Associate Professor Alejandro Lopez

Site Degrees

MD

Associate Professor

Contact details for Associate Professor Alejandro Lopez

Biography

Having completed his medical training, Dr Lopez devoted his scientific career to the evaluation of cellular immune responses. After a two year period at the QIMR in 1985, Dr Lopez trained in three major European centres the Max-Planck-Institut fer Biologie in Tebingen, Germany with Professor Jan Klein and Hans-Georg Rammensee; the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research in Lausanne, Switzerland with Jean-Charles Cerottini and the Institut de Biochemie, Universite de Lausanne, with Giampietro Corradin. During this period his interest in vaccine development led him to the evaluation of a synthetic malaria vaccine candidate. Since his return to Australia in 1999 he has concentrated on the study of the function of dendritic cells (DC) in cancer with view to the development of DC-based immunotherapies. In particular, his team has studied the function of DC in patients with advanced breast cancer.

Research interests

Tumour immunology
Cancer stem cells
Breast cancer

Current grants

2007-2008 - Queensland Cancer Fund. M Smithers, C Schmidt, M O'Rourke, J A Lopez, T Wolfel, N Martinez, and KEO Ellem. "Coordination and immunological analysis of a Phase III immunotherapy trial for patients with Stage IIIB/C melanoma" - $156,000.
2007-2008 - Atlantic Philanthropic Foundation. RA Gardiner, J Vieweg, D Nicol, C Schmidt, M Burger, and JA Lopez. "A randomised vaccine trial of men at very high risk of metastases following radical prostatectomy" - $160,000.
2007-2008 - Queensland Cancer Fund. RA Gardiner, J Vieweg, D Nicol, C Schmidt, M Burger, and JA Lopez. "A randomised vaccine trial of men at very high risk of metastases following radical prostatectomy" - $156,000.

Publications

Book Chapters

A Pinzon-Charry and JA Lopez. (2008) Tumor-derived Factors Responsible for DC dysfunction. Chapter 8. Shurin MR and Salter R (ed) in Dendritic Cells in Cancer. Springer, New York.
K Peter, R Audran, A Bonelo, G Corradin, and JA Lopez. (2002) Assessing Antigen-Specific CD8+, CTL and IFN- Responses in Mice Chapter 38 Doolan, DL (ed), IN: Methods in Molecular Medicine, Malaria Methods and Protocols The Humana Press, Totowa, NJ USA; 437-444
DNJ Hart, GJ Clark, K MacDonald, M Kato, S Vuckovic, JA Lopez, and M Wykes. (2000) 7th leucocyte differentiation antigen workshop DC section summary Mason, D (ed) IN: Leucocyte Typing VII, Oxford University Press, Oxford, England; 283-294
JA Lopez, JM Gonzalez, R Tolle, J Renggli, G Eberl, B Betschart, H Bujard, O Doumbo, M Arevalo, S Herrera, G Corradin, and MA Roggero. (1996) Immunogenicity of syntetic peptides corresponding to the non-repeat region of the Plasmodium falciparum circumsporozoite protein In Vaccines 96, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratories, Cold Spring Harbor USA; 255-260

