Professor Bertha (Betty) Schwartz

Research Interests

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in the Western world including Israel. The role of diet in modulating cancer risk is a well-accepted concept, and natural compounds which have been proven safe over time and easily accessible through the diet represent ideal candidates as chemopreventive agents for the effective reduction of cancer-related morbidity and mortality. Professor Betty Schwartz's laboratory has searched for numerous agents present in foods that can act as chemopreventive agents and exert their activity on multiple signal transduction, transcriptional regulation and activation of several apoptotic cascades in various tumor cells and animal models of colorectal cancer or associated colon cancer (induced by inflammation of the bowel). Natural agents such as lycopene, isoflavones, allicin, omega-3 fatty acids, glucans, specific proteins etc. have been shown by us to possess chemopreventive potential. We have utilized molecular and chemical biology approaches, including in vivo in animal models and even human studies to ask well as hypothesis-driven strategies, to interrogate cancer biology, identify and validate new cancer targets, discover and develop chemical, molecular tools to identify nutrients acting on these targets, identify predictive and proved mechanism of action.

One of the projects searching for chemopreventive agents performed in my laboratory aimed to compare the chemical composition and antitumor-related activities of polysaccharide-extracts produced by the edible mushroom Pleurotus pulmonarius from mycelium grown in liquid culture (ME) or fruiting bodies (FBE), in vitro. In addition we determined whether orally administered of FBE and ME could attenuate or prevent the development of experimental colitis in mice and colitis- associated-colorectal cancer (CRC). The main goal of these studies were to advance the understanding of the medicinal characteristic of glucans harvested from the edible mushroom including anti- inflammatory and anti- carcinogenic properties and to learn about the mechanisms of action involved. We compared the chemical composition, anti-inflammatory and antitumor-related activities of ME and FBE glucans, in vivo and in vitro. Our findings suggest that these glucans are able to inhibit colitis, colitis-associated colon carcinogenesis through modulation of inflammation, cell proliferation and induction of apoptosis. These studies were conducted in co-operation with Professor Yitzhak Hadar’s laboratory.

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Fig. 1 Representative histological sections of colonic mucosa stained with haematoxylin and eosin showing the anti-inflammatory effects of glucan administration. (A and B) Control, non-dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-treated mice showing the normal histology of the colon and normal crypt structure (group 1). ↓ Normal crypt. (C and D) DSS-only mice showing extensive intestinal ulceration with severe inflammatory cell infiltrate in the lamina propria and submucosa (group 2). , damaged crypts. (E and F) Colonic sections of high fruiting bodies extract (FBE) mice (no DSS) and high mycelium extract (ME) mice (no DSS), respectively, showing normal colonic mucosa, submucosa and muscularis propria (groups 3 and 4). (G) High FBE + DSS (group 5) and (H) low FBE ‏+ DSS (group 6) showing normal colonic structure and accumulation of goblet cells. A marked reduction in infiltration of inflammatory cells, as well as absence of ulceration, is seen in the treated mice. (I) Colonic section of high ME ‏+ DSS (group 7): normal architecture is retained and there is a higher proportion of goblet cells compared with control mice. (J and K) Low ME ‏+ DSS showing ulceration and inflammatory reaction involving the mucosa only (group 8). Compensation with connective tissue is shown. Bars =100μm. (L) Histology damage score. Extents of inflammation and crypt damage were evaluated and summed to give a total score. The histology damage score for control, FBE and high ME mice (no DSS) is 0. Values are means of three or five mice per group, with standard errors represented by vertical bars. * Mean value was significantly different from that of group 1 control mice (P<0.05).

Another project deals with the isolation and characterization of a mold-derived protein (ACTIBIND), bearing ribonuclease (RNase). This mold protein was firstly isolated in Professor Oded Shoseyov’s laboratory for plant-associated activities and tested in my laboratory in in vivo and in vitro models of cancer and proved to have antiangiogenic and antitumorigenic characteristics. This protein was crystallized and analyzed by our crystallographic expert associate in Ben-Gurion University, Professor OrnaAlmog. Sequencing this protein allowed us to identify a novel human homolog classified also as an RNase T2. A synthetic RNase T2 gene was designed, cloned, expressed and purified. This human RNase T2 exhibited similar antiangiogenic and antitumorigenic characteristics as the mold protein. Further development of this molecule for testing in humans has been transferred to a company [T2 BIOTECH Ltd (former name: Shaligal Promotion Ltd)], which aims at developing this T2RNase as a possible anticancer and antiangiogenic agent in humans, with a potentially high commercial value. We conducted many experiments to understand the molecular mechanism of action of selected peptides based on the RNase T2 molecule by joint M.Sc. and Ph.D. students.

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The figure depicts that ACTIBIND inhibits MMP-2 expression and microvessel density and increases apoptosis in supermetastatic A375SM Human Melanoma xenografts. Immunohistochemical staining for the expression of CD31, MMP-2, and a TUNEL staining. In the ACTIBIND-treated tumors, a decrease in MMP-2 and microvessel density was observed, whereas the number of cells undergoing apoptosis (TUNEL) was increased in comparison with the tumors in the control group.

An additional avenue that we undertook is investigating the putative ameliorating effect of selected probiotics on inflammatory bowel disease and colon cancer. We isolated a novel high butyrate producing, non-pathogenic, putative probiotic bacterial strain from human colonic flora, identified as Enterococcus durans. Firstly, we characterized this putative probiotic and tested its role in amelioration of inflammatory bowel disease in a murine model and in an in vitrocompartmentalized co-culture model. The concerted effect of the probiotic and butyrate secreted components, each working via different mechanisms, seemed to optimize and potentiate the individual properties of each component of the novel probiotic.

In the search for effective anticancer agents from foods, we have studied the effects of vitamin D, allicin from garlic and phytoestrogens. Assessing the true impact of such constituents on human health is difficult since the bioavailability of active constituents is not known. It is becoming clear that these agents exert pleiotropic effects on tumor cells, affecting various molecules involved in proliferation, invasion, and metastasis of cancer. In this regard, we demonstrated that vitamin D bioavailability through binding to vitamin D receptor can be positively regulated by estrogen, and we clearly describe a mechanism involving the plasma membrane associated molecule caveolin-1. Next, we described the mechanism of action of purified allicin on apoptotic induction through the transcriptional pathway involving Nrf2.

