Projects per year
Personal profile
Research Interests
Neuro-immunology in brain health and disease
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Area of Expertise
The overarching theme of my research program is to discover novel therapeutics that can reverse immune-mediated neurological dysfunction. My Ph.D. training involved the elucidation of myelin-reactive CD8 T-cells and their ability to target myelin-specific CD4 T-cells. By targeting these putative neuro-pathogenic cells, we could halt the progression of disease in a model of multiple sclerosis (MS). During this time, I became conversant with cellular and molecular immunological techniques, which I employed in murine and human MS studies. My postdoctoral research elucidated the role of B-cells in ischemia-induced brain injury. My postdoctoral fellowship included advanced training in several neuroscientific techniques such as behavior/motor function analysis, in vitro ischemic models, and in vivo stroke models. Now, I am employing the skills and expertise from these two distinct fields, using multi-organismal approaches with the singular focused purpose of reversing primary and secondary (immune-mediated) neurological dysfunction. My overall research goals are to: 1) Identify the role of neuronal-reactive CD8 T-cells in secondary immune-mediated stroke neuropathology. 2) Determine how myelin-reactive CD8 T-cells contribute to functional recovery in multiple sclerosis. 3) Identify other disease targets where myelin-reactive CD8 T-cells can be used as therapies.
Techniques
In vitro - cell culture, flow cytometry, Immunohistochemistry, elisa, spatial transcriptomics, human tissue samples
In Vivo - animal models, surgery, cognitive/memory/sensory/motor performance assay, and cerebral organoids
Education/Academic qualification
MS Biomedical Sciences, Barry University
BS Biology, University of Dallas
Ph.D. Integrative Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
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Texas Center of Minority Healt
Ortega, S. (PI)
NIMHD: Natl Institute on Minority Health
23/09/17 → 16/06/25
Project: Research
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Advancing Our Understanding of the Brain-Targeting Immune Cells
Ortega, S. (PI)
13/03/23 → 12/03/24
Project: Research
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Do, You Got a PhD...What's Next? Career Seminar Series
Sumien, N. (PI) & Ortega, S. (CoI)
1/03/23 → 31/12/23
Project: Research
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Hyperacute immune responses associate with immediate neuropathology and motor dysfunction in large vessel occlusions
Farooqui, M., Ortega-Gutierrez, S., Hernandez, K., Torres, V. O., Dajles, A., Zevallos, C. B., Quispe-Orozco, D., Mendez-Ruiz, A., Manzel, K., Ten Eyck, P., Tranel, D., Karandikar, N. J. & Ortega, S. B., Feb 2023, In: Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology. 10, 2, p. 276-291 16 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Disease exacerbation of multiple sclerosis is characterized by loss of terminally differentiated autoregulatory CD8+ T cells
Cunnusamy, K., Baughman, E. J., Franco, J., Ortega, S. B., Sinha, S., Chaudhary, P., Greenberg, B. M., Frohman, E. M. & Karandikar, N. J., May 2014, In: Clinical Immunology. 152, 1-2, p. 115-126 12 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Immune regulatory CNS-reactive CD8+T cells in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis
York, N. R., Mendoza, J. P., Ortega, S. B., Benagh, A., Tyler, A. F., Firan, M. & Karandikar, N. J., Aug 2010, In: Journal of Autoimmunity. 35, 1, p. 33-44 12 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Single dose of glycoengineered anti-CD19 antibody (MEDI551) disrupts experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis by inhibiting pathogenic adaptive immune responses in the bone marrow and spinal cord while preserving peripheral regulatory mechanisms
Chen, D., Blazek, M., Ireland, S., Ortega, S., Kong, X., Meeuwissen, A., Stowe, A., Carter, L., Wang, Y., Herbst, R. & Monson, N. L., 15 Nov 2014, In: Journal of Immunology. 193, 10, p. 4823-4832 10 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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In Vitro Methotrexate as a Practical Approach to Selective Allodepletion
Sathe, A., Ortega, S. B., Mundy, D. I., Collins, R. H. & Karandikar, N. J., Jun 2007, In: Biology of Blood and Marrow Transplantation. 13, 6, p. 644-654 11 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review