פרופ' איתן אוקון

Recent Peer-reviewed Publications 

1    Fruitman Davidi, A., Shirenova, S., Michaelovich, D., Benedetti, G., Shtrasberg, H., Shoval, I., Hauschner, H., Oz, G., Vardy, K., Hirsh, T., Madar, R., Stern, E. A., Rosenmann, H., Biragyn, A. & Okun, E. Dural ectopic lymphatic structures accumulate during aging and exhibit dysregulation in neurodegenerative diseases. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 122, e2425081122 (2025). https://doi.org:10.1073/pnas.2425081122

2    Wang, X., Campbell, B., Bodogai, M., McDevitt, R. A., Patrikeev, A., Gusev, F., Ragonnaud, E., Kumaraswami, K., Shirenova, S., Vardy, K., Alameh, M. G., Weissman, D., Ishikawa-Ankerhold, H., Okun, E., Rogaev, E. & Biragyn, A. CD8(+) T cells exacerbate AD-like symptoms in mouse model of amyloidosis. Brain Behav Immun 122, 444-455 (2024). https://doi.org:10.1016/j.bbi.2024.08.045

3    Illouz, T., Ascher, L. A. B., Madar, R. & Okun, E. Unbiased analysis of spatial learning strategies in a modified Barnes maze using convolutional neural networks. Sci Rep 14, 15944 (2024). https://doi.org:10.1038/s41598-024-66855-8

4    Hen-Shoval, D., Indig-Naimer, T., Moshe, L., Kogan, N. M., Zaidan, H., Gaisler-Salomon, I., Okun, E., Mechoulam, R., Shoval, G., Zalsman, G. & Weller, A. Unraveling the molecular basis of cannabidiolic acid methyl Ester's anti-depressive effects in a rat model of treatment-resistant depression. J Psychiatr Res 175, 50-59 (2024). https://doi.org:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2024.04.033

5    Bar, E., Fischer, I., Rokach, M., Elad-Sfadia, G., Shirenova, S., Ophir, O., Trangle, S. S., Okun, E. & Barak, B. Neuronal deletion of Gtf2i results in developmental microglial alterations in a mouse model related to Williams syndrome. Glia 72, 1117-1135 (2024). https://doi.org:10.1002/glia.24519

6    Ben-Ami, L., Ravona-Springer, R., Tsarfaty, G., Raizman, R., Shumacher, A., Sharvit-Ginon, I., Greenbaum, L., Bendlin, B. B., Okun, E., Heymann, A., Schnaider Beeri, M. & Livny, A. Neural correlates of subjective cognitive decline in adults at high risk for Alzheimer's disease. Front Aging Neurosci 15, 1067196 (2023). https://doi.org:10.3389/fnagi.2023.1067196

7    Samuel, I., Ben-Haroush Schyr, R., Arad, Y., Attali, T., Azulai, S., Bergel, M., Halfon, A., Hefetz, L., Hirsch, T., Israeli, H., Lax, N., Nitzan, K., Sender, D., Sweetat, S., Okun, E., Rosenmann, H. & Ben-Zvi, D. Sleeve Gastrectomy Reduces Glycemia but Does Not Affect Cognitive Impairment in Lean 5xFAD Mice. Front Neurosci 16, 937663 (2022). https://doi.org:10.3389/fnins.2022.937663

8    Nicola, R., Madar, R. & Okun, E. HCAR1-Mediated L-Lactate Signaling Suppresses Microglial Phagocytosis. Neuromolecular Med 24, 399-404 (2022). https://doi.org:10.1007/s12017-022-08710-5
 