An additional nutrient that we are interested in are omega-3 fatty acids, a project supported by the ISF demonstrated that modulation of the transcriptional activity of HNF-4α as a function of chain length and unsaturation of its fatty acyl-CoA ligands may account for the differential effects of dietary fatty acids on colon tumorigenesis. Their efficacy in modulating colon cancer development was expected to verify the role played by HNF-4α in transducing colorectal cancer suppression by (n-3) PUFA. We aimed to assess the impact of omega-3-enriched formula on the healing of existent pressure ulcers in critically ill patients and concomitantly evaluate the expression of tissue-homing membrane proteins in circulating white blood cells. We demonstrated that granulocyte and lymphocyte expression of several membrane proteins involved in transmigration into tissues was boosted by delivery of omega-3-enriched enteral formula to these patients.  A recent supporting manuscript on this topic has been published.

An additional issue that we are interested to investigate is the role of obesity in colorectal cancer (CRC). The incidence of obesity is increasing at an accelerating rate worldwide.  Obesity is widely recognized as an important risk factor for the development of some cancers, such as CRC. For every 2.4 unit increase in body mass index, CRC risk increases by 7%. Adipose tissue is a highly active endocrine organ that secretes a variety of molecules, collectively called “adipokines”, which are directly involved not only in the regulation of whole-body metabolism but also in inflammatory and immune responses. An important study conducted in our laboratory demonstrated that leptin affects processes related to colon cancer initiation and progression in colon cancer cells in vitro (paper 63, a highly cited paper). We conducted a series of studies in obese, insulin-resistant db/db mice, in fat-1 transgene coding for desaturation of (n-6) PUFA into (n-3) PUFA, in db/db crossed with fat-1 mice and in control mice. We conclude that suppression of intestinal HNF-4α activity by (n-3) PUFA may ameliorate diabesity-induced intestinal ontogenesis and offer an effective preventive modality for colorectal cancer. A very recent review on the role of obesity in colorectal cancer we published has impacted significantly and the immediate outcome was extremely positive remarks.

Obese adipose tissue is infiltrated by macrophages that participate in inflammatory pathways activated in the adipose tissue. Energy metabolism of tumor cells result from the interplay of the two main bioenergetic pathways, oxidative phosphorylation and glycolysis. Mitochondria are important organelles in cellular processes, including cellular respiration and energy expenditure, and programmed cell death (apoptosis). The nature of the metabolic networks that give rise to metabolic phenotypes that confer tumor cells oncogenic and metastatic properties, such as increased proliferation and the ability to avoid apoptosis, are still not well understood. Our goal in this area of research was to identify key molecular signals and interactions between adipocytes and colon cancer cells that may foster the genesis and growth of the latter. We found crosstalk mechanisms connecting inflammatory pathways to bioenergetic pathways. Linking both approaches may lead to a more complete picture relating obesity to colorectal cancer. Understanding the molecular mechanisms whereby obesity increases colon cancer risk is thus a focus for our research to be able to design more relevant strategies to prevent the increasing trend in obesity-related colon cancer.

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Regarding studies concentrating on the wealth of the gastrointestinal tract and specifically the intestine we have recently focused in the disease Necrotizing Enterocolitis (NEC), which is the most common and severe intestinal inflammatory disease occurring principally in very low birth weight premature infants. We tried to elucidate the most important cellular mechanisms associated with the development of NEC. We specifically chose to focus in changes that took place at the tight junctions since based in the literature; we assumed that they have a decisive role in the pathological process associated with NEC.

 

We found that TIMP-1, a molecule naturally expressed in HBM inhibited Matrix Metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) activity, induced a significant increase in the expression of occluding. Additionally, we developed a label-free infrared surface plasmon biosensor with a double-chamber flow cell for live cell studies and successfully demonstrated the advantages of this biosensor by tracking the kinetics of intestinal cells layer response.

 

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Additionally, we have recently initiated series of studies on the effect of Ostreolysin, a fungal protein that can specifically increase brown adipocyte differentiation, prevents weight gain, prevents fatty liver and ameliorates glucose intolerance as a result of high fat diet (HFD), therefore may be used as a future drug for obesity. We created a recombinant version of this protein (rOly).

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Betty_Schwartz

Curriculum Vitae

Personal Details:

Name: Bertha (Betty) Schwartz
Place and Date of Birth: La Paz, Bolivia

Education:

B.Sc. in Chemistry, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Ben–Gurion University of the Negev, Israel
B.Sc. in Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Ben–Gurion University of the Negev, Israel
M.Sc. (with distinction) in Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Ben–Gurion University of the Negev, Israel
Ph.D. in Clinical Biochemistry, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben–Gurion University of the Negev, Israel

Appointments

2007 – Present Professor at the Institute of Biochemistry, Food Science and Nutrition, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem .
1999 – Present Member of Studies Committee, School of Nutrition
2002 – 2003 Member of Animal Experimentation Committee, Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Quality Sciences
2002 – 2003 Lecturer's Delegate to the Hebrew University Senate
2004 – 2007 Incumbent of the Women's League Senior Lectureship .
2005 – Present Head, School of Nutritional Sciences
2005 – Present Member of Steering Committee to the Department of Hotel, Food and Tourism.
2004 – Present Member of Inter–Discipline Classification Board of the Institute of Biochemistry, Food Science and Nutrition.
2006 – Present Academic Co–ordinator, International M.Sc. Program on Nutritional Sciences
2006 – Present Member of Studies and Approval Committee, International M.Sc. Program on Nutritional Sciences

 

 

Betty_Schwartz

List of Publications

Dissertations

  1. Schwartz B. 1985. Mechanisms involved in gastrin release from rat gastric antral explants in organ culture. M.Sc. Thesis, Ben–Gurion University, supervised by Prof. J. Krawiec and Dr. S.A. Lamprecht.
  2. Schwartz B. 1990. The colonic epithelial cell: A model to elucidate molecular mechanisms involved in differentiation and neoplasia. Ph.D. Thesis. Ben–Gurion University, supervised by Prof. J. Krawiec and Dr. S.A. Lamprecht.

