Geertruida Jeanette Thorbecke (1929–2001)

G. Jeanette Thorbecke, an accomplished and esteemed immunologist and outstanding mentor and role model, died on November 16, 2001, in Maui. Only a few days earlier, Dr. Thorbecke had received the Bonazinga Award of the Society of Leukocyte Biology and delivered a wonderful lecture entitled “Antigen-specific T cell-mediated gene therapy with latent TGF-beta 1 in the treatment of experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE).”Figure 1Figure 1Figure 1View Large Image | View Hi-Res Image | Download PowerPoint SlideJeanette's scientific legacy includes her dissection of the structure and function of lymphoid organs, particularly the germinal center. She received her M.D. at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands, did postdoctoral work at the Lobund Institute for Germfree Animals at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana, returned to the Netherlands for continued clinical training, and then went to NYU, where she remained for the rest of her career. Her first papers analyzed antibody production in vitro and she continued with an extraordinary publication record (432 at last count) in a remarkable evaluation of the structure and function of the entire immune system. Much of her work was concerned with all aspects of B cells, from naive, to memory, to B cell lymphomas. These studies are such classics that they have become part of our own collective memory. More recently she became fascinated with TGFβ as a regulatory cytokine and studied it in autoimmune diseases, including collagen-induced arthritis and EAE. Her final lecture included a description of clever experiments that involved myelin basic protein-specific T cells that by gene transfer expressed the latent form of TGFβ. These cells became activated at the local site in the central nervous system in mice with EAE. This avoided the harmful side effects that would have ensued if the material were given systemically and resulted in amelioration of the clinical signs of EAE. These studies were a beautiful synthesis that drew on her early studies regarding the structure and function of the immune system and later ones involving gene transfer and TGFβ. They represent a proof of principle for targeted delivery of therapeutic molecules to the brain.Dr. Thorbecke's scientific achievements were recognized in many ways. She was president of the American Association of Immunologists, a fellow of the New York Academy of Sciences, a corresponding member of the Royal Dutch Academy of Arts and Sciences, and received the American Women in Science Outstanding Woman Scientist Award. In addition, her wise counsel was appreciated in her service on numerous editorial boards, study sections, and review boards. The value of her work was recognized by her peers in funding for over 30 years of two NIH grants.I first became aware of Jeanette and her work during the NYU Immunology heyday in the 1960s. Though I now realize that she was an assistant professor just climbing the academic ladder, I and most of my more senior colleagues were in awe of her accomplishments. She held her own scientifically and personally with colleagues and collaborators who read like a Who's Who of Immunology, including Baruj Benacerraf, Bill Paul, Ed Goidl, Greg Siskind, Jonathan Uhr, Ed Franklin, Dorothy Zucker-Franklin, Ellen Vitetta, Zoltan Ovary, Ben Pernis, Elvin Kabat, Gerry Hochwald, Victor Nuzzenzweig, Ruth Nuzzenzweig, and Jan Vilcek. Jeanette mentored many colleagues in both a formal and informal way. These include individuals who were her trainees, such as Dick Asofsky, Mike Palladino, Helen Durkin, Gail Theis, Nick Ponzio, and Vince Tsiagbe, and many others whom she probably did not even realize that she affected so profoundly, including myself.When I first met Jeanette I was somewhat intimidated by her accomplishments, her stature in the field, and, if truth be told, by her somewhat blunt manner. However, as I got to know her fairly well over the years in several capacities, my respect remained, but my feelings now included warmth and friendship. Our interactions included being subjected to a site visit by her, serving with her on panels and site visits, chatting with her at scientific meetings, and finally in more recent years having the privilege of collaboration. I admired her personal attributes and developed a real affection for her empathetic nature and sense of humor. Jeanette was an incredible role model. She understood the difficulties of combining family life and science but she was not bowed down by them and constantly celebrated her husband, children, and grandchildren. She was not a complainer but a doer, and she inspired that attitude in those she touched. Her last lecture and my final conversation with her were mainly scientific but included tributes to Gerry Hochwald, her long-time collaborator and husband. I know that he and those of us fortunate enough to have known her will miss her terribly. She will be remembered as an individual who made a large difference in the field and the lives of those she touched.I thank Sharon Wahl and Vincent Tsiagbe for help in preparing this contribution and Vincent Tsiagbe for the photograph, taken in Geneva on the occasion of Dr. Thorbecke's last Germinal Center meeting.