9    Ng, G. Y., Sheng, D., Bae, H. G., Kang, S. W., Fann, D. Y., Park, J., Kim, J., Alli-Shaik, A., Lee, J., Kim, E., Park, S., Han, J. W., Karamyan, V., Okun, E., Dheen, T., Hande, M. P., Vemuganti, R., Mallilankaraman, K., Lim, L. H. K., Kennedy, B. K., Drummond, G. R., Sobey, C. G., Gunaratne, J., Mattson, M. P., Foo, R. S., Jo, D. G. & Arumugam, T. V. Integrative epigenomic and transcriptomic analyses reveal metabolic switching by intermittent fasting in brain. Geroscience 44, 2171-2194 (2022). https://doi.org:10.1007/s11357-022-00537-z
 

10    Huls, A., Feany, P. T., Zisman, S. I., Costa, A. C. S., Dierssen, M., Balogh, R., Bargagna, S., Baumer, N. T., Brandao, A. C., Carfi, A., Chicoine, B. A., Ghosh, S., Lakhanpaul, M., Levin, J., Lunsky, Y., Manso, C., Okun, E., Real de Asua, D., Rebillat, A. S., Rohrer, T. R., Sgandurra, G., Valentini, D., Sherman, S. L., Strydom, A. & On Behalf Of The Trisomy Research Society, C.-I. COVID-19 Vaccination of Individuals with Down Syndrome-Data from the Trisomy 21 Research Society Survey on Safety, Efficacy, and Factors Associated with the Decision to Be Vaccinated. Vaccines (Basel) 10 (2022). https://doi.org:10.3390/vaccines10040530
 

11    Habashi, M., Vutla, S., Tripathi, K., Senapati, S., Chauhan, P. S., Haviv-Chesner, A., Richman, M., Mohand, S. A., Dumulon-Perreault, V., Mulamreddy, R., Okun, E., Chill, J. H., Guerin, B., Lubell, W. D. & Rahimipour, S. Early diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer's disease by targeting toxic soluble Abeta oligomers. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 119, e2210766119 (2022). https://doi.org:10.1073/pnas.2210766119
 

12    Cho, Y., Bae, H. G., Okun, E., Arumugam, T. V. & Jo, D. G. Corrigendum to "Physiology and pharmacology of amyloid precursor protein" [Pharmacology & Therapeutics Volume 235(2022) 108122. Pharmacol Ther 238, 108281 (2022). https://doi.org:10.1016/j.pharmthera.2022.108281
 

13    Cho, Y., Bae, H. G., Okun, E., Arumugam, T. V. & Jo, D. G. Physiology and pharmacology of amyloid precursor protein. Pharmacol Ther 235, 108122 (2022). https://doi.org:10.1016/j.pharmthera.2022.108122
 

14    Nicola, R. & Okun, E. Adult Hippocampal Neurogenesis: One Lactate to Rule Them All. Neuromolecular Med 23, 445-448 (2021). https://doi.org:10.1007/s12017-021-08658-y
 

15    Kim, K., Wang, X., Ragonnaud, E., Bodogai, M., Illouz, T., DeLuca, M., McDevitt, R. A., Gusev, F., Okun, E., Rogaev, E. & Biragyn, A. Therapeutic B-cell depletion reverses progression of Alzheimer's disease. Nat Commun 12, 2185 (2021). https://doi.org:10.1038/s41467-021-22479-4
 

16    Illouz, T., Nicola, R., Ben-Shushan, L., Madar, R., Biragyn, A. & Okun, E. Maternal antibodies facilitate Amyloid-beta clearance by activating Fc-receptor-Syk-mediated phagocytosis. Commun Biol 4, 329 (2021). https://doi.org:10.1038/s42003-021-01851-6
 

17    Illouz, T., Madar, R., Hirsh, T., Biragyn, A. & Okun, E. Induction of an effective anti-Amyloid-beta humoral response in aged mice. Vaccine 39, 4817-4829 (2021). https://doi.org:10.1016/j.vaccine.2021.07.023
 

