Israeli scientists say substance prevents cancer’s spread in mice with 90% success

kill cancer cells,” he said.

Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said to them, “I have sinned this time. The Lord is the righteous One, and I and my people are the guilty ones. Entreat the Lord, and let it be enough of God’s thunder and hail, and I will let you go, and you shall not continue to stand.” (Exodus 9:24-28) desperate to say whatever it took to end this destructive plague. The hail crushed and burned people, animals and crops in an already devastated Egypt.

Over and over we have seen this pattern: Pharaoh disregards Moshe’s warning. Then, when he and his people suffer from the plague, he agrees to let the Israelites go free — only to renege on his promise as soon as the plague stops.

Those same cynics will point to the fact that, when the plague stopped, Pharaoh again reverted to his pattern of reneging on his word.

But perhaps, for one brief moment, Pharaoh glimpsed the truth that G-d created the universe and He alone controls all things. Pharaoh’s words seemed to be a retraction of his previous position. Back in 5:2, we are told, “And Pharaoh said, ‘Who is the L-rd that I should heed His voice to let Israel out? I do not know the L-rd, neither will I let Israel out.’”

Although G-d hardened his heart, and he refused to release the slaves, for one moment Pharaoh glimpsed these truths.

By Nathan Jeffay | The Times of Israel

Israeli scientists are aiming to produce the world’s first preventative drug designed to stop tumors causing secondary cancer and say the active ingredient has shown more than 90% effectiveness in mice.

The Bar Ilan University research team produced a peptide — a chain of amino acids — made to stop cancer cells from entering the blood and therefore halting them from moving around the body.

They have published peer-reviewed research showing that it successfully prevented metastasis in mice, meaning it prevented the spread of diseased cells that can cause secondary cancer.

Cells from many solid tumors develop invadopodia — feet-shaped structures that jut out of their surface. They function like battering rams, forcing their way through tissue to help cancer cells enter the bloodstream and metastasize in other organs.

But invadopodia only spring into action when they are “activated” by the coming together of two proteins. Prof. Jordan Chill, co-author of the study, said that the Bar Ilan breakthrough was to find a peptide that stops this protein interaction.

“We believe that this can prevent the activation of the invadopodia and, therefore, inhibit metastasis. I expect that it could be used in addition to chemotherapy or other treatments that

The effectiveness rate reported means mice with breast cancer that received the peptide were at least 90% less likely to develop secondary tumors than the control group.

Though the study focused on breast cancer, the team says it expects the peptide to be effective on all solid tumors — meaning cancers other than those of the blood, bone marrow or lymph nodes.

Previous research shows that 12% of patients with a breast cancer diagnosis go on to develop metastatic disease, for which the five-year survival rate is 26%. Chemotherapy is used to kill as many cancer cells as possible, but it doesn’t prevent any cells that get left behind from becoming active.

“Our advance is very exciting, as today there are no drugs in production that prevent metastasis, [or] in other words exist especially to stop cancer from spreading,” Dr. Hava Gil-Henn, co-author of the study, told The Times of Israel.

“Most drugs are focused on shrinking tumors once they develop. We are taking a preventative approach, which could save many from a second illness and save many lives.”

Chill said that the next challenge is to develop the peptide into a drug, with dosing mechanisms that can deliver it to the right location in the human body.

“So far, we have the arrowhead of the missile; now we need to develop the whole missile,” he said. PJC

But in this week’s Torah portion, during the seventh plague, the plague of hail, Pharaoh calls Moshe and asks him to take away the plague, saying, “This time, I and my people have sinned. Hashem is righteous and we are guilty…” (Exodus 9:27)

Now, under the pressure of this plague, Pharaoh seems to acknowledge that the G-d of Israel does indeed exist and that he and his people have sinned against Him.

Why now? Why did Pharaoh acknowledge G-d during this specific plague? The cynical among us will say that Pharaoh was

Deep inside of every person there is a spark of Divinity that knows the truth. Pharaoh had to admit, as it is echoed in this week’s haftorah, “that all the inhabitants of Egypt shall know that I am Hashem.” (Ezekiel 29:8).

