Hergen Spits Staff Scientist: Immunology Profile | Education/Background | Top Scientific Papers | Awards & Honors

"I joined Genentech in the beginning of 2006. After having studied basic aspects of human immunology during my 30-year career in academia, I was attracted to Genentech by the prospect to translate basic knowledge to the development of drugs to treat autoimmune diseases and cancer. These drug discovery efforts are aided by Genentech's vibrant research environment, facilities and resources that also allow me to continue working on solving interesting scientific problems which will provide us with a sound scientific basis for drug discovery efforts in the future."

Current Projects "The Immunology department works on a number of projects in autoimmune diseases and cancer immunotherapy. Of particular interest for me are those projects that target T cells involved in the pathophysiology of these diseases, like Th1, Th2 and Th17 cells. Furthermore we are working on the functions of various non-T leukocyte populations in a variety of autoimmune disorders. In studying these cells, we use humanized immune system (HIS) mice, immunodeficient mice reconstituted with a functional human immune system. Using these mice, we address questions about how to modify the activities of human Th-cell subsets and various non-T cell populations in an in vivo setting."

Collaborations "My lab is involved in a number of joined projects with the departments of Molecular Biology, Oncology and Pathology, and Bioinformatics. In addition, we continue to collaborate with academic institutions including my former academic institution, the Academic Medical Center of Amsterdam."

Inspiration/Vision "Although new biological drugs that Genentech developed or helped to develop have clear societal benefits, it is also clear that much remains to be done. Therefore, continuous research efforts to discover novel biology is absolutely required to obtain a detailed understanding of the mechanisms of autoimmune disorders and of the interplay between the immune system and cancer cells. Such knowledge is indispensable to develop novel therapeutics to ultimately cure these devastating diseases."