'ev Ravina.
original campus.
• • •
The two-wing building, compris-
Despite the distance separating
ing 110 beds, is identical to a dor-
4
Science
Conferences them, the three teams of scien-
mitory dedicated a few days
For Your Property
tists work closely together and
earlier in the name of Abe and Held at Hebrew U.
keep each other informed of de-
SELL NOW, Any Condition
Pauline Wechsler of New York,
JERUSALEM — Four interna- velopments which any one of them
located around a spacious court-
No Points, No Commission
tional scientific conferences are is making in the field.
yard.
taking place at the Hebrew Uni-
FREE RENT—Move Later
A complex of 12 buildings with versity during the next several
a total of 1,000 beds will be ready weeks.
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Political newcomer Norman D.
The first is a March 29-April 10
AL
months in the first stage of the
MONTGOMERY REALTY
international course in experimen- Michaelson was elected to a two-
LEONARD H. HORWITZ
building scheme.
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2643
345-5932
At Least Get
A complex of 12 of these build-
students. The second. March 31- mission Monday. Michaelson poll-
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ings with a total of some 1,000 April 17, is the International Bat- ed 1,283 votes over incumbent
My Price $ $
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W. McNichols
beds will be ready for occupancy sheva Seminar on Synaptic and David E. Gratopp, who had 963.
in August for students attending
Sensory Transduction, the hand-
summer courses, to be held for ling by the brain and nervous
the first time on Mt. Scopus. At system of information from the
present, close to 1,000 students
outside and from the internal en-
reside on the Scopus campus,
vironment.
730 in temporary prefabricated
One of the largest confer-
housing units and 220 in the
ences was the April 6-7 Confer-
Gcldsmith Residence Hall.
' ence on Crystal Growth and Thin
Also on April 1, the name of
Films, organized by the Hebrew
Queen Fabiola of the Belgians
University's authority for re-
was linked with the Hebrew Uni- I research and development. Ap-
versity of Jerusalem in a cere-
! proximately 100 participants at I
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guests from Belgium, including sium on environmental factors in
M. P. Vermeylen, minister of ed- cell differentiation. It is sponsored
ucation. Representing the Israel by the Hebrew University, the
government was Foreign Minister Weizmann Institute and the Inter-
TELEGRAPH, JUST SOUTH OF 12 MILE RD.
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Abba Eban.
ACROSS FROM TEL-12 MALL
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The building will serve as a fac- of Biologists and will be held at
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