May the time come soon when we, too, shall see all of the world’s inhabitants acknowledging this fundamental truth. Shabbat shalom. PJC

Rabbi Eli Seidman is the former director of pastoral care at the Jewish Association on Aging. This column is a service of the Greater Pittsburgh Jewish Clergy Association.

CHARNY: Dr. E. Joseph (Joe) Charny, a longtime resident of Pittsburgh, died in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 10, 2023, due to complications of a stroke, compounded by Alzheimer’s disease. He was 95 years old. Born in Philadelphia in 1927, Joe was the middle of three sons of first-generation immigrants from Odessa in tsarist Russia. After serving in the U.S. Army in Italy in the immediate aftermath of World War II, Joe graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Swarthmore College and received his medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. In 1954 he and his wife, Peggy, whom he met at Swarthmore, moved to Pittsburgh where Joe continued his medical studies with a residency and internship in psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and Western Psychiatric Institute. Joe taught psychiatry at Pitt medical school and Western Psychiatric for many years, as well as being a psychoanalyst in private practice. After leaving Pitt, he practiced privately full time and then completed his career as director of clinical services at Woodville State Hospital. After his retirement in 1989, Joe devoted the rest of his life to various volunteer causes, notably WQED, the Pittsburgh chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union and the Community Day School. He became active in the family synagogue, Tree of Life, as a devoted “morning minyanaire,” as well as serving on the board of directors of the congregation, including as board president. Even before retiring, Joe and Peggy were avid international travelers, including a landmark 1979 visit to see her birthplace in China immediately after the country re-opened to international tourism. His photographs of their travels both local and international adorned their homes. Joe was a classical music enthusiast, attending the Pittsburgh Symphony and various chamber music ensembles for many decades. Joe was at Tree of Life preparing for Shabbat services on Oct. 27, 2018, when an antisemitic gunman entered the synagogue, murdering 11 people and wounding others. Joe was able to escape. In the aftermath of the shooting, he gave numerous local and national media interviews reflecting on his experience and was also featured in the documentary “A Tree of Life.” Joe was predeceased by his wife, Peggy (2013), and his son David (2000). He is survived by his son Joel (Anne), his daughter Sharon Woschitz (Heinz), two grandchildren and a great-grandchild. Services and interment were private. Those wishing to honor Joe’s memory are encouraged to make donations in his name to the Pittsburgh chapter of the ACLU (aclupa.org) or Tree of Life Congregation (treeoflifepgh.org). Arrangements entrusted to Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc., family owned and operated. schugar.com

HORNSTEIN:

Jay Lambert

Hornstein, dearly beloved brother and uncle, passed away on Jan. 13, 2023. Jay was a gentle soul; kind, thoughtful and generous to a fault. He was an avid sports enthusiast and all-around good person who overcame many adversities in his life. He loved his family, especially his young nieces and nephews. Jay was the dearly beloved son of Joseph Hornstein and Dorothy Hornstein; dearly beloved brother of Marshall Hornstein, ShereenBeth (Paul) Rosenberg and Val (Cynthia Pepper) Hornstein; dearly beloved uncle of Zachary Hornstein, Reid (Emma) Rosenberg, Jed Rosenberg, Olivia Hornstein, Rose Hornstein; and dearly beloved great-uncle of Simon Noah Rosenberg and Elise Claire Rosenberg. Jay will be greatly missed by his family, his friends, and to all who knew him. He was, indeed, a special man. Services were held at Shaare Torah Cemetery. Arrangements entrusted to Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc., family owned and operated. schugar.com

KATZ: After a valiant battle with leukemia, Gary A. Katz, age 65, of Pittsburgh, passed away on Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023. Born on May 12, 1957, in Buffalo, New York, he is the son of Bernice and the late William Katz, beloved husband of Amy Spiegel Katz; loving father of Jordan, Adam and Evan Katz; cherished grandfather of Cole and Sage Katz; brother of Jeffrey Katz and Susan Rothschild; also survived by nieces and nephews. Family and friends gathered for a celebration of life on Saturday, Jan. 14. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Gift of Life Marrow Registry or 412 Food Rescue. Arrangements entrusted to Pittsburgh Cremation and Funeral Care, Robinson Township.