Refereed journal articles

BJ Morrison, CW Schmidt, SR Lakhani, BA Reynolds, and JA Lopez. (2008) Breast Cancer Stem Cells: Implications for Therapy of Breast Cancer. Breast Cancer Research. 10: 210 [IF=4.157]
A Pinzon-Charry, CS Ho, T Maxwell, MA McGuckin, CW Schmidt, C Furnival, C Pyke, and JA Lopez. (2007) Numerical and functional defects of blood dendritic cells in early and late stage breast Cancer. British Journal of Cancer. 97(9):1251-1259 [IF=4.459]
MGE O'Rourke, MK Johnson, CM Lanagan, JL See, LE O'Connor, GJ Slater, D Thomas, JA Lopez, NR Martinez, KAO Ellem, and CW Schmidt. (2007) Dendritic Cell Immunotherapy for Stage IV Melanoma. Melanoma Research. 17: (5):316-322 [IF=1.704]
J Marshall, T Forster, D Purdie, C Lanagan, L O'Connor, M O'Rourke, M Johnson, J See, KAO Ellem, NR Martinez, JA Lopez, and CW Schmidt. (2006) Immunological characteristics correlating with clinical response to immunotherapy in patients with advanced metastatic melanoma. Immunology and Cell Biology. 84(3): 295-302 [IF=2.482]
S Prato, J Fleming, CW Schmidt, G Corradin, and JA Lopez. (2006) Cross-presentation of a Human Malaria CTL Epitope is Conformation Dependent. Molecular Immunology. 43(13):2031-2036 [IF=4.768]
JA Lopez and A Pinzon-Charry. (2006) Immunosuppression and Dendritic Cell Dysfunction. Modern Aspects of Immunobiology. 18: 20-21
A Pinzon-Charry, CW Schmidt, and JA Lopez. (2006) Dendritic cell-based Immunotherapy for Breast cancer. Expert Opinion on Biological Therapy. 6 (6):591-604 [IF=2.705]
A Pinzon-Charry, T Maxwell, MA McGuckin, CW Schmidt, C Furnival, and JA Lopez. (2006) Spontaneous Apoptosis of Blood Dendritic Cells in Patients with Breast Cancer. Breast Cancer Research. 8(1):R5 [IF=4.157]
A Pinzon-Charry, T Maxwell, S Prato, C Furnival, CW Schmidt, and JA Lopez. (2005) HLA-DR+ Immature Cells Exhibit Reduced Antigen Presenting Cell Function but Respond to CD40 Stimulation. Neoplasia. 7(12):1112-1122 [IF=4.913]
A Pinzon-Charry, CS Ho, R Laherty, T Maxwell, D Walker, RA Gardiner, L O'Connor, C Pyke, CW Schmidt, C Furnival and JA Lopez. (2005) A Population of HLA-DR+ Immature Cells Accumulate in the Blood Dendritic Cell Compartment of Patients with Different Types of Cancer. Neoplasia. 7(12): 1123-1132 [IF=4.913]
A Pinzon-Charry, T Maxwell, and JA Lopez. (2005) Dendritic Cell Dysfunction in Cancer: A Mechanism for Immunosuppression. Immunology and Cell Biology. 83(5):451-461 [IF=2.482]
S Prato, T Maxwell, A Pinzon-Charry, CW Schmidt, G Corradin, and JA Lopez. (2005) MHC class I-restricted exogenous presentation of a synthetic 102-mer malaria vaccine polypeptide. European Journal of Immunology. 35(3):681-689 [IF=4.772]
S Herrera, A Bonelo, BL Perlaza, ZA Valencia, C Cifuentes, S Hurtado, G Quintero, JA Lopez, G Corradin and MA Arevalo-Herrera. (2004) Use of long synthetic peptides to study the antigenicity and immunogenicity of the Plasmodium vivax circumsporozoite protein. International Journal of Parasitology. 34(13-14):1535-1546 [IF=3.337]
O Perez, G Bracho, M Lastre, N Mora, J Del Campo, D Gil, C Zayas, R Acevedo, D Gonzalez, JA Lopez, C Taboada, C Turtle, and RL Solis. (2004) Novel adjuvant based on a proteoliposome-derived cochleate structure containing native lipopolysaccharide as a pathogen-associated molecular pattern. Immunology and Cell Biology. 82(6):603-610 [IF=2.482]
V Meraldi, R Audran, JF Romero, V Brossard, J Bauer, JA Lopez and G Corradin. (2003) 174, a new adjuvant with a potential for human use, induces a protective response when administered with the synthetic C-terminal fragment 242-310 from the circumsporozoite protein of Plasmodium berghei. Vaccine. 21(19-20): 2485-2491 [IF=3.159]