18    Illouz, T., Biragyn, A., Iulita, M. F., Flores-Aguilar, L., Dierssen, M., De Toma, I., Antonarakis, S. E., Yu, E., Herault, Y., Potier, M. C., Botte, A., Roper, R., Sredni, B., London, J., Mobley, W., Strydom, A. & Okun, E. Immune Dysregulation and the Increased Risk of Complications and Mortality Following Respiratory Tract Infections in Adults With Down Syndrome. Front Immunol 12, 621440 (2021). https://doi.org:10.3389/fimmu.2021.621440
 

19    Illouz, T., Biragyn, A., Frenkel-Morgenstern, M., Weissberg, O., Gorohovski, A., Merzon, E., Green, I., Iulita, F., Flores-Aguilar, L., Dierssen, M., De Toma, I., Lifshitz, H., Antonarakis, S. E., Yu, E., Herault, Y., Potier, M. C., Botte, A., Roper, R., Sredni, B., Sarid, R., London, J., Mobley, W., Strydom, A. & Okun, E. Correction to: Specific Susceptibility to COVID-19 in Adults with Down Syndrome. Neuromolecular Med 23, 574-575 (2021). https://doi.org:10.1007/s12017-021-08695-7
 

20    Illouz, T., Biragyn, A., Frenkel-Morgenstern, M., Weissberg, O., Gorohovski, A., Merzon, E., Green, I., Iulita, F., Flores-Aguilar, L., Dierssen, M., De Toma, I., Lifshitz, H., Antonarakis, S. E., Yu, E., Herault, Y., Potier, M. C., Botte, A., Roper, R., Sredni, B., Sarid, R., London, J., Mobley, W., Strydom, A. & Okun, E. Specific Susceptibility to COVID-19 in Adults with Down Syndrome. Neuromolecular Med 23, 561-571 (2021). https://doi.org:10.1007/s12017-021-08651-5
 

21    Ben-Zeev, T. & Okun, E. High-Intensity Functional Training: Molecular Mechanisms and Benefits. Neuromolecular Med 23, 335-338 (2021). https://doi.org:10.1007/s12017-020-08638-8
 

22    Nicola, R. & Okun, E. Food and Age: It Takes Two to Degenerate. Front Aging Neurosci 12, 182 (2020). https://doi.org:10.3389/fnagi.2020.00182
 

23    Lugasi, L., Grinberg, I., Rudnick-Glick, S., Okun, E., Einat, H. & Margel, S. Designed proteinoid polymers and nanoparticles encapsulating risperidone for enhanced antipsychotic activity. J Nanobiotechnology 18, 149 (2020). https://doi.org:10.1186/s12951-020-00709-z
 

24    Illouz, T., Madar, R. & Okun, E. A modified Barnes maze for an accurate assessment of spatial learning in mice. J Neurosci Methods 334, 108579 (2020). https://doi.org:10.1016/j.jneumeth.2020.108579

25    Hagar, M., Roman, G., Eitan, O., Noam, B. Y., Abrham, Z. & Benjamin, S. A Tellurium-Based Small Immunomodulatory Molecule Ameliorates Depression-Like Behavior in Two Distinct Rat Models. Neuromolecular Med 22, 437-446 (2020). https://doi.org:10.1007/s12017-020-08603-5
 

26    Ben-Zeev, T., Weiss, I., Ashri, S., Heled, Y., Ketko, I., Yanovich, R. & Okun, E. Mild Physical Activity Does Not Improve Spatial Learning in a Virtual Environment. Front Behav Neurosci 14, 584052 (2020). https://doi.org:10.3389/fnbeh.2020.584052

27    Ben-Zeev, T., Hirsh, T., Weiss, I., Gornstein, M. & Okun, E. The Effects of High-intensity Functional Training (HIFT) on Spatial Learning, Visual Pattern Separation and Attention Span in Adolescents. Front Behav Neurosci 14, 577390 (2020). https://doi.org:10.3389/fnbeh.2020.577390

28    Lev-Vachnish, Y., Cadury, S., Rotter-Maskowitz, A., Feldman, N., Roichman, A., Illouz, T., Varvak, A., Nicola, R., Madar, R. & Okun, E. L-Lactate Promotes Adult Hippocampal Neurogenesis. Front Neurosci 13, 403 (2019). https://doi.org:10.3389/fnins.2019.00403