LEVINE: Ruth Levine, 99, passed away in the company of her beloved son and daughter-in-law on Thursday, Dec. 29, 2022. She was born Ruth Katz on Oct. 14, 1923, in what was then Czechoslovakia, the first of five children of the late Samuel and Fanni Katz. At the age of 3 she immigrated with her parents to McKeesport, Pennsylvania, where she grew up. On March 19, 1949, she married Henry Levine and together they raised three sons, first near New Castle then later in Upper St. Clair, Pennsylvania. They were happily married until his passing on Jan. 27, 1992. Ruth was an avid traveler, voracious reader, dedicated employee of the state of Pennsylvania, and volunteer at St. Clair Hospital for over a decade. Her favorite pastimes were those that kept her moving, including swimming daily well into her 80s and running after her granddaughters. She was exceptionally proud of her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren and was deeply involved in their lives. Ruth is survived by her children Gary Levine (Lisa Redpath), Larry Levine (Winnie Hou), and Barry Levine; granddaughters Rebecca (Michael) Murphy and Melissa (Theodore) Waddell; great-grandchildren Samuel, Eli and Lilah; and several nieces and nephews. She will be deeply missed by her family. In addition to her parents and husband, Ruth was preceded in death by her sister Beatrice Fibus-Davis and her brothers Sydney, Leon and Max Katz. A funeral service was held at 2 p.m. on Thursday Jan. 12, at the Mt. Lebanon Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to St. Clair Hospital, 1000 Bower Hill Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15243 in her name.

SAMUELS: Morton “Morty” Samuels, age 95, of Boynton Beach, Florida, passed away peacefully surrounded by love and family on Jan. 10, 2023. Born March 10, 1927, in Pittsburgh, cherished son of the late Fanny and Simon Samuels, beloved husband for 63 years to Eileen Catz Samuels. Devoted father of Lynn (Greg) Signer, Barry Samuels and Lisa Kotler. Loving grandfather of Romy and Jack Kotler as well as his sweet puppies Cody and Cooper. Brother to the later Leonard Samuels and sister-in-law of SandieCatz Papa. Morty will be missed by many good friends and family members. A lifetime Steelers fan and a proud Pittsburgher. He also enjoyed golf, gardening, reading the Wall Street Journal from cover to cover and was an avid investor. His world was his family, and he lived each day to the fullest. A graveside service took place at Eternal Light Memorial Gardens on Thursday Jan. 12. Those wishing to honor Morton’s memory with a memorial contribution are kindly asked to consider Palm Isles Pap Corps, Attention Laura Telzer 7299 Summertree Terrace Boynton Beach, FL 33437 or to a charity of your choice.

Cindy

Alan

Anne

Michael

Ann

Shirley

Shirley

Obituaries:

Gertrude

Julius

Bessie

Diane

Sunday

Lindner, Ilene Grossman Mattock, Bernard Peris, Leah Rosenfeld, Beatrice Rita Weil Ruben, Esther Sadowsky, Anna L. Saville, Max Schlessinger, Gertrude Shakespeare, William Solomon, William Spokane, Morton Stein, Rose Wedner, Mary Sulkes Wolk

B.

Monday January 23: Sylvia S. Berger, Frances Levenson Carey, Ruth H. Cohen, Fanny Eisenfeld, Harry T. Feinberg, Nochim Gelman, Philip Goldblum, Samuel E. Klein, Norma Marks Klein, Samuel Levine, Estelle E. Martin, Jacob Alex Miller, Harold J. Pasekoff, Dr. George Raffel, Anna Shapiro, Sophie Shapiro, Anna Sigesmund, Chaim Silberblatt, Yetta Singer, Henry Solomon, Elder H. Stein, Albert J. Supowitz, Rose Tabor, Louis Tenenouser, John D. Whiteman, Goldie H. Zacks

Tuesday January 24: Isabelle Pitler Backer, Mollie Beck, Samuel Darling, Sidney H. Green, Florence Hiedovitz, Paul Ibe, Max M. Jacobson, Fannie Klein, Rose Klein, Regina Kossman, Geraldine Lerner, Blanche L. Schwartz, Bernice Semins, Russell Tanur

