פרופ' ארנון קרני

Dr. Arnon Karni M.D., Ph.D

Neuroimmunology Clinic and Research Laboratory

Department of Neurology

Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center  and Sackler Faculty of Medicine,

Tel Aviv University

Email: arnonk@tlvmc.gov.il, arnonkarni@yahoo.com

Education

Degree: M.D. Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel. Period:1985-1991, Date awarded: 10 June 1993. 

Degree: Ph.D. The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel. Subject: Neurobiology, Date awarded: 19 June 2011. Supervised by: Prof. Oded Abramsky and Prof. Howard L. Weiner. Title of doctoral dissertation: The basis for immune dys-regulation in multiple sclerosis. 

Internship in Medicine Tel Aviv Sorasky Medical Center. Tel-Aviv, Israel. Period: Feb. 1. 1992- Feb. 1.1993, Subject:, Professional License:  # 23792. Date awarded: 1993. 

Residency in Neurology .Hadassah University Hospital, Jerusalem, Israel. Subject: Neurology. Period: 1993-1998, Date awarded: 1998.

Basic Science in Neuroimmunology. The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot Israel: Subject: Basic Science Neuroimmunology, Supervised by Prof. Avraham Ben-Nun. Title: The cellular and humeral immune response against myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein in multiple sclerosis. Date: 1996 (6 months)

Research Fellowship. Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, U.S.A. Subject: Research fellowship at the Center for Neurologic Diseases. Supervised by Prof. Howard L. Weiner. Date:  July 1999-December 2002.

Academic Position

Senior Lecturer in Neurology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University.

Research area

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the most disabling disease in young individuals. The putative pathophysiology of the disease is immune mediated destruction of myelin and axon that occurs over time and in multifocal lesions in the central nervous system.  The major reason for disabilities in those patients is the irreversible axonal/ neuronal damage.  Our main goal is to explore ways to improve neuroprotection and neuroregeneration in neurological diseases in general, focusing on multiple sclerosis. We are studying the neuroprotective and neuroregenerative potential of immune cells of patients with MS. We are also investigating several new therapeutic approaches at the animal model level, aiming to intervene at the level of neuronal stem cells when "decisions" are made whether theses stem cell will maturate into neuronal cell or oligodendrocyte (the cells that produce the myelin sheath around the neural processes) or to astrocytes that are responsible for the creation of non-functional glial scars. We have already found very promising results, being able to ameliorate the severity of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, the animal model of multiple sclerosis, using blockade of a specific signaling pathways. We were able to demonstrate by pathological analyses of the treated animals an increased neuronal regeneration and decreased glial cells proliferation. 

List of Publications (2008-2012)

Abraham M*, Karni A*, Dembinsky A, Miller A, Gandhi R, Anderson D, Weiner  HL. In vitro induction of regulatory T cells by anti-CD3 antibody in humans. J. Autoimmun. 2008;30:21-8. * equal contribution

Azoulay D, Urshansky N, Karni A. Low and dysregulated BDNF secretion from

      immune cells of MS patients is related to reduced neuroprotection. J Neuroimmunol. 2008;195:186-193.

Azoulay D, Fainberg K, Fahoum F, Urshansky N, Karni A. Interferon- therapy up

      regulates BDNF secretion from PBMCs of MS patients through a CD40 dependent mechanism. J Neuroimmunol. 2009; 211: 114-119.

Bregman N, Karni A, Korczyn AD. Can treatment with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory 

    drugs protect from dementia? Arch Neurol. 2009; 66: 539-40

Vakhapova V. Auriel E, Karni A. Nightly Sublingual Tizanidine HCl in Multiple

      Sclerosis: Clinical Efficacy and Safety. Clinical Neuropharmacology 2010, 33: 151-4.

Urshansky N, Fainberg-Mausner K, Auriel E, Regev K, Karni A. Dysregulated neurotrophin

      mRNA production by immune cells of patients with relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis. J

      Neurol Sci, 2010; 15;295:31-7.

Habek M, Karni A, Balash Y, Gurevich T. The place of the botulinum toxin in the management of   multiple sclerosis. Clin Neurol Neurosurg. 2010;112:592-596.

Urshansky N, Fainberg-Mausner K, Auriel E, Regev K, Karni A. Reduced production of

      noggin by immune cells of patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. J

      Neuroimmunol. 2011; 232 :171-8.

Auriel E, Regev K., Dori A., Karni A. Safety of Influenza and H1N1 Vaccinations in Patients

      With Myasthenia Gravis, and Patient Compliance. Muscle and Nerve 2011;43 :893-4.

Auriel E,  . Gur A.Y, Uralev O, Brill S, Shopin L, Karni A, Shenhar Tsarfaty S, Bornstein N.M. Characteristics of first ever ischemic stroke in the very elderly: Profile of vascularrisk factors and clinical outcome. Clinical Neurololgy Neurosurgery 2011; 113: 654-657.

Auriel E*,  Karni A*, Bornstein NM,  Nissel T,  Gadoth A, Hallevi H. Extra-cranial venous flow in patients with multiple sclerosis. J Neurol Sci. 2011; 309: 102-104. *equal contribution.

Urshansky N, Fainberg-Mausner K, Auriel E, Regev K, Karni A. Low and dysregulated production of follistatin by immune cells of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis patients. J

      Neuroimmunol. 2011; 238: 96-103.

Tynyakov-Samra E, Auriel E, Amir- Levi Y, Karni A. Reduced ErbB4 expression in    immune cells of patients with relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis. MS International 2011, ID 561262, 1-7. doi:10.1155/2011/561262

Auriel E, Csiba L, Berenyi E, Varkonyi I, Mehes G Kardos L, Karni A, Bornstein

      NM. Leukoaraiosis is associated with arterial wall thickness: a quantitative analysis.

      Neuropathology 2012 ;32: 227-33

Auriel E, Gadoth A, Regev K, Karni A. Seasonal and H1N1v influenza vaccines in MS: safety and compliance. J. Neuro. Sci 2012; 314: 102-3

Research Grants

Israel Science Foundation - Principal Investigator

Israel ministry of Science. Co- Principal Investigator