The Secret Language of the Cells

Revolutionary methods for sequencing single cells and cell pairs, and the interactions between cells enable the rapid development and application of new diagnostic tools, identification of new treatment mechanisms, and early detection of diseases, with only a simple blood test

“Cells communicate in a way that alters them and their surroundings and, therefore, if we can manipulate the different niches – by silencing the cells or encouraging certain signals – we can learn a lot about the way diseases develop”, says Dr. Merav Cohen, who heads a laboratory at Tel Aviv University that focuses on cell communication and which has made her one of the leading researchers in the field of developmental and cancer immunology. Her research, that initially focused on fetal development of tissues led her to the conclusion
that [the] communication in these cells is very similar to that in various diseases. These and other studies of developmental and cancer immunology are changing what is known about the way in which diseases develop.   

 
A Journey Between Tissues

Dr. Cohen’s research focuses on the immune system and the influence of tissues’ two-way communication on the immune system and vice versa. “It’s all about interaction between the cells”, she explains. “My starting point in the research is that the cell is not isolated but rather, exists in a certain environment. The cells, located in niches, communicate incessantly. They transmit signals and have receptors that receive return signals. One of the central insights arising from the research is that the cells communicate in a way that alters them and their surroundings and, therefore, if we can ‘silence’ the cells or encourage certain signals, we can learn much about the way diseases develop”.

To understand the cells’ “secret language”, Dr. Cohen’s research combines advanced technologies of single-cell sequencing. “All our research questions focus on the single cell level . We have developed innovative methods for breaking down and isolating cells from various tissues – breast, liver, lung, kidney, and bone – and we check them for the presence of cells and signals that encourage fetal development, and which may even enable the building of an environment for growing these tissues. As part of our research, we work with mice models, but also receive human samples from nearby hospitals, to isolate single cells in each tissue. In practice, we sequence each cell’s mRNA, that is ultimately intended to be translated into protein, thereby providing us with information about the cell’s function”, Dr. Cohen explains.

From a Single Cell to a Pair

Scientific breakthroughs in technology require the use of advanced computational methods and, in practice, to apply bioinformatics to extensive data that has been gathered. To study the way in which cells communicate with each other, beyond the understanding of the single cell, it is also necessary to study the architecture of the tissues, the function of each cell, and what causes these cells to perform a certain interaction.

Another innovative method developed by Dr. Cohen enables to isolate pairs of cells, and not just single cells. The new method allows us to isolate and sequence the cell pairs in order to examine and analyze their physical interactions.

This technology enables the creation of a “molecular signature” and opens up new directions for researchers in the search for cancer treatments. Cells that only express a certain gene when interacting with a cancerous cell may constitute an option for treating cancer. If there are certain interactions that act against the cancerous cell, they can be encouraged by inducing the interaction in the environment in which they grow.

Identifying Cancer Via a Simple Blood Test

Dr. Cohen’s breakthrough research positions Israel at the global forefront of technology in the research of cancer and other diseases. “We are world leaders in the technology of sequencing single cells and cell pairs, and in the ability to combine the technology with human samples”, she explains. A new study, currently in its final stages before publication, examined the cancer development process in breast tissue while focusing on the interactions in the environment in which the cells grow and on the mechanisms that cause its accelerated development and spreading. “Our studies not only reveal new targets in the mouse models and the human specimens”, she says, “but also new biomarkers for early detection of diseases, and for classifying their different stages. For example, we discovered a special molecular signature in breast cancer that predicts the degree of the cancer’s aggressiveness”.

A Multidisciplinary Team and Extensive Collaborations

Nine researchers from different disciplines work in Dr. Cohen’s laboratory which was established in October 2020. The lab’s collaborations are diverse and extensive. “We collaborate with Ichilov Hospital on the breast cancer project and with a chest surgeon at the Sheba Medical Center in Tel Aviv on lung cancer samples”, Dr. Cohen says. “We have now begun a new and exciting collaboration in which we are studying human fetal samples to understand the degree of the immune system’s role in the physiological development of fetal tissues”.

Dr. Cohen’s laboratory also benefits from continuous contact with the Innovation Authority and financial support from other Israeli and overseas sources. The association with the Innovation Authority is a vital part of the R&D process. “The connection with the Authority is aimed at turning our results and the technologies we are developing into a feasible product for use in the clinic”, Dr. Cohen explains. “Each time there is an important discovery that needs to be patented – a molecule or technology – we inform the Authority, even before publications and presentations at conferences”.