Wednesday January 25: Samuel Baem, Harry N. Bailiss, Sara T. Davidson, George J. Fairman, Joseph Gray, Dr. John J. Horwtiz, Sara R. Jacobson, Sam Kaufman, Max Kweller, Fannie Kwalwasser Lazar, Morris Levy, Harry Meyer, Mary Myers, Lt. Louis Newman, Harry Pretter, Mollie Samuel, Florence Stone, Pauline Strauss, Jennie Walk, Victoria Zimmer

Thursday January 26: Gertrude Berenfield, Nathan Bilder, Paul Carpe, Joel David Cohen, Lillian Cook, Minnie Farber, Morris Fleshman, Samuel J. Frankel, Paul Freedman, Jennie Glick, Sanford K. Greenberg, Lipa Haimovitz, Edward Hertz, Anna Harr Krause, Harry Lautman, Madelyn Platt, Dorothy Rosenthal, Dr. Eugene J. Schachter, Gertrude Silberman, Jacob W. Simon, Alvin Weinberger, Esther Pakler Weiss

Friday January 27: Irving E. Cohen, Nettie Galanty, Phillip Harris, Edith Lazear, Rheba Markley, E. Harry Mazervo, Oscar Robbins, Rebecca Rosenfeld, Gertrude Schugar, Pauline Silberblatt, Abraham Ulanoff

Saturday January 28: Rebecca Broudy, Rubin Davidson, Leonard A. Fleegler, Raymond Goldstein, Jacob Graff, William Randall Greene, Anna Grossman, Sarah Haimovitz, Tina Kaminsky, Anna Kart, Rose Klein, Betty Kuperstock, Anne Bilder Mallinger, Joseph Cliff Ruben, Ida Seminofsky, Sherman Shore, Jack C. Siegel, Al W. Wolf, Rose Blattner Zionts

SINGER: Susan Mahler Singer, writer and longtime Squirrel Hill resident, passed away Jan. 13 at the age of 81. Suzy was a writer first and foremost and always. In the early 1960s she wrote a children’s book called “Kenny’s Monkey” that was published by Scholastic Books and went on to sell more than 1 million copies; the book sales paid for the down payment on the longtime family home on Shady Avenue in 1966. Over the next four decades she was always writing book drafts or poetry and keeping a journal on the hearty IBM Selectric that sat on her desk, or later on the computer that she begrudgingly adopted. She was always ready to share a new poem she had written or to talk about a book she was reading. Suzy was devoted to her two sons, Shepherd (Roee) and Paul and their families. Even as she was losing the ability to have full conversations, she would still end every phone call, “I’m so proud of all you do.” Her apartment was full of photos of her two sons and their families, and she always loved getting more. Suzy’s life was harder than she deserved. When she was a child, her family was riddled with mental illness; when her parents divorced, neither was capable of taking custody so they put her and her sister in an orphanage. When she was about 14 she was kicked out of school and her grandmother took her in. She married Marshall Singer when she was only 18 and he was 27; they were divorced by the time she was 35. She was in and out of psychiatric hospitals all her life, and held a string of secretarial positions until she had to give up work in the early 1990s. In 2015 she suffered an infection and sepsis that dramatically curtailed her abilities, and she ultimately had to give up her apartment and spent the last several years moving through steadily rising levels of caregiving. Born and raised Jewish, she spent some time in her 40s exploring other religions, but she ultimately returned to the faith and found a loving home with Congregation Dor Hadash, where she loyally attended for many years. Her Judaism was a central part of her identity and her social life. The family gives thanks to Community Life, an organization that helps seniors remain in their communities by providing care and services in their homes; and to the Reformed Presbyterian Home in Pittsburgh where Suzy received dignified and compassionate care for the last year of her life. Mostly the family is eternally grateful to a small cadre of caregivers at these organizations who treated Suzy with such kindness and dignity. Suzy’s last decade was only possible because of the care and support of these wildly underpaid angels, and there is no way we can even begin to thank them for what they gave. In lieu of flowers, the family encourages donations to Community Life (commlife.org/make-a-donation/) or the Reformed Presbyterian Home (rphome.org/give/). Services were held at Ralph Schugar Chapel. Interment Dor Hadash Section of Homewood Cemetery. schugar.com PJC

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