Chapters in Books

  1. Lamprecht SA, Finkelstein AI, Waltz DT, Schwartz B, Krawiec J (1982) Inhibition by Auranofin of PGE1–stimulable cyclic AMP formation. In: Auranofin in Rheumatoid Arthritis. New York, NY: Academy of Professional Information Services, p. 85–89.
  2. Lamprecht SA, Lifshitz S, Polak–Charcon P, Benharroch D and Schwartz B (1996). Apoptosis in colonic epithelium: A message from the crypt. In: Tsifsoglu AS, Sartorelli AC, Housman DE, Dexer TM (Eds), Tumor Biology: Regulation of cell growth, differentiation and genetics in cancer. Springer–Verlag, Heidelberg and New York, p. 167–175.
  3. Schwartz B and Liel Y (2001). Interactions Between the reproductive and Vitamin D–hormonal systems in the women’s life cycle. In: Lebenthal E and Shapira N (Eds), Nutrition in the female life cycle. ISAS International, Jerusalem, Israel, pp. 52–70.
  4. Schwartz B and Madar Z (2008). Olive oil prevents experimentally induced breast and colon carcinogenesis, In: Olives and Olive Oil In Health and Disease Prevention, Editorial Office, Department of Nutrition & Dietetics, King’s College  London (In Press).

