Biography
George Alexandre dos Reis, Brazilian immunologist (05 November 1953 – Rio de Janeiro 07 April 2019)
Showed the macrophage role in T lymphocytes-induced streptococcal carditis lesions
With M.A. Barcinski. Role of macrophage-dependent determinant selection in the induction phase of streptococcal carditis. Lancet 8198 (2):777-9, 1980
With M. Gaspar & M.A. Barcinski. Immune recognition in the streptococcal carditis of mice. The role of macrophages in the generation of heart-reactive lymphocytes. J. Immunol. 128:1514-21, 1982
First to demonstrate that self immunological tolerance is determined by histocompatibility genes
With E.M. Shevach. Antigen-presenting cells from non-responder strain 2 guinea pigs are fully competent to present bovine insulin β-chain to responder strain 13 T cells: evidence against a determinant selection model and in favor of a clonal deletion model of immune response gene function. J. Exp. Med. 157:1287-99, 1983
Authored one of the first analysis of cyclosporin-propelled suppression mechanism
With E.M. Shevach. Effect of cyclosporin A on T cell function in vitro: the mechanism of suppression of the T cell stimulus as well as differentiation state of the responding T cell. J. Immunol. 129:2360-7, 1982
With E.M. Shevach. Cyclosporin A treated guinea pig responder cells secrete a genetically restricted factor which suppresses the mixed leukocyte reaction. J. Clin. Invest. 71:165-9, 1983
Studied the relation between antigenic memory and autoreactivity of MHC in T cells emulating thymic positive selection
With M.E. Shevach. The syngeneic mixed leukocyte reaction represents polyclonal activation of antigen-specific T lymphocytes with receptors for self Ia antigens. J. Immunol. 127:2456-60, 1981
With M.E. Shevach.Analysis of autoreactive, I Region-restricted cells colonies isolated from the syngeneic mixed leukocyte reaction and from conventional antigen responses. Europ. J. Immunol. 15:466-72, 1985
Exogenous antigen control of autoreactive T cell MHC specificity. Immunol. Today 15:597-8, 1994
With M.E. Shevach. Peripheral T cell self-reactivity and immunological memory. Immunol. Today 19(12):587-8, 1998
First description of apoptosis in a parasite disease
With M.F. Lopes, V. Veiga, A. Santos & M.E. F. Fonseca. Activation-induced CD4+ T cell death by apoptosis in experimental Chagas disease. J. Immunol. 154:744-52, 1995
With C.G. Freire de Lima, M.P. Nunes, M. Soares, S. Corte Real, J. Previato & L. Mendonça Previato.Pro-apoptotic activity of a Trypanosoma cruzi ceramide-containing glycolipid turned on in host macrophages by interferon gamma. J. Immunol. 161(9):4909-16, 1998
Showed the relevant role that CTLA-4 plays in kalazar immunosupppression
With N.A. Gomes, V. Barreto de Souza & M.E. Wilson. Unresponsive CD4+ T lymphocytes from Leishmania chagasi infected mice increase cytokine production and mediate parasite killing after blockade of B7-1 / CTLA-4 molecular pathway. J. Infect. Dis. 178(6):1847-51, 1998
With C.G. Freire de Lima, D.O. Nascimento, M. Soares, F. De Mello, P.T. Bozza, H.C. Castro Faria Neto & M.F. Lopes. Uptake of apoptotic cells drives the growth of a pathogenic trypanosome in macrophages. Nature 403:199-203, 2000