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Elie Beit - Yannai

Prof. Elie Beit - Yannai

Recruiting Graduate Students

Associate Professor

חבר/ת סגל אקדמי בכיר

Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Clinical Biochemistry and Pharmacology

M6 - Ruth & Heinz Horst Deichmann Sciences Building Floor 5 Room 533, Soroka Health Sciences

08-647-7352

bye@bgu.ac.il

About

I am an Associate Professor at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, where I have been a faculty member since 2004. I am a pharmacist by training, having earned my B.Pharm from the School of Pharmacy at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, followed by a Master?s degree in Medicinal Chemistry and a PhD ןמ Pישרצשבםךםעט from the same institution.
Industrial Expertise & Leadership
Prior to my academic appointment at BGU, I spent five years in the biotech industry, where I served as a research scientist . This experience provided me with a deep understanding of translational research and the operational complexities of pharmaceutical development, which I now apply to my leadership of academic research teams and the mentorship of graduate students.

Research Interests: The Pharmacology of the Eye
My research program explores the molecular pharmacology of intraocular tissues, with a specific focus on primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG). I am interested in how cells communicate to maintain ocular homeostasis and how this communication breaks down in disease states.

Extracellular Vesicles (EVs) & Exosome Signaling: I study the role of exosomes as messengers between the non-pigmented ciliary epithelium (NPCE) and the trabecular meshwork (TM). This "crosstalk" is vital for regulating intraocular pressure.

Wnt Pathway & ECM Remodeling: My work characterizes how exosomal cargo modulates the Wnt signaling pathway and influences Extracellular Matrix (ECM) remodeling, particularly collagen formation in the ocular drainage system.

Oxidative Stress & Neuroprotection: I investigate how oxidative stress impacts ocular neurodegeneration and the capacity of exosomes to carry anti-oxidative signals to protect drainage cells.

Molecular Profiling: Using advanced microarray and genomic analysis, I profile exosomal microRNA (miRNA) to identify key gene targets relevant to glaucoma pathology.

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Publications

2024?2025: Advanced Genomic Profiling & Reviews
Exosomes in Ocular Health and Disease, Current Eye Research (2025) ?

The Role of Oxidative Stress in the Trabecular Meshwork, Elsevier (Book Chapter) (2025)

Oxidative Stress Induces Loading of Oxidized Phospholipids in Exosomes, Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science (IOVS) (2025)

Integrated Profiling of EV miRNA Impact on TM mRNA Expression, IOVS (2024)

2021?2023: Mechanisms of Uptake & Signaling
Profiling miRNA from NPCE Exosomes Identifies Key POAG Targets, Antioxidants (2023)
NPCE EVs loaded with Smad7 siRNA attenuate Wnt signaling, Pharmaceuticals (2021)

Influence of anti-glaucoma drugs on EV uptake by TM cells, International Journal of Nanomedicine (2021) ? View Article

Crosstalk between miRNA and oxidative stress in POAG, International Journal of Molecular Sciences (2021)

NPCE-derived EV uptake mechanism by the trabecular meshwork, The FASEB Journal (2021)

TM collagen network formation is inhibited by NPCE-derived EVs, Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine (2021)

2017?2020: Foundations of EV Signaling
EV-mediated crosstalk: Modulation of Wnt & ECM remodeling, Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine (2020)

Extracellular vesicles mediate anti-oxidative response in vitro, International Journal of Molecular Sciences (2020)

EVs mediate signaling between producing and draining cells, PLOS ONE (2017)