Tsaffrir Zor

Biography

Tsaffrir Zor is working as professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in Tel Aviv University. His Research Interests are Regulation of TNFα and IL-10 expression in macrophages, Immune manipulation by the bacterial molecule C12-HSL, Roles of sphingolipids in macrophages.

Research Interest

Research Interests Regulation of TNFα and IL-10 expression in macrophages: The pro-inflammatory cytokine TNFα plays a pivotal role in orchestrating innate immune responses that enable us to overcome infections. On the other hand, unregulated production of TNFα may lead to chronic inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, and psoriasis. In addition, excess of TNFα also contributes to the development of numerous inflammation-linked diseases such as asthma, diabetes, cardiac failure, stroke, and cancer. The anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 has a key role in limiting the inflammatory response. In our laboratory we study the regulation of TNFα and IL-10 expression and release. Our research focuses on signal transduction pathways, such as cAMP, that reciprocally regulate production of these pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines. Immune manipulation by the bacterial molecule C12-HSL: The bacterial quorum sensing molecule N-3-oxo-dodecanoyl-L-homoserine lactone (C12-HSL) has critical roles in both inter-bacterial communication and inter-kingdom signaling. The ability of C12-HSL to down-regulate production of the key pro-inflammatory cytokine TNFα in stimulated macrophages was suggested to contribute to the establishment of chronic infections by opportunistic Gram-negative bacteria, such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa. In our laboratory we study the mechanisms by which C12-HSL manipulates critical signal transduction pathways regulating TNFα and IL-10 expression and secretion in LPS-stimulated macrophages. Roles of sphingolipids in macrophages – The sphingolipid ceramide-1-phosphate (C1P) regulates key activities of macrophages, including migration (extra-cellularly, via an unidentified GPCR) and Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) production (intra-cellularly via cPLA2 stimulation). Our laboratory studies the mechanisms of these activities.