29    Illouz, T., Madar, R., Biragyn, A. & Okun, E. Restoring microglial and astroglial homeostasis using DNA immunization in a Down Syndrome mouse model. Brain Behav Immun 75, 163-180 (2019). https://doi.org:10.1016/j.bbi.2018.10.004

30    Shmueli, A., Shalit, T., Okun, E. & Shohat-Ophir, G. The Toll Pathway in the Central Nervous System of Flies and Mammals. Neuromolecular Med (2018). https://doi.org:10.1007/s12017-018-8515-9
 

31    Lavian, H., Loewenstern, Y., Madar, R., Almog, M., Bar-Gad, I., Okun, E. & Korngreen, A. Dopamine receptors in the rat entopeduncular nucleus. Brain Struct Funct 223, 2673-2684 (2018). https://doi.org:10.1007/s00429-018-1657-6
 

32    Griffioen, K., Mattson, M. P. & Okun, E. Deficiency of Toll-like receptors 2, 3 or 4 extends life expectancy in Huntington's disease mice. Heliyon 4, e00508 (2018). https://doi.org:10.1016/j.heliyon.2018.e00508
 

33    De Lorenzo, G., Ferrari, S., Cervone, F. & Okun, E. Extracellular DAMPs in Plants and Mammals: Immunity, Tissue Damage and Repair. Trends Immunol (2018). https://doi.org:10.1016/j.it.2018.09.006
 

34    Okun, E., Marton, D., Cohen, D., Griffioen, K., Kanfi, Y., Illouz, T., Madar, R. & Cohen, H. Y. Sirt6 alters adult hippocampal neurogenesis. PLoS One 12, e0179681 (2017). https://doi.org:10.1371/journal.pone.0179681
 

35    Lavian, H., Almog, M., Madar, R., Loewenstern, Y., Bar-Gad, I., Okun, E. & Korngreen, A. Dopaminergic Modulation of Synaptic Integration and Firing Patterns in the Rat Entopeduncular Nucleus. J Neurosci 37, 7177-7187 (2017). https://doi.org:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0639-17.2017
 

36    Illouz, T., Madar, R., Griffioen, K. & Okun, E. A protocol for quantitative analysis of murine and human amyloid-beta1-40 and 1-42. J Neurosci Methods 291, 28-35 (2017). https://doi.org:10.1016/j.jneumeth.2017.07.022
 

37    Gross, A., Benninger, F., Madar, R., Illouz, T., Griffioen, K., Steiner, I., Offen, D. & Okun, E. Toll-like receptor 3 deficiency decreases epileptogenesis in a pilocarpine model of SE-induced epilepsy in mice. Epilepsia 58, 586-596 (2017). https://doi.org:10.1111/epi.13688
 

38    Betzer, O., Shilo, M., Opochinsky, R., Barnoy, E., Motiei, M., Okun, E., Yadid, G. & Popovtzer, R. The effect of nanoparticle size on the ability to cross the blood-brain barrier: an in vivo study. Nanomedicine (Lond) 12, 1533-1546 (2017). https://doi.org:10.2217/nnm-2017-0022
 

39    Illouz, T., Madar, R., Louzon, Y., Griffioen, K. J. & Okun, E. Unraveling cognitive traits using the Morris water maze unbiased strategy classification (MUST-C) algorithm. Brain Behav Immun 52, 132-144 (2016). https://doi.org:10.1016/j.bbi.2015.10.013
 

40    Illouz, T., Madar, R., Clague, C., Griffioen, K. J., Louzoun, Y. & Okun, E. Unbiased classification of spatial strategies in the Barnes maze. Bioinformatics 32, 3314-3320 (2016). https://doi.org:10.1093/bioinformatics/btw376
 

