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Timothy Springer is an immunologist and biochemist who has made seminal contributions to our understanding of how cells interact and recognize one another. His discoveries laid the foundation for a new class of therapies that modulate the immune system, leading to innovative treatments for cancer, autoimmune disorders, and other diseases.
Born in Sacramento, California in 1948, Springer was drawn to science and medicine from an early age due to suffering from severe hay fever as a child. He earned his bachelor's degree in biochemistry from the University of California, Berkeley in 1970. After graduating, Springer wanted to apply his education to help others, so he spent a year volunteering with VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) on a Native American reservation in Nevada. This experience reinforced his desire to use science to improve people's lives.
Springer went on to obtain his PhD in biochemistry from Harvard University in 1975, where he worked under renowned immunologist Jack Strominger. He then spent a postdoctoral year in Cambridge, England with César Milstein, a pioneer in monoclonal antibody research who won the 1984 Nobel Prize. Milstein personally taught Springer how to produce monoclonal antibodies, a technique that would prove pivotal for Springer's later discoveries and entrepreneurial ventures.
After returning to Harvard Medical School as an assistant professor in 1977, Springer began investigating how immune cells recognize and interact with other cells. At the time, it was thought that T cells specifically recognized antigens via the T cell receptor. However, Springer hypothesized that T cells must also utilize other cell surface receptors to bind to target cells. His insight proved correct – between 1981-1982, Springer discovered leukocyte function-associated antigen-1 (LFA-1), lymphocyte function-associated antigen-3 (LFA-3), and CD2, key receptors that allow T cells to recognize and activate against other immune cells.
The identification of these cell adhesion molecules launched the field of cellular immunology and overturned the dogma that T cells only interacted through their antigen receptors. Springer further demonstrated the importance of LFA-1 and its ligand ICAM-1 in allowing leukocytes to exit the bloodstream and enter peripheral tissues, providing a framework to understand immune cell trafficking.
Based on the promise of modulating these newly discovered receptors, Springer founded the biotech company LeukoSite in 1992 to develop novel therapeutics. LeukoSite's R&D efforts later yielded the first two FDA-approved drugs targeting these pathways - efalizumab (Raptiva) and alefacept (Amevive) for psoriasis and T-cell mediated disorders. LeukoSite was acquired by Millennium Pharmaceuticals for $635 million in 1999.
Concurrent with the discoveries at LeukoSite, Springer made another major breakthrough by determining that LFA-1 was part of the integrin family of adhesion receptors. He collaborated with Richard Hynes and Erkki Ruoslahti to characterize this important class of transmembrane proteins, which regulate diverse cellular processes including proliferation, survival, and differentiation. The groundbreaking basic research on integrins was recently honored with the prestigious 2022 Albert Lasker Basic Medical Research Award.
In total, Springer’s investigations of cellular adhesion molecules have enabled the development of multiple blockbuster therapies, including the anti-integrin drugs vedolizumab (Entyvio, 2014) for inflammatory bowel disease and natalizumab (Tysabri, 2004) for multiple sclerosis. His discoveries opened up entire new avenues for pharmaceutical research and spurred the clinical success of immune checkpoint inhibitors like ipilimumab (Yervoy) which have revolutionized cancer immunotherapy.
Springer has also pursued diverse entrepreneurial ventures throughout his career. After LeukoSite’s success, he founded or provided key early investments for companies like Moderna, Editas Medicine, Scholar Rock, and Morphic Therapeutics, translating academic insights into new genetic medicines, protein therapeutics, and small molecule drugs. He has served on numerous biotech boards and scientific advisory boards to help guide innovations from lab to clinic.
Now Professor of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology at Harvard Medical School, Springer continues making seminal contributions which push ahead the frontiers of knowledge. His recent focus has included determining the atomic structures of integrins to enable a new generation of targeted drugs, elucidating the biology of disease-linked metalloproteinases, and further exploring the power of antibodies as research tools and therapeutics.
Reflecting his dedication to share knowledge, Springer recently founded the Institute for Protein Innovation (IPI) in 2017, along with colleague Dr. Andrew Kruse. IPI is a non-profit organization with a mission to accelerate protein research through development of high-quality, renewable antibodies available to all scientists. Rather than selling antibodies for profit, IPI distributes them freely to researchers around the world after carefully validating performance. This innovative open-access model facilitates collaboration and scientific progress.
Looking back on his storied career, Springer has succeeded in seamlessly bridging academia and industry to fuel biomedical discovery. His fundamental insights on cell adhesion and immune recognition have improved our understanding of human biology while enabling numerous life-saving therapies. Springer continues pushing the boundaries of how basic science can unlock better medicines through foundations like IPI. As both a generous philanthropist and serial entrepreneur, Springer exemplifies how to translate scientific creativity into innovations that benefit global health. Fortunately for countless patients, Springer followed his passion for discovery and never stopped pursuing answers to medicine’s most pressing questions.