Papers in Scientific (peer reviewed) Journals

  1. Krawiec J, Schwartz B, Quastel MR, Marks J, Odes HS, Lamprecht SA (1980), Release in vitro by gastrointestinal tissues of an inhibitor of canine antral gastrin secretion. Gastroenterology 78:333–338.
  2. Lamprecht SA, Krawiec J, Schwartz B, Krugliak P, Goldstein J, Odes HS (1982), Prostaglandin E1–stimulable cyclic AMP formation from rat gastric antral organ culture: Lack of effect on gastrin secretion. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 108:186–192.
  3. Krawiec J, Odes HS, Schwartz B, Lamprecht SA (1983), Regional differences in ambient intraluminal gastric activity after cimetidine monitored by intragastric pH–metry. Am J Gastroenterol 78:272–275.
  4. Lamprecht SA, Schwartz B, Krugliak P, Odes HS, Guberman R, Krawiec J (1986), Role of cyclic GMP in gastrin secretion from rat antral mucosae in organ culture. J Cyclic Nucleotide Protein Phosphorylation Res 11:177–189.
  5. Schwartz B, Fraser GM, Levy J, Sharoni Y, Krawiec J, Lamprecht SA (1988), Differential distribution of protein kinases along the crypt to lumen regions of rat colonic epithelium. Gut 29:1212–1221.
  6. Lamprecht SA, Schwartz B, Glicksman A. (1989), Transforming growth factor–b in intestinal epithelial differentiation and neoplasia. Anticancer Res. 9:1877–1881.
  7. Lamprecht SA, Schwartz B, Avigdor A, Guberman R (1990), Growth–related enzyme activities in crypt compartments during rat colon carcinogenesis. Anticancer Res. 10:773–778.
  8. Schwartz B, Cagnano E, Braun S, Lamprecht SA (1990), Characterization of tyrosine kinase associated with subcellular components of human colonic epithelium. Anticancer Res. 10:1747–1754.
  9. Schwartz B, Avivi C, Lamprecht SA (1991), Isolation and characterization of normal and neoplastic colonic epithelial cell populations. Gastroenterology 100:692–702.
  10. Schwartz B, Bresalier RS, Kim YS (1992), Role of mucin in cancer metastasis. Int J Cancer 52:60–65.
  11. Schwartz B, Benharroch D, Prinsloo I, Cagnano E, Lamprecht SA (1995), Phosphotyrosine, p62 c–myc and p21 c–Ha–ras proteins in colonic epithelium of normal and dimethylhydrazine–treated rats: an immunohistochemical analysis. Anticancer Research 15: 211–218.
  12. Bresalier RS, Schwartz B, Kim YS, Du Q–H, Kleinman HK, Sullam PM (1995), The laminin a1 chain Ile–Lys–Val–Ala–Val (IKVAV)–containing peptide promotes liver colonization by human colon cancer cells . Cancer Res 55: 2476–2480.
  13. Delcrois JG, Schwartz B, Marton LJ, Feuerstein BG. (1995), Spermine induces differentiation in murine erythroleukemia cells . Biochem J 309(3):781–86.
  14. Ecke D, Bleich M, Lohrmann E, Hropot M, Englert HC, Lang HJ, Warth R, Rohm W, Schwartz B, Fraser G, Greger R. (1995), A chromanol type of K+ channel blocker inhibits forskolin–but not carbachol mediated Cl– secretion in rat and rabbit colon. Cell Physiol Biochem 5:.204–210.
  15. Schwartz B, Polak–Charcon S, Lamprecht SA, Niv Y, Kim YS (1995), The induction of a differentiated phenotype in human colon cancer cells requires the attenuation of cytoskeletal tyrosine phosphorylation. Oncol Res 7: 277–287.
  16. Schwartz B, Hittelman A, Daneshvar L, Marton LJ, Herskowitz I, Feuerstein BG (1995), A new model for disruption of the ornithine decarboxylase gene SPE1, in Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain exhibits growth arrest and genetic instability at the MAT locus, Biochem J 312:83–124.
  17. Niv Y, Schwartz B, Lamprecht SA. Human HT–29 colon carcinoma cells: Mucin production and tumorigenicity in relation to growth phases (1995), Anticancer Research 15: 2023–2028.
  18. Ecke D, Bleich M, Schwartz B, Fraser G, Greger R. The ion conductances of dexamethasone–treated rat colonic crypts (1996), Pfluegers Arch Eur J Physiol 431: 419–426.
  19. Friling R, Yassur Y, Levy R, Schwartz B, Kost J, Lamprecht SA. Role of transforming growth factor–b1 in the control of corneal neovascularization (1996), In Vivo 10: 59–64.
  20. Bleich, M, Ecke, D, Schwartz, B, Fraser, B, Greger, R. Effects of the carcinogen dimethylhydrazine (DMH) on the function of rat colonic crypts (1997) Pfluegers Arch Eur J Physiol, 433:254–259.
  21. Fraser GM, Sterlin M, Garty M, Asher C, Lamprecht SA, Niv Y, Greger R and Schwartz B. Characterization of Sodium and Chloride Channels in Preneoplastic and Neoplastic Murine Colonocytes (1997), Pfluegers Arch Eur J Physiol 434:801–808.
  22. Niv Y, Heizelracht N, Lamprecht SA, Sperber AD, Fraser GM, Schwartz B. Gastrin levels in colorectal cancer (1997), Isr J Med Sci 33(3):186–189.
  23. Schwartz B, Avivi–Green C, Polak–Charcon S. Sodium butyrate induces retinoblastoma protein dephosphorylation, p16 expression and growth arrest of colon cancer cells (1998), Mol Cell Biochem 188: 21–30.
  24. Liel Y, Shany S, Schwartz B. Interaction between estrogen and vitamin D–endocrine system: A potential addition to the unitary model of osteoporosis (1998), J Bone Miner Res 13 (12):1954.
  25. Lifshitz S, Schwartz B, Polak–Charcon S, Benharroch D, Lamprecht SA. Extensive apoptotic death of rat colonic cells deprived of crypt habitat (1998), J Cell Phys 177(3):377–386.
  26. Liel Y, Smirnoff P, Shany S, Schwartz B. Estrogen increases 1,25–dyhidroxyvitamin D receptors expression and bioresponse in the rat duodenal mucosa (1999), Endocrinology 140: 280–285.
  27. Niv Y, Finger A, Shany S, Sperber A, Fraser G, Schwartz B. In colorectal carcinoma patients, serum vitamin D levels vary according to stage of the carcinoma (1999), Cancer 86(3):391–397.
  28. Smirnoff P, Liel Y, Gorodov J, Shany S, Schwartz B. The protective effect of estrogen against chemically–induced murine colon carcinogenesis is associated with decreased CpG Island Methylation and increased mRNA and protein expression of the colonic vitamin D receptor (1999), Oncology Res. 11:255–264.
  29. Schwartz B, Smirnoff P, Shany S, Liel Y. Estrogen controls expression and bioresponse of 1,25–dihydroxyvitamin D receptors in the rat colon (2000), Mol Cell Biochem 203:87–93.
  30. Avivi–Green C, Polak–Charcon S, Madar Z, Schwartz B. Dietary regulation and localization of apoptosis cascade proteins in the colonic crypt (2000), J Cell Biochem 77:18–29.
  31. Barshishat M, Levy I, Benaroch D, Polak–Charcon S, and Schwartz B. Butyrate regulates E–cadherin transcription, isoform expression and intracellular position in colon cancer cell lines (2000), Br. J. Cancer, 82(1):195–203.
  32. Mokady E, Schwartz B, Shany S, Lamprecht SA. A protective role of Dietary Vitamin D3 in rat colon carcinogenesis(2000), Nutr Cancer 38(1):65–73.