JA Lopez, G Bioley, CJ Turtle, A Pinzon-Charry, CSK Ho, S Vuckovic, G Crosbie, M Gillece, DC Jackson, D Munster, and DNJ Hart. (2003) Single step isolation of blood DC by positive immunoselection. Journal Immunological Methods. 274(1-2): 47-61 [IF=2.402]
JA Lopez, G Crosbie, C Kelly, AM McGee, K Williams, R Schuyler, R Rodwell, SJ Wright, K Taylor, and DNJ Hart. (2002) Monitoring and isolation of blood dendritic cells from apheresis products in healthy individuals: A platform for cancer immunotherapy. Journal Immunological Methods. 267(2): 199-212 [IF=2.402]
CSK Ho, D Munster, CM Pyke, DNJ Hart and JA Lopez. (2002) Spontaneous generation and survival of blood dendritic cells in mononuclear cell culture without exogenous cytokines. Blood. 99(8): 2897-2904 [IF=10.370]
JA Lopez and DNJ Hart. (2002) Current use of dendritic cells in cancer immunotherapy. Current Opinion in Molecular Therapeutics. 4(1): 54-63 [IF=2.411]
M Arevalo-Herrera, A Z Valencia, J Vergara, A Bonelo, K Fleischauer, JM Gonzalez, JC Restrepo, JA Lopez, D Valmori, G Corradin, and S Herrera. (2002) Identification of HLA-A2 restricted CD8+ T-lymphocyte response to Plasmodium vivax circumsporozoite protein in individuals naturally exposed to malaria. Parasite Immunology. 24(3): 161-169 [IF=2.009]
JA Lopez, C Weilenman, MA Roggero, R Audran, A Bonelo, JM Tiercy, F Spertini, and G Corradin. (2001) A synthetic malaria vaccine that elicits a potent and comprehensive immune response, European. Journal of Immunology. 31(7): 1989-1998 [IF=4.772]
CSK Ho, JA Lopez, S Vuckovic, CM Pyke, RL Hockey, and DNJ Hart. (2001) Surgical and physical stress increase circulating blood dendritic cell counts independently of monocyte counts. Blood. 98(1): 140-145 [IF=10.370]
A Bonelo, D Valmori, F Triponez, JM Tiercy, G Mentha, J Oberholzer, P Champagne, JF Romero, F Esposito, I Nebie, C Barbey, P Romero, S Herrera, G Corradin and JA Lopez. (2000) Generation and characterization of malaria specific human CD8+ lymphocyte clones: Effect of natural polymorphism on T cell recognition and on the recognition of cognate antigen endogenously presented by liver cells. European Journal of Immunology. 30(11): 3079-3088 [IF=4.772]
GJ Clark, N Angel, M Kato, JA Lopez, K Macdonald, S Vuckovic, and DNJ Hart. (2000) The role of dendritic cells in the innate immune system. Microbes and Infection. 2(3): 257-272 [IF=3.127]
MA Roggero, V Meraldi, JA Lopez, G Eberl, JC Romero, H Matile, B Betschart, G Corradin, and J Renggli. (2000) The synthetic oxidized C-terminal fragment of the P berghei CS protein elicits a high protective response. European Journal of Immunology. 30(9): 2679-2685 [IF=4.772]
JM Gonzalez, K Peter, F Esposito, I Nebie, JM Tiercy, A Bonelo, M Arevalo-Herrera, D Valmori, P Romero, S Herrera, G Corradin, and JA Lopez. (2000) HLA-A*201 restricted CD8+ T-lymphocyte responses to malaria: identification of new Plasmodium falciparum epitopes by IFN-O ELISPOT. Parasite Immunology. 22(10): 501-504 [IF=2.009]
G Eberl, J Renggli, Y Men, MA Roggero, JA Lopez, and G Corradin. (1999) Extracellular processing and presentation of a 69-mer synthetic polypetide to MHC class I-restricted T cells. Molecular Immunology. 36(2): 103-112 [IF=4.768]
MA Roggero, C Weilenmann, A Bonelo, R Audran, J Renggli, F Spertini, G Corradin, and JA Lopez. (1999) Plasmodium falciparum CS C-terminal fragment: preclinical evaluation and phase-I clinical studies. Parassitologia. 41(1-3): 421-424
