Dan Peer is a Professor and Director of the Laboratory of Precision Nanomedicine and Vice President for Research at Tel Aviv University. Dan was trained at Tel Aviv University with fellowships at the University of Cambridge, UK, at MIT, and as a postdoctoral Fellow at Harvard Medical School. He returned to Tel Aviv University to establish the laboratory of Precision Nanomedicine in 2008. Dan pioneered the field of Active Cellular Targeting (ACT) to deliver RNA payloads in a cell specific manner. He developed one of the largest lipid libraries with more than 100,000 different lipids. His lab was the first to show systemic, cell specific delivery of siRNAs to immune cells. The first to show systemic, cell specific mRNA delivery in an animal model that express a therapeutic protein; and the first to show highly efficient therapeutic genome editing in cancer - also in a cell type specific manner. He also developed the first bacterial mRNA vaccine; He is the recipient of more than 40 awards and honors (among them the 2026 Rappaport Prize for Excellence in Biomedical Research, the Landau Price in Nanotechnology and the 2026 CRS Founders Award). He holds 161 pending and granted patents, 63% of them are licensed to companies and more than 10 strategies currently in clinical trials. He is the founder of 4 startup companies (one was acquired in 2021). Dan also serves as an editor and on the editorial board of more than 20 journals. Dan is a member of the US National Academy of Engineering, and a Fellow of the US National Academy of Inventors and the CRS.

Abstract

Objectives: Modulating gene expression that can lead to cell death in the case of tumors or to change of expression of desired proteins for protein replacement therapy, or for manipulation leukocytes function or for vaccines or editing of cells for knockout or knockin of genes -  are major challenges and unmet medical needs.

Methods: We have developed several strategies to target unique cell surface receptors, as well as a very large library of ionizible lipids with two special features: highly immunogenic or less immunogenic (that can be used for repeated doses). In addition, we developed novel mRNA sequences with more potent immunogenicity that can be utilized against bacterial infection.

Results: In this talk, I will share several examples ranging the first bacterial mRNA vaccine and will also share some data on gene editing for cancer therapeutics.

Conclusions: Cell specific delivery of RNA payloads is feasible and represent the next generation milestone in personalized medicine.