  33. Fraser GM, Blendis LM, Smirnoff P, Sikular E, Niv Y, and Schwartz B. Portal hypertension induces sodium channel expression in colonocytes from the distal colon of the rat (2000), Am J Physiol 279(5):G886–G892.
  34. Avivi–Green C, Polak–Charcon S, Madar Z and Schwartz B. Apoptosis cascade proteins are regulated in vivo by high intracolonic butyrate concentration: correlation with colon cancer inhibition (2000), Oncol Res 12(2):83–95.
  35. Avivi–Green C, Madar Z and Schwartz B. Pectin–enriched diet affects distribution and expression of apoptosis–cascade proteins in colonic crypts of dimethylhydrazine–treated rats (2000), Int J Mol Med 6(6):689–698.
  36. Smirnoff P, Almiral–Zelliger D, and Schwartz B Serum leptin levels in the elderly: Relationship with gender and nutritional status (2001), J Nutr Health Aging 5(1):29–32.
  37. Lifshitz S, Lamprecht S. A., Benharroch D, Prinsloo I, Polak–Charcon S, Schwartz B. Apoptosis (programmed cell death) in colonic cells: from normal to transformed stage (2001), Cancer Lett. 163(2):229–238.
  38. Blau S, Levin N, Schwartz B, Rubinstein A. Adsorption of cationized BSA onto epithelial crypt fractions of the rat colon (2001), J Pharm Sci 90: 1516–1522.
  39. Barshishat M, Lider O, Cahalon L, Ariel A, Chowers Y, and Schwartz B. TNFa and Il–8 regulate the expression and function of CD44 variant proteins in human colon carcinoma cells (2002), Clin Exp Metastas 19(4): 327–337.
  40. Avivi–Green C, Polak–Charcon S, Madar Z and Schwartz B. Different molecular events account for butyrate–induced apoptosis in two human colon cancer cell lines (2002), J Nutr 132(7): 1812–1818.
  41. Barshishat M, Levi I, Ben–Harroch D, and Schwartz B. Butyrate down–regulated CD44 transcription and liver colonization in a highly metastatic human colon carcinoma cell line (2002), Br J Cancer 87: 1314 – 1320.
  42. Livny O, Kaplan I, Reifen R, Polak–Charcon S, Madar Z, Schwartz B. Lycopene inhibits proliferation and enhances gap–junction communication of KB–1 human oral tumor cells (2002), J Nutr 132(12): 3754–3759.
  43. Livny O, Reifen R, Levy I, Madar Z, Faulks R, Southon SC and Schwartz B. b–carotene bioavailability from differently processed carrot meals in human ileostomy volunteers (2003), E J Nutr; 42(6): 338–345.
  44. Odes HS, Smirnoff P, Guberman R, Pollak–Charcon S, Sperber AD, Fich A, Fraser GM, Schwartz B. Cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator and Na+ channel subunits mRNA transcripts, and Cl– efflux, show a different distribution in rat duodenum and colon (2003), Acta Physiol Scand 178(3):231–240.
  45. Livny O, Kaplan I, Reifen R, Madar Z, and Schwartz B. Oral cancer cells differ from normal oral epithelial cells in tissue–like organization and in response to lycopene treatment: an organotypic cell culture study (2003), Nutr Cancer 47(2): 195–209.
  46. Reifen R, Haftel L, Faulks R, Southon S, Kaplan I, Schwartz B. Plasma and buccal mucosal cell response to short–term supplementation with all trans–beta–carotene and lycopene in human volunteers (2003), Int J Mol Med; 12(6): 989–993.
  47. Rosman–Urbach M, Niv Y, Birk Y, Zussman Y, Sandler B, Morgenstein S, and Schwartz B. A High Degree of Aneuploidy, Loss of p53 Gene and Low p53–Protein Serum Levels Are Detected in IBD Patients (2004), Dis Colon Rectum; 47(3): 304–313.
  48. Schwartz B, Birk Y, Raz A, Madar Z. Nutritional–Pharmacological Combinations: A Novel Approach to Reducing Colon Cancer Incidence (2004). E J Nutr 43(4): 221–229.
  49. Tirosh O, Schwartz B, Zusman I, Kossoy G, Yahav S, Miskin R. Long–lived alpha MUPA transgenic mice exhibit increased mitochondrion–mediated apoptotic capacity (2004), Ann Ny Acad Sci; 1019:439–442.
  50. Azriel–Tamir H, Sharir H, Schwartz B and Hershfinkel M. Extracellular zinc triggers ERK–dependent activation of Na+/H+ exchange in colonocytes mediated by the zinc sensing receptor (2004). J Biol Chem;279(50):51804–51816.
  51. Abovich Gilad L, Gnainsky J, Bresler T and Schwartz B Regulation of Vitamin D Receptor Expression via Estrogen–induced Activation of the ERK1/2 Signaling Pathway in Colon and Breast Cancer Cells (2005) J Endocrinology; 185(3):577–592.
  52. Tirosh O, Pardo M, Schwartz B, Miskin R. Long–lived aMUPA transgenic mice show reduced SOD2 expression, enhanced apoptosis and reduced susceptibility to carcinogenesis (2005) Mechanisms of Ageing and Development; 126(12):1262–73.
  53. Lavi I, Friesem D, Geresh S, Hadar Y, and Schwartz B An aqueous polysaccharide extract from the edible mushroom Pleurotus ostreatus induces anti–proliferative and pro–apoptotic effects on HT–29 colon cancer cells. (2006) Cancer Lett; 28;244(1):61-70. Epub 2006 Jan 18.
  54. Rosman–Urbach M, Niv Y, Birk Y, Morgenstein S, and Schwartz B. Relationship between nutritional habits adopted by ulcerative colitis relevant to cancer development patients at clinical remission stage and molecular–genetic parameters (2006) Brit J Nutr; 95, 188–195.
  55. Roiz L, Smirnoff P, Bar–Eli M, Schwartz B, Shoseyov O. Actibind: an Actin–Binding Fungal T2–Rnase with Antiangiogenic and Anticarcinogenic Characteristics (2006) Cancer; 106:2295–2308.
  56. Gilad LA, Tirosh O, Schwartz B. Phytoestrogens regulate transcription and translation of vitamin D receptor in colon cancer cells (2006) J Endocrinol;191(2):387–98.
  57. Smirnoff P, Roiz L, Angelkovitch B, Schwartz B, Shoseyov O. A recombinant human RNASET2 glycoprotein with antitumorigenic and antiangiogenic characteristics: expression, purification, and characterization (2006) Cancer; 107(12):2760–2769.
  58. Schwartz B, Melnikova VO, Tellez C, Mourad-Zeidan A, Blehm K, Zhao YJ, McCarty M, Adam L, Bar-Eli M. Loss of AP-2alpha results in deregulation of E-cadherin and MMP-9 and an increase in tumorigenicity of colon cancer cells in vivo (2007) Oncogene;26(28):4049-58. Epub 2007 Jan 15.
  59. Raz I, Gollop N, Polak–Charcon S, Schwartz B Isolation and Characterization of New Putative Probiotic Bacteria from Human Colonic Flora (2007) Br J Nutr; 97(4):725–734.
  60. Schwartz B, Shoseyov O, Melnikova VO, McCarty M, Leslie M, Roiz L, Smirnoff P, Hu GF, Lev D, Bar–Eli M. ACTIBIND, a T2 RNase, competes with angiogenin and inhibits human melanoma growth, angiogenesis, and metastasis (2007) Cancer Res;67(11):5258–66.
  61. Gilad LA, Schwartz B. Association of estrogen receptor beta with plasma–membrane caveola components: implication in control of vitamin D receptor (2007) J Mol Endocrinol.;38(6):603–18.
  62. de Leeuw M, Roiz L, Smirnoff P, Schwartz B, Shoseyov O, Almog O. Binding assay and preliminary X–ray crystallographic analysis of ACTIBIND, a protein with anticarcinogenic and antiangiogenic activities (2007) Acta Crystallogr Sect F Struct Biol Cryst Commun;63(Pt 8):716–9. Epub 2007 Jul 28.