M Arevalo-Herrera, MA Roggero, JM Gonzalez, J Vergara, G Corradin, JA Lopez, and S Herrera. (1998) Mapping and comparison of the B-cell epitopes recognized on the Plasmodium vivax circumsporozoite protein by immune Colombians and immunized Aotus monkeys. Annals of Tropical Medicine and Parasitology. 92(5): 539-551 [IF=1.191]
JM Gonzalez, V Olano, J Vergara, M Arevalo-Herrera, G Carrasquilla, S Herrera, and JA Lopez. (1997) Unstable, low-level transmission of malaria on the Colombian Pacific Coast. Annals of Tropical Medicine Parasitology. 91(4): 349-358 [IF=1.191]
JL Maryanski, JL Casanova, K Falk, H Gournier, C Jaulin, P Kourilsky, FA Lemonnier, R Luthy, HG Rammensee, O Rotzschke, C Servis, and JA Lopez. (1997) The diversity of antigen-specific TCR repertoires reflects the relative complexity of epitopes recognized. Human Immunology. 54(2): 117-128 [IF=2.605]
JA Lopez, JM Gonzalez, A Kettner, M Arevalo-Herrera, S Herrera, G Corradin, and MA Roggero. (1997) Synthetic polypeptides corresponding to the non-repeat regions from the circumsporozoite protein of P falciparum: recognition by human T-cells and immunogenicity in owl monkeys. Annals of Tropical Medicine and Parasitology. 91(3): 253-265 [IF=1.191]
JA Lopez, MA Roggero, O Duombo, JM Gonzalez, R Tolle, O Koita, M Arevalo-Herrera, S Herrera, and G Corradin. (1996) Recognition of synthetic 104-mer and 102-mer peptides corresponding to N- and C-terminal nonrepeat regions of the Plasmodium falciparum circumsporozoite protein by sera from human donors. American Journal Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. 55(4): 424-429 [IF=2.546]
PR Walker, T Ohteki, JA Lopez, HR MacDonald and JL Maryanski. (1995) Distinct phenotypes of antigen-selected CD8 T cells emerge at different stages of an in vivo immune response. Journal of Immunology. 155(7): 3443-3452 [IF=6.293]
MA Roggero, B Filippi, P Church, SL Hoffman, U Blum-Tirouvanziam, JA Lopez, F Esposito, H Matile, CD Reymond, N Fasel, and G Corradin. (1995) Synthesis and immunological characterization of 104-mer and 102-mer peptides corresponding to the N- and C-terminal regions of the Plasmodium falciparum CS protein. Molecular Immunology. 32(17-18): 1301-1309 [IF=4.768]
JA Lopez, JH LeBowitz, SM Beverley, HG Rammensee, and P Overath. (1993) Leishmania mexicana promastigotes induce cytotoxic T lymphocytes in vivo that do not recognize infected macrophages. European Journal of Immunology. 23(1): 217-223 [IF=4.772]
JA Lopez, IF Luescher, and JC Cerottini. (1992) Direct binding of peptides to MHC class I molecules on living cells Analysis at the single cell level. Journal of Immunology. 149(12): 3827-3835 [IF=6.293]
IF Luescher, JA Lopez, B Malissen, and JC Cerottini. (1992) Interaction of antigenic peptides with MHC class I molecules on living cells studied by photoaffinity labeling. Journal of Immunology. 148(4):1003-1011 [IF=6.293]
JA Lopez, HA Reins, RJ Etges, LL Button, WR McMaster, P Overath, and J Klein. (1991) Genetic control of the immune response in mice to Leishmania mexicana surface protease. Journal of Immunology. 146(4): 1328-1334 [IF=6.293]
UA Kara, DJ Stenzel, LT Ingram, GR Bushell, JA Lopez, and C Kidson. (1988) Inhibitory monoclonal antibody against a (myristylated) small-molecular- weight antigen from P falciparum associated with the parasitophorous vacuole membrane. Infection and Immunity. 56(4): 903-909 [IF=4.004]
CM Rzepczyk, JA Lopez, KL Anderson, and MP Alpers. (1988) Investigation of the effect of monocytes with Papua New Guinea sera on Plasmodium falciparum in culture. International Journal of Parasitology. 18(3): 401-406 [IF=3.337]

Griffith University