41    Illouz, T., Madar, R., Clague, C., Griffioen, K., Louzoun, Y. & Okun, E. Unbiased classification of spatial strategies in the Barnes maze. Bioinformatics (2016). https://doi.org:10.1093/bioinformatics/btw376
 

42    Madar, R., Rotter, A., Waldman Ben-Asher, H., Mughal, M. R., Arumugam, T. V., Wood, W. H., 3rd, Becker, K. G., Mattson, M. P. & Okun, E. Postnatal TLR2 activation impairs learning and memory in adulthood. Brain Behav Immun 48, 301-312 (2015). https://doi.org:10.1016/j.bbi.2015.04.020
 

43    Illouz, T. & Okun, E. No ECSIT-stential evidence for a link with Alzheimer's disease yet (retrospective on DOI 10.1002/bies.201100193). Bioessays 37, 5 (2015). https://doi.org:10.1002/bies.201400179
 

44    Feldman, N., Rotter-Maskowitz, A. & Okun, E. DAMPs as mediators of sterile inflammation in aging-related pathologies. Ageing Res Rev 24, 29-39 (2015). https://doi.org:10.1016/j.arr.2015.01.003
 

45    Barak, B., Feldman, N. & Okun, E. Cardiovascular Fitness and Cognitive Spatial Learning in Rodents and in Humans. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 70, 1059-1066 (2015). https://doi.org:10.1093/gerona/glu162
 

46    Okun, E., Griffioen, K. J., Rothman, S., Wan, R., Cong, W. N., De Cabo, R., Martin-Montalvo, A., Levette, A., Maudsley, S., Martin, B., Arumugam, T. V. & Mattson, M. P. Toll-like receptors 2 and 4 modulate autonomic control of heart rate and energy metabolism. Brain Behav Immun 36, 90-100 (2014). https://doi.org:10.1016/j.bbi.2013.10.013
 

47    Okun, E. A heavy toll on the outcome of ischemic brain stroke. Exp Neurol 254, 166-167 (2014). https://doi.org:10.1016/j.expneurol.2014.02.002
 

48    Lee, J. H., Halperin-Sheinfeld, M., Baatar, D., Mughal, M. R., Tae, H. J., Kim, J. W., Carter, A., Lustig, A., Snir, O., Lavie, G., Okun, E., Mattson, M. P., Sredni, B. & Taub, D. D. Tellurium compound AS101 ameliorates experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis by VLA-4 inhibition and suppression of monocyte and T cell infiltration into the CNS. Neuromolecular Med 16, 292-307 (2014). https://doi.org:10.1007/s12017-013-8277-3
 

49    Kim, W., Fiori, J. L., Shin, Y. K., Okun, E., Kim, J. S., Rapp, P. R. & Egan, J. M. Pancreatic polypeptide inhibits somatostatin secretion. FEBS Lett 588, 3233-3239 (2014). https://doi.org:10.1016/j.febslet.2014.07.005
 

50    Cheng, Y. L., Park, J. S., Manzanero, S., Choi, Y., Baik, S. H., Okun, E., Gelderblom, M., Fann, D. Y., Magnus, T., Launikonis, B. S., Mattson, M. P., Sobey, C. G., Jo, D. G. & Arumugam, T. V. Evidence that collaboration between HIF-1alpha and Notch-1 promotes neuronal cell death in ischemic stroke. Neurobiol Dis 62, 286-295 (2014). https://doi.org:10.1016/j.nbd.2013.10.009
 

51    Barak, B., Feldman, N. & Okun, E. Toll-like receptors as developmental tools that regulate neurogenesis during development: an update. Front Neurosci 8, 272 (2014). https://doi.org:10.3389/fnins.2014.00272
 

52    Kashiwaya, Y., Bergman, C., Lee, J. H., Wan, R., King, M. T., Mughal, M. R., Okun, E., Clarke, K., Mattson, M. P. & Veech, R. L. A ketone ester diet exhibits anxiolytic and cognition-sparing properties, and lessens amyloid and tau pathologies in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. Neurobiol Aging 34, 1530-1539 (2013). https://doi.org:10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2012.11.023
 

