The Israel Immunological Society Award
Breakthrough Discoveries in Immunology
The Israel Immunological Society Award (IIS Award) was established in 2025 and is given annually to an IIS member who has made a major research achievement in the field of Immunology in the 2 years prior to the Award Ceremony. This 5000 NIS Award is given based on an exceptional research paper published in a high-impact peer-reviewed journal, and aims to highlight a specific breakthrough, discovery or development with a major impact on basic and/or translational aspects of immunology. The candidate must hold a Principal Investigator position in one of the Israeli universities, research centers or affiliated biotech companies or medical centers, and must be available to present the findings in person at the Annual IIS Award Reception.
2025 IIS Award: Prof. Jakub Abramson
The 2025 IIS Award was given to Prof. Jakub (Kobi) Abramson for his research paper (Gruper Y et al., 2023). This study identified a new autoimmune disorder, Autoimmune Amelogenesis Imperfecta (AAI), which causes destruction of tooth enamel. Remarkably, AAI is not limited to patients with AIRE deficiency but is also prevalent among children with celiac disease. The study suggests its onset may be linked to the consumption of kappa-casein in dairy products. This study not only defines a new autoimmune disorder, but also extends the potential link between autoimmunity and dietary triggers. Its implications for both basic immunology and clinical practice make it an outstanding candidate for recognition.
Autoimmune amelogenesis imperfecta in patients with APS-1 and coeliac disease. Gruper Y, Wolff ASB, Glanz L, Spoutil F, Marthinussen MC, Osickova A, Herzig Y, Goldfarb Y, Aranaz-Novaliches G, Dobeš J, Kadouri N, Ben-Nun O, Binyamin A, Lavi B, Givony T, Khalaila R, Gome T, Wald T, Mrazkova B, Sochen C, Besnard M, Ben-Dor S, Feldmesser E, Orlova EM, Hegedűs C, Lampé I, Papp T, Felszeghy S, Sedlacek R, Davidovich E, Tal N, Shouval DS, Shamir R, Guillonneau C, Szondy Z, Lundin KEA, Osicka R, Prochazka J, Husebye ES, Abramson J. Nature. 2023 Dec;624(7992):653-662. doi: 10.1038/s41586-023-06776-0. Epub 2023 Nov 22.
PMID: 37993717
2026 IIS Award: Prof. Yifat Merbl
The 2026 IIS Award was given to Prof. Yifat Merbl for her research paper (Goldberg K et al., 2025). This study uncovered a new role for proteasome in immunity. For decades, proteasome-cleaved peptides were believed to function solely as precursors for antigen presentation. However this study shows that the proteasome generates a distinct class of functional antimicrobial molecules, Proteasome-Derived Defense Peptides (PDDPs), revealing an evolutionarily conserved, a cell-autonomous arm of innate immunity. It shows that PDDPs are rapidly induced by infection, display tissue-specific patterns in their abundance and composition, and eliminate pathogens in vivo, curing murine models of sepsis and pneumonia. Beyond these fundamental implications for immunity and proteasome biology, this research uncovers an untapped source of endogenous antimicrobial agents at a time when antimicrobial resistance poses a growing global threat. This discovery opens opportunities to harness proteasome-derived peptides as novel anti-infectives and to offer immune protection in vulnerable populations, including patients with cancer, chronic inflammation, or immunosuppression, where enhanced intrinsic defense could offer substantial clinical benefit.
Cell-autonomous innate immunity by proteasome-derived defence peptides. Goldberg K, Lobov A, Antonello P, Shmueli MD, Yakir I, Weizman T, Ulman A, Sheban D, Laser E, Kramer MP, Shteinvil R, Chen G, Ibraheem A, Sysoeva V, Fishbain-Yoskovitz V, Mohapatra G, Abramov A, Shimshi S, Ogneva K, Nandy M, Amidror S, Bootz-Maoz H, Kuo SH, Dezorella N, Kacen A, Javitt A, Lau GW, Yissachar N, Hayouka Z, Merbl Y. Nature. 2025 Mar;639(8056):1032-1041. doi: 10.1038/s41586-025-08615-w. Epub 2025 Mar 5.
PMID: 40044870