  63. Jaffe T, Schwartz B. Leptin promotes motility and invasiveness in human colon cancer cells by activating multiple signal–transduction pathways (2008) Int J Cancer; 123(11):2543–56.
  64. Schwartz B, Algamas–Dimantov A, Hertz R, Nataf J, Kerman A, Peri I and Bar–Tana J. Inhibition of Colorectal Cancer by targeting HNF–4α (2009) Int J Cancer.;124(5):1081–9.
  65. Wolf Bat-Chen , Tal Golan , Irena Peri , Zvi Ludmer & Betty Schwartz. llicin Purified From Fresh Garlic Cloves Induces Apoptosis in Colon Cancer Cells Via Nrf2. (2010) Nutrition and Cancer, 62:7, 947-957.
  66. Iris Lavi, Dana Levinson, Irena Peri, Yoram Tekoah, Yitzhak Hadar, Betty Schwartz. Chemical characterization, antiproliferative and antiadhesive properties of polysaccharides extracted from Pleurotus pulmonarius mycelium and fruiting bodies. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol (2010) 85: 1977.
  67. Iris Lavi, Dana Levinson, Irena Peri, Lili Nimri, Yitzhak Hadar and Betty Schwartz. Orally administered glucans from the edible mushroom Pleurotus pulmonarius reduce acute inflammation in dextran sulfate sodium-induced experimental colitis. British Journal of Nutrition(2010),103, 393–402
  68. Avram-Hananel, Liraz M.Sc.; Stock, Julia M.Sc.; Parlesak, Alex Ph.D.; Bode, Cristiana Ph.D.; Schwartz, Betty Ph.D. E Durans Strain M4–5 Isolated From Human Colonic Flora Attenuates Intestinal Inflammation. Diseases of the Colon & Rectum: December 2010 - Volume 53 - Issue 12 - p 1676-1686.
  69. Moran Farhi, Elena Marhevka, Julius Ben-Ari, Anna Algamas-Dimantov, Zhuobin Liang, Vardit Zeevi,Orit Edelbaum, Ben Spitzer-Rimon,Hagai Abeliovich, Betty Schwartz, Tzvi Tzfira, Alexander Vainstein, Nature Biotechnology volume 29, pages 1072–1074 (2011)
  70. Revital Cohen, Betty Schwartz, Irena Peri, and Eyal Shimoni. Improving Bioavailability and Stability of Genistein by Complexation with High-Amylose Corn Starch. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 2011 59 (14), 7932-7938
  71. Miriam Theilla, Betty Schwartz, Jonathan Cohen, Haim Shapiro, Ronit Anbar, and Pierre Singer. Impact of a Nutritional Formula Enriched in Fish Oil and Micronutrients on Pressure Ulcers in Critical Care Patients. Am J Crit Care July 2012 21:e102-e109.
  72. Iris Lavi, Lili Nimri, Dana Levinson, Irena Peri, Yitzhak Hadar, Betty Schwartz. Glucans from the edible mushroom Pleurotus pulmonarius inhibit colitis-associated colon carcinogenesis in mice. J Gastroenterol (2012) 47: 504.
  73. Victor Yashunsky, Vladislav G. Lirtsman, Alexander Zilbershtein, Michael Golosovsky, Dan Davidov, Amir Bein, Betty Schwartz, Benjamin Aroeti. Surface plasmon-based infrared spectroscopy for cell biosensing, J. Biomed. Opt. 17(8) 081409 (14 June 2012)
  74. Theilla, M., Schwartz, B., Zimra, Y., Shapiro, H., Anbar, R., Rabizadeh, E.,Singer, P. (2012). Enteral n-3 fatty acids and micronutrients enhance percentage of positive neutrophil and lymphocyte adhesion molecules: A potential mediator of pressure ulcer healing in critically ill patients. British Journal of Nutrition, 107(7), 1056-1061.
  75. Anna Algamas-Dimantov, Dana Davidovsky, Julius Ben-Ari, Jing X. Kang, Irena Peri, Rachel Hertz, Jacob Bar-Tana, and Betty Schwartz. Amelioration of diabesity-induced colorectal ontogenesis by omega-3 fatty acids in mice. J. Lipid Res. 2012 53:(6) 1056-1070
  76. Marina de Leeuw, Ana González, Assaf Lanir, Levava Roiz, Patricia Smirnoff, Betty Schwartz, Oded Shoseyov, and Orna Almog. The 1.8 Å Crystal Structure of ACTIBIND Suggests a Mode of Action for T2 Ribonucleases As Antitumorigenic Agents. Journal of Medicinal Chemistry 2012 55 (3), 1013-1020
  77. Nimri, L., Barak, H., Graeve, L. and Schwartz, B. (2013), Restoration of caveolin-1 expression suppresses growth, membrane-type-4 metalloproteinase expression and metastasis associated activities in colon cancer cells. Mol. Carcinog., 52: 859-870.
  78. Einav Yehuda-Shnaidman, Lili Nimri, Tanya Tarnovscki, Boris Kirshtein, Assaf Rudich, Betty Schwartz. Secreted Human Adipose Leptin Decreases Mitochondrial Respiration in HCT116 Colon Cancer Cells. PLOS ONE 8(9): e74843
  79. Anna Algamas-Dimantov, Einav Yehuda-Shnaidman, Irena Peri, Betty Schwartz. Epigenetic control of HNF-4α in colon carcinoma cells affects MUC4 expression and malignancy. Cell Oncol. (2013) 36
  80. Schwartz B, Hadar Y. Possible mechanisms of action of mushroom-derived glucans on inflammatory bowel disease and associated cancer. Annals of Translational Medicine. 2014;2(2):19.
  81. Exposure to omega-3 fatty acids at early age accelerate bone growth and improve bone quality. Netta Koren,Stav Simsa-Maziel,Ron Shahar,Betty Schwartz,Efrat Monsonego-Ornan. The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, Volume 25, Issue 6, June 2014, Pages 623-633
  82. Putative role of adipose tissue in growth and metabolism of colon cancer cells. Betty Schwartz and Einav Yehuda-Shnaidman. Front. Oncol., 26 June 2014
  83. Algamas-Dimantov A, Yehuda-Shnaidman E, Hertz R, Peri I, Bar-Tana J, Schwartz B. Prevention of diabetes-promoted colorectal cancer by (n-3) polyunsaturated fatty acids and (n-3) PUFA mimetic. Oncotarget. 2014;5(20):9851-9863.
  84. Betty Schwartz (2014) New criteria for supplementation of selected micronutrients in the era of nutrigenetics and nutrigenomics, International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition, 65:5, 529-538
  85. Nesiel-Nuttman L, Schwartz B, Shoseyov O. Human recombinant truncated RNASET2, devoid of RNase activity; A potential cancer therapeutic agent. Oncotarget. 2014;5(22):11464-11478.
  86. Nimri L, Saadi J, Peri I, Yehuda-Shnaidman E, Schwartz B. Mechanisms linking obesity to altered metabolism in mice colon carcinogenesis. Oncotarget. 2015;6(35):38195-38209.
  87. Amir Bein, Ronit Lubetzky, Dror Mandel & Betty Schwartz. TIMP-1 inhibition of occludin degradation in Caco-2 intestinal cells: a potential protective role in necrotizing enterocolitis. Pediatric Research volume 77, pages 649–655 (2015)
  88. Nesiel-Nuttman L, Doron S, Schwartz B, Shoseyov O. Human RNASET2 derivatives as potential anti-angiogenic agents: actin binding sequence identification and characterization. Oncoscience. 2015;2(1):31-43.
  89. Bein, A. , Zilbershtein, A. , Golosovsky, M. , Davidov, D. and Schwartz, B. (2017), LPS Induces Hyper‐Permeability of Intestinal Epithelial Cells. J. Cell. Physiol., 232: 381-390.
  90. Sharon Avni, Nirit Ezove, Hilla Hanani, Itamar Yadid, Michal Karpovsky, Hilla Hayby, Ofer Gover, Yitzhak Hadar, Betty Schwartz and Ofer Danay.Olive Mill Waste Enhances α-Glucan Content in the Edible Mushroom Pleurotus eryngii. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2017, 18(7), 1564
