Luis Fajardo
Academic Appointments
- Emeritus Faculty, Acad Council, Pathology
Key Documents
Contact Information
- Academic Offices
Personal Information Email
Professional Overview
Administrative Appointments
- Chief of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Service, Palo Alto VA Health Care System (1977 - present)
Scientific Focus
Current Research Interests
Radiation Pathology: The study of radiation-induced cardiovascular disease was initiated in 1966 with the cooperation of the Radiotherapy and Cardiology Divisions. The clinical-pathological entity Radiation-Induced Heart Disease (RIHD) was defined and its relation to dose, time and fractionation was established. An animal model was developed. The pathogenesis of the myocardial component of RIHD was elucidated using sequential plastic sections, electron microscopy and autoradiography.
Radiation injury has been studied in other tissues, including renal, hepatic and pulmonary parenchyma. The morphological and functional effects of ionizing radiation on endothelial cells are being evaluated in vitro and in several species of mammals.
Cerebral malaria: Previous studies of human and murine cerebral malaria (CM) have been complemented in 1986-87 by establishing the role of cytokines -- particularly TNF -- in CM produced by infecting CBA/ca mice with Plasmodium berghei anka.
Angiogenesis: A simple in vivo model for the quantitative study of microvessel proliferation was developed in 1987: the implantable Disc Angiogenesis System (DAS). The inhibiting effect of ionizing radiation and therapeutic hyperthermia on angiogenesis has been demonstrated using the DAS in mice. The angiogenic agonist or antagonist impact of several cytokines and some other proteins is being evaluated in the DAS.
Publications
- The pathology of ionizing radiation as defined by morphologic patterns. Acta Oncol. 2005; (1): 13-22
- Lethal infection by a previously unrecognised metazoan parasite. Lancet. 1996; (9018): 1797-801
- Dual role of tumor necrosis factor-alpha in angiogenesis. Am J Pathol. 1992; (3): 539-44
- The complexity of endothelial cells. A review. Am J Clin Pathol. 1989; (2): 241-50
- Tumor necrosis factor (cachectin) as an essential mediator in murine cerebral malaria. Science. 1987; (4819): 1210-2
- Kinetics of EMT-6 cellular survival after curative doses of hyperthermia. Bull Cancer. 1978; (4): 473-4
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