Ruth Arnon
Ruth Arnon (Hebrew: רות ארנון [ʁut aʁ'non], born in Tel Aviv on June 1, 1933) is an Israeli biochemist and codeveloper of the multiple sclerosis drug Copaxone.She is currently the Paul Ehrlich Professor of Immunology at the Weizmann Institute of Science, where she is researching anti-cancer and influenza vaccinations.In addition, Professor Arnon served as the Director of the institute's MacArthur Center for Molecular Biology of Tropical Diseases from 1958 to 1994.One of her largest contributions to science was working alongside Professor Michael Sela to develop a drug for multiple sclerosis called Copaxone.They, along with Devorah Tietelbaum who was at the time a doctoral student, discovered that a material synthetically produced in the lab could suppress a disease found in animals that is a model for multiple sclerosis.It specifically aids neuroprotection and generation as well as prevents the demyelination of axons, a hallmark of diseases such as multiple sclerosis.[5] In a 2004 article, Arnon and Aharoni state that glatiramer acetate is "highly effective in the suppression of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis in various species.Working on the development of Copaxone, a medication for multiple sclerosis, with Professor Michael Sela was one of her most significant contributions to science.They discovered that a substance synthesised in the lab might inhibit a condition observed in animals which is a paradigm for multiple sclerosis, along with Devorah Tietelbaum, who was a doctorate student at the time.