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Mario Ostrowski

MD, FRCP

Scientist

Email: Mario.Ostrowski@gmail.com
Tel: 416-864-5746

Biography

My current research interests focus on the immunopathogenesis of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) /Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) and Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) and other virus infections including SARS-CoV-2. We are interested in understanding why chronic virus infections persist in the host. Current work is divided along the following lines:

  1. Examination of T cell immune response to HIV and HCV infection.
  2. Therapeutic and preventive vaccine strategies
  3. immunomodulation during virus infections

Recent Publications

  1. Fausther-Bovendo, H, Babuadze, GG, Ivanciuc, T, Kalveram, B, Qu, Y, Choi, J et al.. Rapid In Vivo Screening of Monoclonal Antibody Cocktails Using Hydrodynamic Delivery of DNA-Encoded Modified Antibodies. Biomedicines. 2025;13 (3):. doi: 10.3390/biomedicines13030637. PubMed PMID:40149613 PubMed Central PMC11940352.
  2. Samaan, P, Korosec, CS, Budylowski, P, Chau, SLL, Pasculescu, A, Qi, F et al.. mRNA vaccine-induced SARS-CoV-2 spike-specific IFN-γ and IL-2 T-cell responses are predictive of serological neutralization and are transiently enhanced by pre-existing cross-reactive immunity. J Virol. 2025;99 (3):e0168524. doi: 10.1128/jvi.01685-24. PubMed PMID:39887249 PubMed Central PMC11915849.
  3. Naghibosadat, M, Babuadze, GG, Pei, Y, Hurst, J, Salvant, E, Gaete, K et al.. Vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 provides low-level cross-protection against common cold coronaviruses in mouse and non-human primate animal models. J Virol. 2025;99 (2):e0139024. doi: 10.1128/jvi.01390-24. PubMed PMID:39817773 PubMed Central PMC11853048.
  4. Liu, J, Wang, L, Kurtesi, A, Budylowski, P, Potts, KG, Menon, H et al.. A bivalent COVID-19 mRNA vaccine elicited broad immune responses and protection against Omicron subvariants infection. NPJ Vaccines. 2025;10 (1):4. doi: 10.1038/s41541-025-01062-8. PubMed PMID:39788981 PubMed Central PMC11718203.
  5. Hurst, JR, Naghibosadat, M, Budowski, P, Liu, J, Samaan, P, Budiman, F et al.. Comparison of a SARS-CoV-2 mRNA booster immunization containing additional antigens to a spike-based mRNA vaccine against Omicron BA.5 infection in hACE2 mice. PLoS One. 2024;19 (12):e0314061. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0314061. PubMed PMID:39625929 PubMed Central PMC11614295.
  6. Grundy, EE, Shaw, LC, Wang, L, Lee, AV, Argueta, JC, Powell, DJ Jr et al.. A T cell receptor specific for an HLA-A*03:01-restricted epitope in the endogenous retrovirus ERV-K-Env exhibits limited recognition of its cognate epitope. Mob DNA. 2024;15 (1):19. doi: 10.1186/s13100-024-00333-w. PubMed PMID:39385229 PubMed Central PMC11462856.
  7. Grundy, EE, Shaw, LC, Wang, L, Powell, DJ, Ostrowski, M, Jones, RB et al.. Limited Immunogenicity of an HLA-A*03:01-restricted Epitope of Erv-k-env in Non-hiv-1 Settings: Implications for Adoptive Cell Therapy in Cancer. Res Sq. 2024; :. doi: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-4432372/v1. PubMed PMID:38854052 PubMed Central PMC11160923.
  8. Costiniuk, CT, Lee, T, Singer, J, Galipeau, Y, Arnold, C, Langlois, MA et al.. Correlates of Breakthrough SARS-CoV-2 Infections in People with HIV: Results from the CIHR CTN 328 Study. Vaccines (Basel). 2024;12 (5):. doi: 10.3390/vaccines12050447. PubMed PMID:38793698 PubMed Central PMC11125718.
  9. Budylowski, P, Chau, SLL, Banerjee, A, Guvenc, F, Samson, R, Hu, Q et al.. A Significant Contribution of the Classical Pathway of Complement in SARS-CoV-2 Neutralization of Convalescent and Vaccinee Sera. J Immunol. 2024;212 (12):1922-1931. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.2300320. PubMed PMID:38683124 .
  10. Reiter, L, Greffrath, J, Zidel, B, Ostrowski, M, Gommerman, J, Madhi, SA et al.. Comparable safety and non-inferior immunogenicity of the SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine candidate PTX-COVID19-B and BNT162b2 in a phase 2 randomized, observer-blinded study. Sci Rep. 2024;14 (1):5365. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-55320-1. PubMed PMID:38438427 PubMed Central PMC10912344.
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Affiliations & Other Activities

  • Infectious Disease Consultant, St. Michael’s Hospital
  • Professor, Department of Medicine, Immunology, Lab Medicine, Pathobiology, University of Toronto