The Single-Cell Revolution with Prof. Ido Amit

On Monday the 14th of September, Weizmann UK was thrilled to host The Single-Cell Revolution with Prof. Ido Amit, a pioneer in the field of single-cell genomics. 

It was inspiring to hear how one remarkable chapter of Weizmann science is leading to another, as Ido’s research builds on the groundbreaking work of the late Prof. Zelig Eshhar, whose discoveries laid the foundations for CAR-T therapy. This revolutionary approach re-engineers a patient’s own immune cells to recognise and attack harmful cells and has transformed the treatment of blood cancers.

Ido and his team are now taking this approach in new directions. They have pioneered single-cell technologies that enable them to identify, with extraordinary precision, the individual cells and mechanisms driving disease. Using this knowledge, they are engineering more precisely targeted therapies designed to overcome the limitations of CAR-T therapy and tackle some of the most challenging diseases —including solid cancers, autoimmune conditions and neurodegenerative disorders.

It is not often that we hear about fundamental research with such immediate impact or such near-term potential. Scientists usually speak in decades; it was extraordinary to hear Ido describe advances that could reach patients within just a few years.