Born in 1933 in Tel Aviv, Ruth Arnon has spent a long career as a biochemist and immunologist shaping modern medical research. Her work at the Weizmann Institute of Science led to the development of Copaxone, a significant drug for the treatment of multiple sclerosis that emerged from thirty years of rigorous synthetic antigen research.
Early Education and Military Service
Arnon attended the Herzliya Hebrew Gymnasium, where she developed an interest in medical research by age 15. She later studied chemistry at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Before pursuing her doctorate, she completed service as an officer in the Israel Defense Forces, having joined the Atuda academic study program. She earned her M.Sc. in 1955.
Immunology at the Weizmann Institute
Joining the Weizmann Institute of Science in 1960, Arnon worked under Michael Sela to complete her doctorate. Throughout her tenure, she held various leadership roles, including Head of the Department of Chemical Immunology and Dean of the Faculty of Biology. She also served as Vice President of the institute from 1988 to 1992 and as Director of the MacArthur Center for Molecular Biology of Tropical Diseases.
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Collaborating with Michael Sela and doctoral student Devorah Tietelbaum, Arnon pioneered the synthesis of antigens to suppress animal models of multiple sclerosis. This research resulted in glatiramer acetate, marketed as Copaxone. The drug, which aids neuroprotection and prevents axon demyelination, received FDA approval following a submission by TEVA Pharmaceutical Company on June 14, 1995.
Global Scientific Leadership
Beyond her laboratory output, Arnon has held prestigious advisory and leadership positions. She chaired the Sciences division of the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities and later served as its president. Her international influence includes roles with the International Union of Immunological Sciences and the European Federation of Immunological Societies, alongside memberships in the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Current Research Interests
Arnon currently focuses on cancer vaccines and universal influenza vaccinations. Her research on virus-like particles (VLP) aims to induce immune responses to identify viral proteins, with potential applications against H5N1 bird flu. These findings contributed to the foundation of the company BiondVax, which has advanced her universal flu vaccine into human clinical trials.
Fast facts
- Born: 1933, Tel Aviv
- Primary Employer: Weizmann Institute of Science
- Key Discovery: Copaxone (glatiramer acetate)
- Israel Prize: 2001
- Wolf Prize in Medicine: 1998
- Robert Koch Prize: 1979
- Fields: Biochemistry and Immunology
Questions readers ask
What is the clinical function of Copaxone?
It is an immunospecific drug that aids neuroprotection and generation while preventing the demyelination of axons associated with multiple sclerosis.
What is the focus of Arnon's current influenza research?
She is researching a universal, recombinant vaccine using virus-like particles that possess specific antigen-presenting proteins to trigger immune memory cells.
Achievements
- Wolf Prize in Medicine — 1998
- Knight of the Legion of Honour
- Held posts at Weizmann Institute of Science
- Educated at Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Herzliya Hebrew Gymnasium
- Fields of research: immunology
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