Ernesto T. A. Marques, Jr., MD, PhD

Keywords: Vaccinology, Immunomics,  Molecular mechanisms of dengue immunity and pathogenicity

Research Summary. The research interest of Dr. Marques is designing novel vaccine strategies, diagnostic markers and disease surveillance tools. The strategy he uses is based on the development of detailed T and B cell epitopes maps and the characterization of innate immune response induced by the pathogenic agent. The laboratory apply a combination of computational technologies, high throughput immune assays in human samples. Using this information we explore patterns correlated either with immunity or pathogenicity and design novel antigen formulations containing selected epitopes, adjuvants and adequate delivery methods. Currently we are applying this strategy to study Zika, Dengue, yellow fever, HIV among other agents.  Dr, Marques is also the inventor of several vaccine and diagnostic technologies.  Some of his technologies have been licensed by leading pharmaceutical companies.

1993 | Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil | Medical Doctor - MD
1999 | The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine  | Doctor of Philosophy - PhD

IDM - 2003 - Host Response to Microbial Infection - Course Coordinator

Marques ETA, Burke DS.  (2018). Tradition and innovation in development of a Zika vaccine. Lancet.  

Nascimento, Eduardo J.M. ; Huleatt, James W. ; Cordeiro, Marli T. ; Castanha, Priscila M.S. ; George, James K. ; Grebe, Eduard ; Welte, Alex ; Brown, Monique ; Burke, Donald S. ; Marques, Ernesto T.A. . Development Of Antibody Biomarkers Of Long Term And Recent Dengue Virus Infections. Journal Of Virological Methods, v. 257, p. 62-68, 2018.

Viana, I. F. T. ; Coêlho, D. F. ; Palma, M. L. ; Nascimento, E. J. M. ; Gu, G. ; Lima, L. F. O. ; Foti, L. ; Krieger, M. A. ; Pilcher, C. ; Calzavara-Silva, C. E. ; Mailliard, R. B. ; Rinaldo, C. R. ; Dhalia, R. ; Marques, E. T. A. . Detection Of Igg3 Antibodies Specific To The Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 (Hiv-1) P24 Protein As Marker For Recently Acquired Infection. Epidemiology And Infection, v. 1, p. 1-8, 2018.

Magalhaes T, Braga C, Cordeiro MT, Oliveira ALS, Castanha PMS, Maciel APR, Amancio NML, Gouveia PN, Peixoto-da-Silva VJ Jr, Peixoto TFL, Britto H, Lima PV, Lima ARS, Rosenberger KD, Jaenisch T, Marques ETA.  (2017). Zika virus displacement by a chikungunya outbreak in Recife, Brazil.  PLoS Negl Trop Dis 11(11):e0006055.  

Castanha PMS, Nascimento EJM, Braga C, Cordeiro MT, de Carvalho OV, de Mendonça LR, Azevedo EAN, França RFO, Dhalia R, Marques ETA.  (2017). Dengue Virus-Specific Antibodies Enhance Brazilian Zika Virus Infection. J Infect Dis  215:781-785.

Palma ML, Duangkhae P, Douradinha B, Viana IFT, Rigato PO, Dhalia R, Mailliard RB, Barratt-Boyes SM, Nascimento EJM, Oshiro TM, da Silva Duarte AJ, Marques ETA.  (2017). Development of potent class II transactivator gene delivery systems capable of inducing de novo MHC II expression in human cells, in vitro and ex vivo. Gene Ther  24:342-352.

Jaenisch T, Rosenberger KD, Brito C, Brady O, Brasil P, Marques ET.  (2017).  Risk of microcephaly after Zika virus infection in Brazil, 2015 to 2016. Bull World Health Organ 95:191-198.

Castanha PM, Braga C, Cordeiro MT, Souza AI, Silva CD, Martelli CT, van Panhuis WG, Nascimento EJ, Marques ET.   (2016). Placental transfer of dengue-specific antibodies and kinetics of dengue infection enhancing-activity in Brazilian infants. J Infect Dis   doi: 10.1093/infdis/jiw143.

Cordeiro MT, Pena LJ, Brito CA, Gil LH, Marques ET. (2016). Positive IgM for Zika virus in the cerebrospinal fluid of 30 neonates with microcephaly in Brazil.  Lancet  doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(16)30253-7. 

Cordeiro MT, Brito CA, Pena LJ, Castanha PM, Gil LH, Lopes KG, Dhalia R, Meneses JA, Ishigami AC, Mello LM, Alencar LX, Guarines KM, Rodrigues LC, Marques ET.  (2016). Results of a Zika Virus (ZIKV) Immunoglobulin M-Specific Diagnostic Assay Are Highly Correlated With Detection of Neutralizing Anti-ZIKV Antibodies in Neonates With Congenital Disease. J Infect Dis 214:1897-1904.

Araujo TVB, Rodrigues LC, Ximenes RA, Miranda-Filho DB, Montarroyos UR, Melo APL, Valongueiro S, Militao de Albuquerque, MDP, Souza WV, Braga C, Filho SPB, Vazquez E, Cruz DC, Bezerra LA, Henriques CMP, Castanha PM, Cordeiro MT, Dhalia R, Marques-Junior ET, Martelli CMT.   (2016). Microcephaly and Zika infection: Preliminary Report of a Case- Control Study. Lancet Infect Dis 16:1356-1363.