I am a Direct Ph.D. and a former ballet dancer and currently Kangoo and Pilates trainer, who finds Disney to be an infinite source of energy.
BIO
OFIR BAR
Ph.D. STUDENT
I am conducting my research in Prof. Tomer Cook's and Prof. Angel Porgador's lab at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. My focus is on investigating the therapeutic potential of engineered extracellular vesicles (EVs) derived from natural killer (NK) cells for targeted cancer immunotherapy.
My research focuses on harnessing chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) technology to enhance the anti-tumor efficacy of NK-EVs against HER2+ cancers, which are a particularly aggressive subtype of breast and gastric cancers. I am also exploring the role of beta-endorphin (BE) in modulating NK cell activation and EV production, aiming to augment their therapeutic potential. My previous research experience includes a project in the Cooks lab during my first degree in medical laboratory science, where I investigated the connection between happy hormones, such as BE, and the activation of Natural Killer cells with respect to NK EVs.
My future research plans include:
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Optimizing the CAR design for maximal NK-EV anti-tumor efficacy.
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Evaluating the specificity of CAR-NK-EVs towards HER2+ cancer cells and assessing the in vivo anti-tumor efficacy and safety of CAR-NK-EVs.
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Exploring the potential of EVs derived from activated NK cells treated with BE and investigating their effect on cancer cells.
My research has the potential to uncover novel insights into the interplay between CAR design, NK cell activation, and EV functionality, paving the way for the development of next-generation EV-based immunotherapies for targeted cancer treatment.
I believe that in science, as in life, 'all it takes is faith and trust' (Peter Pan) — and, of course, a lot of dedication.
