A/Prof Herbert Schwarz
Associate Professor
Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine
Tel: +65-6516-7773
Email: phssh@nus.edu.sg

What are your present research interests?

Our lab focuses on the modulation of immune responses, with the aim of understanding the underlying pathogenesis mechanisms of cancer, autoimmune disease and infections.

Do you have a distinctive viewpoint to your research?

I believe that the fine-tuning of immune responses by stimulating or inhibiting co-stimulatory molecules, such as CD137 or CD137 ligand, will open up novel therapeutic approaches that can alleviate immune-mediated diseases and that will permit the induction of immune mechanisms, leading to the elimination of cancers.

What do you see as your future research directions?

Our aim is not only to publish novel findings but also to develop new treatments and therapeutic approaches for patients. The main activity of our group will remain tumor immunology and cancer immunotherapy. However, we also target autoimmune diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis and Lupus.

Does your laboratory have a particularly strong research expertise?

We know the CD137 receptor / ligand system intimately and have plenty of experience and reagents that are not readily available. This enables us to work at the forefront of CD137/CD137 ligand research.

Recent Publications

1. Zeng Qun, Ye Mon Soe, Yanting Lim, Radoslaw Mikolaj Sobota and Herbert Schwarz. CD137 ligand interacts with CD32a to trigger reverse CD137 ligand signaling. Cellular & Molecular Immunology, 17(11):1188-1189, 2020.
2. Wong Anna Hiu Yi, Ankshita Prasad, Shu Uin Gan, John Jia En Chua and Herbert Schwarz. Identification of CD137-expressing B Cells in Multiple Sclerosis which secrete IL-6 upon engagement by CD137 Ligand. Frontiers in Immunology, 11:571964, 2020.
3. Luu Khang, Mugdha Vijay Patwardhan, Zeng Qun, Andreas Lundqvist, Stina Wickström, Herbert Schwarz. Regulatory T cells inhibit T cell activity by downregulating CD137L via CD137 transendocytosis. Cells, 10(2):353, 2021.
4. Lee Kang Yi, Hiu Yi Wong, Qun Zeng, Man Si Cheng, Jia Le Lin, Chik Hong Kuick, Kenneth Tou En Chang, Amos Hong Pheng Loh, Herbert Schwarz. Ectopic CD137 expression by rhabdomyosarcoma provides selection advantages but allows immunotherapeutic targeting. OncoImmunology, 10(1):1877459, 2021.
5. Nickles Emily, Bhushan Dharmadhikari, Li Yating, Robert J. Walsh, Liang Piu Koh, Michelle Poon, Lip Kun Tan, Ling-Zhi Wang, Yvonne Ang, Yugarajah Asokumaran, Wan Qin Chong, Yiqing Huang, Kwok Seng Loh, Joshua Tay, R. Soo, Mickey Koh, Liam Pock Ho, Marieta Chan, Madelaine Niam, Melissa Soh, Yen Hoon Luah, Chwee Ming Lim, Nivashini Kaliaperumal, Veonice B. Au, Najwa Binte Said Nasir Talib, Reina Sng, John E. Connolly, Boon Cher Goh, Herbert Schwarz. Dendritic cell therapy with CD137L-DC-EBV-VAX in locally recurrent or metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma is safe and confers clinical benefit. Cancer Immunology, Immunotherapy, 71(6):1531-1543, 2022.
6. Prasad Mukul, Sashigala Ponnalagu, Qun Zeng, Khang Luu, Si Min Lang, Hiu Yi Wong, Man Si Cheng, Meihui Wu, Karthik Mallilankaraman, Radoslaw Mikolaj Sobota, Yan Ting Lim, Loo Chien Wang, Chuan Keng Goh, Kai Xun Joshua Tay, Kwok Seng Loh, Cheng-I Wang, Wen-Hsien Lee, Boon Cher Goh, Chwee Ming Lim, Herbert Schwarz. Epstein-Barr Virus-Induced Ectopic CD137 Expression Helps Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma to Escape Immune Surveillance and Enables Targeting by Chimeric Antigen Receptors. Cancer Immunology, Immunotherapy, 71(11):2583-2596, 2022.
7. Sun Rui, Kang Yi Lee, Yu Mei, Emily Nickles, Jia Le Lin, Runze Xia, Haiyan Liu, Herbert Schwarz. Induction of cell death in malignant cells and regulatory T cells in the tumour microenvironment by targeting CD137. OncoImmunology, 14(1):2443265, 2025.
8. Lee Kang Yi, Heng Sun, Yu Mei, Emily Nickles, Clemence Wei Xia Lai, Sashigala Ponnalagu, Mukul Prasad, Xiaoyuan Chen, Haiyan Liu, Herbert Schwarz. Development of a nanoparticle-based immunotherapy targeting CD137 for nasopharyngeal carcinoma treatment. Theranostics, in press. 2025.