Sterling Ortega is an Assistant Professor in the Microbiology, Immunology, and Genetics Department at UNTHSC.

Originally from a small country in South America called Ecuador, Sterling and his parents immigrated to the USA when he was only one year old. Interestingly, his first calling in life was not science but aviation. As a little boy, he always dreamed about flying fighter jets for the Navy and eventually landing a seat in one of the space shuttles, but alas, all great youthful dreams sometimes go by the wayside. In mid-2002, he was fortunate enough to cross paths with an individual who would instill in him a love of science and exploration.

Mentored by Dr. Nitin Karandikar (UT Southwestern Medical Center), Sterling elucidated the role of autoreactive CD8 T-cells in a multiple sclerosis mouse model during his Ph.D. training. His thesis culminated in elucidating myelin-reactive CD8 T-cells and their ability to target myelin-specific CD4 T-cells. By targeting these putative neuro-pathogenic cells, he could halt the disease progression in a multiple sclerosis (MS) model. During this time, he became conversant with cellular and molecular immunological techniques, which he employs in murine and human MS studies.

Mentored by Dr Ann Stowe (UT Southwestern Medical Center), Sterling completed his postdoctoral training by elucidating the role of the adaptive immune response in stroke recovery. His postdoctoral research elucidated the role of B-cells in ischemia-induced brain injury. His postdoctoral fellowship included advanced training in neuroscientific techniques, such as behavior/motor function analysis, in vitro ischemic models, and in vivo stroke models.

Now, as an Assistant Professor at UNTHSC, Dr Ortega’s lab focuses on the neuro-immunological impact of the adaptive immune response in brain health and disease. The overarching theme of his research program is to discover novel therapeutics that can reverse immune-mediated neurological dysfunction. With this in mind, the two major neurological diseases his lab studies are stroke and multiple sclerosis (MS).

     In the stroke study, the lab is employing innovative methods to study the role of the adaptive immune system in stroke recovery. Currently, they are characterizing the adaptive immune response during the hyperacute phase (< 7 hours) of stroke, using advanced immunological and neuroscientific assays. This approach aims to determine the primordial immune response, believed to be the harbinger of secondary neuropathology.

     The MS study tests the hypothesis that cytotoxic autoreactive T-cells (Tcars) reverse MS disease by directly promoting endogenous brain repair mechanisms. In the short term, this project will use an in vitro approach to determine if Tcars can directly maintain oligodendrocyte health and function (myelination). In the long term, they will determine if the neuroreparative role of Tcars can be used in various models of demyelinating disease.