53    Griffioen, K. J., Rothman, S. M., Ladenheim, B., Wan, R., Vranis, N., Hutchison, E., Okun, E., Cadet, J. L. & Mattson, M. P. Dietary energy intake modifies brainstem autonomic dysfunction caused by mutant alpha-synuclein. Neurobiol Aging 34, 928-935 (2013). https://doi.org:10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2012.07.008
 

54    Chigurupati, S., Mughal, M. R., Okun, E., Das, S., Kumar, A., McCaffery, M., Seal, S. & Mattson, M. P. Effects of cerium oxide nanoparticles on the growth of keratinocytes, fibroblasts and vascular endothelial cells in cutaneous wound healing. Biomaterials 34, 2194-2201 (2013). https://doi.org:10.1016/j.biomaterials.2012.11.061
 

55    Barak, B., Shvarts-Serebro, I., Modai, S., Gilam, A., Okun, E., Michaelson, D. M., Mattson, M. P., Shomron, N. & Ashery, U. Opposing actions of environmental enrichment and Alzheimer's disease on the expression of hippocampal microRNAs in mouse models. Transl Psychiatry 3, e304 (2013). https://doi.org:10.1038/tp.2013.77
 

56    Barak, B., Okun, E., Ben-Simon, Y., Lavi, A., Shapira, R., Madar, R., Wang, Y., Norman, E., Sheinin, A., Pita, M. A., Yizhar, O., Mughal, M. R., Stuenkel, E., van Praag, H., Mattson, M. P. & Ashery, U. Neuron-specific expression of tomosyn1 in the mouse hippocampal dentate gyrus impairs spatial learning and memory. Neuromolecular Med 15, 351-363 (2013). https://doi.org:10.1007/s12017-013-8223-4
 

57    Olkhanud, P. B., Mughal, M., Ayukawa, K., Malchinkhuu, E., Bodogai, M., Feldman, N., Rothman, S., Lee, J. H., Chigurupati, S., Okun, E., Nagashima, K., Mattson, M. P. & Biragyn, A. DNA immunization with HBsAg-based particles expressing a B cell epitope of amyloid beta-peptide attenuates disease progression and prolongs survival in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. Vaccine 30, 1650-1658 (2012). https://doi.org:10.1016/j.vaccine.2011.12.136
 

58    Okun, E., Barak, B., Saada-Madar, R., Rothman, S. M., Griffioen, K. J., Roberts, N., Castro, K., Mughal, M. R., Pita, M. A., Stranahan, A. M., Arumugam, T. V. & Mattson, M. P. Evidence for a developmental role for TLR4 in learning and memory. PLoS One 7, e47522 (2012). https://doi.org:10.1371/journal.pone.0047522
 

59    Halperin-Sheinfeld, M., Gertler, A., Okun, E., Sredni, B. & Cohen, H. Y. The Tellurium compound, AS101, increases SIRT1 level and activity and prevents type 2 diabetes. Aging (Albany NY) 4, 436-447 (2012). https://doi.org:10.18632/aging.100468
 

60    Griffioen, K. J., Wan, R., Brown, T. R., Okun, E., Camandola, S., Mughal, M. R., Phillips, T. M. & Mattson, M. P. Aberrant heart rate and brainstem brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) signaling in a mouse model of Huntington's disease. Neurobiol Aging 33, 1481 e1481-1485 (2012). https://doi.org:10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2011.11.030
 

61    Cheng, A., Wan, R., Yang, J. L., Kamimura, N., Son, T. G., Ouyang, X., Luo, Y., Okun, E. & Mattson, M. P. Involvement of PGC-1alpha in the formation and maintenance of neuronal dendritic spines. Nat Commun 3, 1250 (2012). https://doi.org:10.1038/ncomms2238