Avram Hershko, M.D., Ph.D. and Aaron Ciechanover, M.D., D.Sc., of the Technion, Institute of Technology, received the "Nobel Prize in Chemistry" in 2004, for the groundbreaking discovery of the Ubiquitin System, the body's method of removing damaged proteins. This research led to the development of Velcade, the first FDA-approved drug specifically targeted against the Ubiquitin System, now being used to treat multiple myeloma, a cancer of the bone marrow.

Eli Canaani, Ph.D. and his team identified the molecular structure of the "Philadelphia Chromosome," the first abnormal chromosome found in Leukemia. This research lead to the development of Gleevec, the first drug to directly target cancer cells, now being used to treat chronic myelogenous leukemia.

Howard Cedar, M.D., Ph.D., was recognized by the State of Israel with its prestigious national award the "Israel Prize in Biology," in 1999, equivalent to a Congressional Medal of Honor, for his pioneering work in DNA Methylation, a molecular process that turns genes on and off.

Alberto Gabizon, M.D. Ph.D. and his team developed Doxil, the first FDA-approved drug to use "stealth liposomes' for direct delivery to a tumor site without damaging surrounding tissues, now being used in the treatment of breast and ovarian cancer, as well as Kaposi's Sarcoma -- a form of cancer in AIDS patients.

Ephrat Levy-Lahad, M.D. discovered that an abnormality in the RAD51 gene significantly increases the risk for developing breast cancer among women who also carry the BRCA2 gene mutation. Additional testing for the RAD51 gene mutation may become an important prognostic tool.

Moshe Oren, Ph.D.s early research discovered the location and revealed the chemical nature of the common protein, p53, a tumor suppressor that prevents tumor growth; Varda-Rotter, Ph.D. further explored the genetic machinery of the cancer cell and the role of the p53 gene in malignancy.

Yair Reisner, Ph.D. and his team developed a novel bone marrow transplant technique for leukemia patients. Now being tested, this method greatly expands the available donor pool for treatment.