  91. Nimri, L., Spivak, O., Tal, D., Schälling, D., Peri, I., Graeve, L.,Tomer M. Salame, Oded Yarden,Yitzhak Hadar, Schwartz, B. (2017). A recombinant fungal compound induces anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic effects on colon cancer cells. Oncotarget, 8(17), 28854–28864.
  92. Tom Oren, Lili Nimri, Einav Yehuda-Shnaidman, Katy Staikin, Yitzhak Hadar, Assaf Friedler, Hadar Amartely, Michal Slutzki, Antonella Di Pizio, Masha Y. Niv, Irena Peri, Lutz Graeve, Betty Schwartz. Recombinant ostreolysin induces brown fat-like phenotype in HIB-1B cells Mol. Nutr. Food Res. 2017, 61, 1700057
  93. Diana Shefer-Weinberg, Shlomo Sasson, Betty Schwartz, Nurit Argov-Argaman, Oren Tirosh. Deleterious effect of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in non-alcoholic steatohepatitis in the fat-1 mouse model. Clinical Nutrition Experimental , Volume 12 , 37 - 49.
  94. Bein Amir; Eventov-Friedman Smadar; Arbell Dan; Schwartz Betty. Intestinal tight junctions are severely altered in NEC preterm neonates. Pediatrics and neonatology, ISSN: 2212-1692, 2017
  95. SCHWARTZ, Betty; A, Harari; M, Huszar. Immunohistochemical analyses of HNF-4α and their controlled proteins in human ulcerative colitis and colorectal cancer tissues. Medical Research Archives, [S.l.], v. 5, n. Issue 9, sep. 2017.
  96. Nimri, L., Staikin, K., Peri, I., Yehuda Shnaidman, E., and Schwartz, B. (2018) Ostreolysin induces browning of adipocytes and ameliorates hepatic steatosis. Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology.
  97. Sukhotnik, I., Moati, D., Shaoul, R., Loberman, B., Pollak, Y., & Schwartz, B. (2018). Quercetin prevents small intestinal damage and enhances intestinal recovery during methotrexate-induced intestinal mucositis of rats. Food & Nutrition Research, 62.
  98. Ron Shaoul, Dalia Moati, Betty Schwartz, Yulia Pollak & Igor Sukhotnik (2018) Effect of Pomegranate Juice on Intestinal Recovery Following Methotrexate-Induced Intestinal Damage in a Rat Model, Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 37:5, 406-414
  99. Taha HM, Slade AN, Schwartz B, Arthur AE. A Case-Control Study Examining the Association of Fiber, Fruit, and Vegetable Intake and the Risk of Colorectal Cancer in a Palestinian Population. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Jun 11;19(12):7181. doi: 10.3390/ijerph19127181. PMID: 35742430; PMCID: PMC9223491.
  100. Berke NA, Di Pizio A, Vaden TD, Shoval I, Gover O, Waiger D, Solomon G, Sepčić K, Schwartz B. Critical Sites on Ostreolysin Are Responsible for Interaction with Cytoskeletal Proteins. Biomedicines. 2022 Sep 30;10(10):2442. doi: 10.3390/biomedicines10102442. PMID: 36289704; PMCID: PMC9598724.
  101. Munteanu C, Schwartz B. The relationship between nutrition and the immune system. Front Nutr. 2022 Dec 8;9:1082500. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2022.1082500. PMID: 36570149; PMCID: PMC9772031.
  102. Bar-Dagan H, Gover O, Cohen NA, Vetvicka V, Rozenboim I and Schwartz B (2023) Beta-glucans induce cellular immune training and changes in intestinal morphology in poultry. Front. Vet. Sci. 9:1092812. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2022.1092812
  103. Pinto Y, Frishman S, Turjeman S, Eshel A, Nuriel-Ohayon M, Shrossel O, Ziv O, Walters W, Parsonnet J, Ley C, Johnson EL, Kumar K, Schweitzer R, Khatib S, Magzal F, Muller E, Tamir S, Tenenbaum-Gavish K, Rautava S, Salminen S, Isolauri E, Yariv O, Peled Y, Poran E, Pardo J, Chen R, Hod M, Borenstein E, Ley RE, Schwartz B, Louzoun Y, Hadar E, Koren O. Gestational diabetes is driven by microbiota-induced inflammation months before diagnosis. Gut. 2023 Jan 10:gutjnl-2022-328406. doi: 10.1136/gutjnl-2022-328406. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 36627187.
  104. Bar-Dagan H, Gover O, Cohen NA, Vetvicka V, Rozenboim I, Schwartz B. Beta-glucans induce cellular immune training and changes in intestinal morphology in poultry. Front Vet Sci. 2023 Jan 9;9:1092812. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2022.1092812. PMID: 36699331; PMCID: PMC9868956.
  105. Munteanu C, Schwartz B. The Effect of Bioactive Aliment Compounds and Micronutrients on Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease. Antioxidants. 2023; 12(4):903.  doi:10.3390/antiox12040903
  106. Asher, A.T.; Mangel, L.; Ari, J.B.; Gover, O.; Ahmad, W.A.; Herzlich, J.; Mandel, D.; Schwartz, B.; Lubetzky, R. Human Milk Oligosaccharide Profile across Lactation Stages in Israeli Women—A Prospective Observational Study. Nutrients 2023, 15, 2548. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15112548
  107. Ofir Avizemel, Sigal Frishman, Yishay Pinto, Yaron Michael, Sondra Turjeman, Kinneret Tenenbaum-Gavish, Or Yariv, Yoav Peled, Eran Poran, Joseph Pardo, Rony Chen, Moshe Hod, Betty Schwartz, Eran Hadar, Omry Koren, Keren Agay-Shay, Residential greenness, gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and microbiome diversity during pregnancy, International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health, Volume 251, 2023, 114191, ISSN 1438-4639, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijheh.2023.114191.
  108. Richter, H. ; Gover, O. ; Schwartz, B. . Anti-Inflammatory Activity Of Black Soldier Fly Oil Associated With Modulation Of Tlr Signaling: A Metabolomic Approach. International Journal of Molecular Sciences 2023, 24, 10634.  https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms241310634
  109. Cohen, G. ; Gover, O. ; Schwartz, B. . Phytocannabinoids Reduce Inflammation Of Primed Macrophages And Enteric Glial Cells: An In Vitro Study . International Journal of Molecular Sciences 2023, 24, 1422-0067.  https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms241914628
  110. Eitan, A. ; Gover, O. ; Sulimani, L. ; Meiri, D. ; Schwartz, B. . The Effect Of Orally Administered Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (Thc) And Cannabidiol (Cbd) On Obesity Parameters In Mice. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2023, 24.https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms241813797
  111. Munteanu, C; Schwartz, B.; B Vitamins, Glucoronolactone and the Immune System: Bioavailability, Doses and Efficiency. Nutrients 2024, 16, 24. https://doi.org/10.3390/ nu16010024
  112. Schwartz, B. ; Munteanu, C. ; Interactions Between Dietary Antioxidants, Dietary Fiber And The Gut Microbiome: Their Putative Role In Inflammation And Cancer. International Journal of Molecular Sciences 2024, 25, 8250. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25158250

