Osvaldo Lopez, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Pathology and
Associate Professor of Pharmacology & Toxicology

Campus address: 140 White Hall
Phone: (937) 775-4627
E-mail: osvaldo.lopez@wright.edu

Research Interests

In our lab we have two lines of research:

1. We are interested in the early immune response against viruses. We showed that foot-and-mouth disease virus induces a rapid protective immune response (two days post-infection) through a newly discovered subpopulation of B cells, the marginal zone B cells (MZB), an "innate-like" B cell subpopulation. We also showed that a similar mechanism seems to occur against pathogenic influenza virus in humans. We are now interested in studying the role of the putative human MZB subpopulation in the immune response against influenza. Understanding the mechanism involved in the rapid protective response after infection will help in the development of next generation vaccines against this virus.
2. Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) is the most prevalent leukemia in people older than 55 years of age. This leukemia seems to be originated by an "innate-like" B cell subpopulation in humans. There is no cure for CLL. The therapy in used targets all B cells (leukemic and normal) and thus, carried unwanted side-effects. We are working in a new personalized therapeutic strategy against this B cell leukemia targeting molecules present on the cell membrane of CLL cells but not in healthy B cells. This therapy would allow to destroy only the CLL of the patients decreasing side-effects.

Selected publications

Jar, A.M., Osorio, F.A., López, O.J. Mouse x pig chimeric antibodies expressed in baculovirus retain the same properties of their parent antibodies. Biotechnology Progress. 25(2):516-523, 2009.

Ostrowski, M, Vermeulen, M, Zabal, P. Zamorano, O, Geffner, J, Sadir, A.M. and López, O.J. 2007. The early protective antibody response to Foot and Mouth Disease Virus is mediated by splenic CD9+ B lymphocytes and is dependent on IL-10 and IL-6. J Virol. 81(17):9357-67, 2007.

López, O.J. , Oliveira, M., Alvarez Garcia, E., Kwon, B.J., Doster, A., Osorio, F.A. 2007. Passive Transfer of PRRSV-Neutralizing Antibodies in Young Pigs Prevents Viremia but not Peripheral Tissue Seeding or Shedding. Clinical and Vaccine Immunology, 14(3):269-75, 2007.

Ostrowski, M, Vermeulen, M, Zabal, O, Geffner, J, Sadir, A.M. and López, O.J. Impaired T cell responses and down-regulation of Dendritic Cells function by infection with Foot and Mouth Disease Virus. Journal of Immunology. 175: 3971-3980, 2005.

López, O.J. and Osorio. F.A. Role of neutralizing antibodies in protection against infection with PRRSV. Review. Vet Immunol Immunopathol. 102(3):155-63, 2004..

Ostrowski, M., Mundo, S.L., Harris, N.B., Barletta, R.G. and López, O.J. Identification of B-cell epitopes in the immunodominant p34-antigen of Mycobacterium avium subsp. Paratuberculosis. Scandinavian Journal of Immunology 58 (5): 511-521, 2003.

Perez, C.J., Wylie, D and López, O.J. Variable kappa gene usage in swine antibodies. Medicina (Bs. As.). 63: 299-302, 2003.

Iglesias, G,.M., Soria, L.A., Goto, R.M., Jar, A.M., Miquel, M.C., López, O.J. & Miller, M. Genotypic variability at the major histocompatibility complex (B and Rfp-Y) in Camperos broiler chickens. Animal Genetics, 34: 1-9, 2003.

López, O.J. , Quintanar, A., Padhyee, N. and Nelson, M. Genotyping od DNA using sequence-specific methyltransferases followed by immunochemical detection. Journal of Immunoassay and Immunochemistry 24 (1): 10-23, 2003.

Ostrowski, M, Galeota, J.A., Jar, A.M., Platt, K.B., Osorio, F.A. and López, O.J. Identification of neutralizing and non-neutralizing epitopes in the ectodomain of GP5 of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus. J. of Virology, 76 (9): 4241-4250, 2002.