The Weizmann Institute’s Prof. David Wallach received the prestigious Paul Ehrlich and Ludwig Darmstaedter Prize in March, recognizing
his pioneering role in elucidating the molecular mechanisms that contribute to chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases and in applying this knowledge to therapy.
The prize was awarded in Frankfurt on March 14, the birthday of Nobel laureate Paul Ehrlich, a German-Jewish physician known for his trailblazing
discoveries in immunology, hematology, and chemotherapy, as well as the first effective treatment for syphilis. Prof. Wallach, of the Weizmann Institute’s
Department of Biomolecular Sciences, joined an impressive list of preeminent scientists who have received one of Germany’s most prestigious medical research awards. His groundbreaking work revolves around the protein known as “tumor necrosis factor,” or TNF, a natural immune hormone—also called a cytokine—crucial to the inflammatory process and other immune-defense mechanisms.