Loree Heller

Associate Professor  
Office: MDT 1510 | Email | 813-974-4637

 

 

EDUCATION
Ph.D., University of South Florida College of Medicine, Tampa, FL, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
M.S., Long Island University, Greenvale, NY, Medical Microbiology and Immunology
B.S., Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, Microbiology

RESEARCH AREAS 
Nucleic acid electrotransfer, Non-viral gene therapies, Pattern recognition receptors

MEMBERSHIPS
American Society for Clinical Pathology
American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy
American Association of Immunologists
American Association for Cancer Research
National Academy of Inventors
International Society for Electroporation

RESEARCH GRANTS
NIH NCI R01 “DNA-specific pattern recognition receptor activation following DNA electroporation”

RECENT PUBLICATIONS
Edelblute, C., Malik, M., Heller, L. Surface-dependent inactivation of model microorganisms with shielded sliding atmospheric plasma discharges and applied air flow, Bioelectrochemistry 103:22-27, 2015. PMID: 25200988 [Impact Factor 4.47]

Bosnjak, M., Dolinsek, T., Cemazar, M., Kranjc, S., Blagus, T., Markelc, B., Stimac, M., Kamensek, U., Heller, L., Bouquet, C., Sersa, G. Gene electrotransfer of Plasmid AMEP, an integrin targeted therapy, has antitumor and antiangiogenic action in murine B16 melanoma. Gene Ther, 22:578-590, 2015. PMID: 25781650 [Impact Factor 3.23]

Edelblute, C.E., Heller, L.C., Malik, M.A., Heller, R. Activated air produced by shielded sliding discharge plasma mediates plasmid DNA delivery to mammalian cells. Biotechnol Bioeng, 112:2583-2590, 2015. PMID:26041378 [Impact Factor 4.26]

Edelblute, C.E., Pakhomova, O.N, Li, F. Hargrave, B.Y.,  Heller, L.C. Donor platelet plasma components inactivate sensitive and multidrug resistant Acinetobacter baumannii isolates. Pathog Dis, 73(9). pii: ftv095, 2015. PMID: 26500225 [Impact Factor 2.33]

Edelblute, C.E., Malik, M.A, Heller, L.C. Antibacterial efficacy of a novel plasma reactor without an applied gas flow against methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus on diverse surfaces, Bioelectrochemistry, 2016, 112:106-111. PMID: 27095606 [Impact Factor 4.47]

Edelblute, C.E., Heller, L.C., Malik, M.A., Bulysheva, A., Heller, R. Plasma activated air mediates plasmid DNA delivery in vivo, Mol Ther Methods Clin Dev 3:16028, 2016. PMID: 27110584 [Impact Factor 4.88]

Žnidar, K., Bosnjak, M., Heller, L.C., Cemazar, M. Cytosolic DNA sensor upregulation accompanies DNA electrotransfer in B16.F10 melanoma cells, Mol Ther Nucleic Acids 5(6):e322, 2016. PMID: 27271988 [Impact Factor 6.02]

Neuber, J.U., Song, S., Malik, M.A., Heller, L., and Jiang, C. Nanosecond Pulsed Plasma Brush for Bacterial Inactivation on Laminate. IEEE TRPMS, 1(4):368 – 375, 2017.

Muratori, C., Pakhomov, A., Heller, L., Casciola, M., Gianulis, E., Grigoryev, S., Xiao, S., Pakhomova, O. Electrosensitization increases antitumor effectiveness of nanosecond pulsed electric field in vivo, Technol Cancer Res Treat, doi: 10.1177/1533034617712397, 2017. PMID: 28585492 [Impact Factor 1.48]

Dutta,S., Celestine, M.J., Khanal, S., Huddleston, A., Simms, C., Arca, J.F., Mitra, A., Heller, L., Kraj, P.J., Ledizet, M., Anderson, J.F., Neelakanta, G., Holder, A.A., Sultana, H. Coordination of different complexes to copper(II) and cobalt(III) metal centers enhances Zika virus and dengue virus loads in both arthropod cells and human keratinocytes, Biochimica and Biophysica Acta, 1862(1): 40-50, 2018. PMID: 29030319 [Impact Factor 3.67]

Heller, L.C. and Edelblute, C.E. Long-term metabolic persistence of Gram positive bacteria on healthcare-relevant plastic, American Journal of Infection Control, 46(1): 50-53, 2018. PMID: 28918990 [Impact Factor 1.93]

Bosnjak M., Jesenko, T., Kamensek, U., Sersa, G., Lavrencak, J., Heller L., Cemazar M. Electrotransfer of different control plasmids elicits different antitumor effectiveness in B16.F10 melanoma, Cancers, 10(2), pii: E37, 2018. PMID: 29382170 [Impact Factor 6.10]

Znidar K., Bosnjak M., Semenova N., Pakhomova O., Heller L., Cemazar M. Tumor cell death after electrotransfer of plasmid DNA is associated with cytosolic DNA sensor upregulation, Oncotarget, 9:18665-18681, 2018. PMID: 29721152 [Impact Factor 5.17]

Upregulation of DNA sensors in B16.F10 melanoma spheroid cells after electrotranfer of pDNA. Znidar K., Bosnjak M., Jesenko, T., Heller L., Cemazar M., Technol Cancer Res Treat, doi: 10.1177/1533033818780088, 2018. PMID: 29879868 [Impact Factor 1.48]

Multiple cytosolic DNA sensors bind plasmid DNA after transfection. Semenova, N., Bosnjack, M., Markelc, B., Znidar, K., Cemazar, M., Heller, L., Nucleic Acids Research, 47:10235–10246, 2019. PMID: 31495892 [Impact Factor 11.15]

PATENTS

US 6,714,816 B1 (Issued March 30, 2004): Electroporation and electrophoresis system and method for achieving molecular penetration into cells in vivo. Inventors: Heller R, Gilbert R, Jaroszeski MJ, Heller LC, Lucas ML. Assignee: University of South Florida. https://www.google.com.ar/patents/US9610364 

US 7,668,592 B2 (Issued February 23, 2010): Electroporation and electrophoresis system and method for achieving molecular penetration into cells in vivo. Inventors: Heller R, Gilbert R, Jaroszeski MJ, Heller LC, Lucas ML. Assignee: University of South Florida. https://www.google.com.ar/patents/US7668592

US 8,802,643 (Issued August 12, 2014) Method for the treatment of malignancies, Inventors: Heller, R., Heller, L.C. Assignee: University of South Florida. https://www.google.com.ar/patents/US8802643

US 8,895,248 (Issued November 25, 2014) Method for Detecting Salmonella Species By Assaying Outer Membrane Porin F (ompF). Inventors: Tatavarthy, A., Cannons, A.C., and Heller, L.C. Assignee: University of South Florida. https://www.google.com.ar/patents/US8895248 

US 9,410,212 (Issued August 9, 2016) Kit for Detecting Salmonella Species By Assaying Outer Membrane Porin F (ompF). Inventors: Tatavarthy, A., Cannons, A.C., and Heller, L.C. Assignee: University of South Florida. https://www.google.com.ar/patents/US9410212 

US 9,610,364 (Issued April 4, 2017) Method for the treatment of malignancies, Inventors: Heller, R., Lucas, M.L., Heller, L.C. Assignee: University of South Florida. https://www.google.com.ar/patents/US9610364