Departamento de Parasitologia – ICB

Departamento de Parasitologia

MAURO JAVIER CORTEZ VELIZ

Phone: +55 (11) 3091-7328
Room: 41 e 43
Email: mcortez@usp.br
Currículo Lattes

Lab of Cellular Immunobiology of Leishmania

GROUP MEMBERS

Albert Bressan

Andreas Duva

Isabela Eller

Ismael Sauter

José Mário de Freitas Balanco

Lina Borda

Natalia Fiesco

Natália Soares

Viviane C de Lima

RESEARCH LINE

Cellular Immunobiology of the Host Cell-Leishmania interaction

There are numerous gaps in our knowledge about the strategies used by Leishmania species to survive in the within macrophages, among them, parasite survival in the harsh environment of the phagolysosome, and modulate the immune response mediated by this cell.
The main objective of the proposed study is to analyze the molecules induced in the host cell in response to parasite infection that are associated with inhibition of macrophages. Particularly, our main interest is to study the factors that modulate the expression of CD200, a molecule induced after infection with amastigotes of Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis that modulate macrophage response by an iNOS dependent pathway. Thus, the present project aims to study signaling pathways stimulated by the parasite and the potential role of Toll-like receptors (TLRs) in the expression of CD200 on macrophage and phagocytic cells.
Imunobiologia celular

PUBLICATIONS

Orrego PR, Olivares H, Cordero EM, Bressan A, Cortez M, Sagua H, Neira I, González J, da Silveira JF, Yoshida N, Araya JE. PLOS NTD Jan 30;8 (1). 2014

Corrotte M, A;meida PE, Tam C, Castro-Gomes T, Fernandes MC, Millis BA, Cortez M, Miller H, Song W, Maugel TK & Andrews NW. Elife. Sep 17; 2. 2013

Cortez M,Huynh C, Fernandes MC, Kennedy KA, Aderem A & Andrews NW. Cell Host Microbe. Jun 16;9(6):463-71. 2011

Fernandes MC, Cortez M, Flannery AR, Tam C, Mortara RA & Andrews NW. J Exp Med. 2011 May 9;208(5):909-21. 2011

Covarrubias C, Cortez M, Ferreira D & Yoshida N. International Journal for Parasitology. 2007

Fernandes MC, Cortez M, Geraldo Yoneyama KA, Straus AH, Yoshida N & Mortara RA. International Journal for Parasitology. 2007

Cortez M, Atayde VD & Yoshida N. Microbes & Infection. 2006

Cortez M, Silva MR, Neira I, Ferreira D, Sasso GR, Luquetti AO, Rassi A & Yoshida N. Microbes & Infection. 2006

 Estudo do papel de CD200 e biogênese do vacúolo parasitóforo em células fagocíticas infectadas por Leishmania. 2013 até o presente. Coordenador. FAPESP

Mittra B, Cortez M, Haydock A, Ramasamy G, Myler PJ & Andrews NW. J Exp Med. 2012

RESEARCH PROJECTS/FUNDING

Study of the role of CD200 and biogenesis of parasitophorous vacuole in phagocytic cells infected by Leishmania. FAPESP. 2013-2017
Role of CD200 in leishmanioses caused by Leishmania (L.) amazonensis. CNPq-Universal. 2014- 2016
Intestinal and Salivary Bioactive Molecules from Mosquitoes and Tick Vectors. Research Support Center on Bioactive Molecules from Arthropod Vectors (NAP-MOBIARVE). 2013- 2017

COLLABORATORS

  • Norma W. Andrews. PhD | University of Maryland. College Park. MD. USA
  • Silvia B. Ulliana. PhD | ICB II University of Sao Paulo. Sao Paulo. SP. Brazil
  • Clara L. Barbieri. PhD | Federal University of Sao Paulo (UNIFESP). Sao Paulo. SP. Brazil
  • Nobuko Yoshida. PhD | UNIFESP. Sao Paulo. SP. Brazil
  • Marcello Barcinski. PhD | Oswaldo Cruz Institute. Rio de Janeiro. RJ. Brazil
  • Valeria M. Borges. PhD | FIOCRUZ- Gonçalo Moniz Research Center-Salvador. BA. Brazil
  • Jorge E. Araya Rojas. PhD | University of Antofagasta - Antofagasta, Chile