Patents

  1. Methods of and composition for inhibiting proliferation of neoplastic mammalian cells. PCT/ IL00/ 00514 (With Oded Shoseyov, P Smirnoff and L Roiz). US Patent Application No. 10/069,454 for "METHODS OF AND COMPOSITIONS FOR INHIBITING THE PROLIFERATION OF MAMMALIAN CELLS", US Patent No. 7,101,839 on September 5, 2006.
  2. Physical, chemical and immunomodulating properties of Israeli propolis (With Amos Nussinovitch); Provisional Patent Application (September 2006).
  3. EFFICIENT EXPRESSION OF TRUNCATED HUMAN RNASET2 IN E.COLI. Oded Shoseyou, Betty Schwartz, Levava Roiz, Patricia Smirnoff, Liron Nuttman.US 2011/0207667 A1
  4. Methods of and compositions for inhibiting the proliferation of mammalian cells. Levava Roiz, Betty Schwartz, Patricia Smirnoff, Oded Shoseyov. US 8,735,127 B2
  5. Actin binding peptides and compositions comprising same for inhibiting angiogenesis and treating medical conditions associated with same. Oded Shoseyov, Betty Schwartz, Shani DORON, Liron NESIEL, Assaf Friedler, Hadar AMARTELY, Levava Roiz, Patricia Smirnoff, Iris LEWIN. US20160340659A1.
Betty_Schwartz

Lab members

labgroup
Betty_Schwartz
Ofer Gover Lab Manager 

ofer.gover@mail.huji.ac.il
ofergover
Betty_Schwartz
Kislev Dayan Amirim student 

The effect of Omega-3 fatty acids on mice colon. 

kislevd@gmail.com
kislevdayan
Betty_Schwartz
Erez Israeli MSc student 

Understanding the cellular mechanisms involved in adipocyte differentiation with administration of Ostreolysin (Oly), a protein found in the mushroom Pleurotus ostreatus. 

israeli.erez01@gmail.com
erezisraeli
Betty_Schwartz
Adi Levy Ben-Shabat MSc student. 

Understanding the effect of Glucans from the mushroom Pleurotus eryngii on Nitric Oxide production and immune response in macrophages. 

adilevy212@gmail.com
adileviben-shabat
Betty_Schwartz
Nastasia Adler Berke PhD candidate 

Studying the interaction of Ostreolysin (Oly), a protein found in the mushroom Pleurotus ostreatus with the lipid rafts in adipocytes and its relation to differentiation. 

nastaciast@gmail.com
nastaciaadlerberke
Betty_Schwartz
Elena Simonovsky MSc student 

Studying the effect of Glucans from the mushroom Pleurotus eryngii on activation of Nfkβ transcription factor in mice colon cells using inflammation assays. 

elena.fishman@mail.huji.ac.il
yelenafishman
Betty_Schwartz
Meital Boim MSc student 

Effects of ostreolysin on an in vitro model of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. 

meital.boim@gmail.com
meitalboim
Betty_Schwartz
Eike Waechtersha MSc exchange student, Germany 

Understanding the cellular mechanisms involved in adipocyte differentiation with administration of Ostreolysin (Oly), a protein found in the mushroom Pleurotus ostreatus. 

eike.waechtersha@mail.huji.ac.il
eikephoto
Betty_Schwartz
Hila Haybe MSc student 

Studying the effect of Glucans from the mushroom Pleurotus eryngii on inflammation on an IBD model in mice. 

hillahay4@gmail.com
hilahaybe
Betty_Schwartz

 

Betty_Schwartz