In memoriam: Jorge Quesada, MD
Jorge Quesada, MD, retired faculty member from the Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, died July 31, 2024. He was 77.
He joined the McGovern Medical School faculty in 2008 and retired in 2022.
A graduate from the National Autonomous University of Mexico, he completed a fellowship in oncology at MD Anderson Cancer Center. He was board certified in internal medicine, with his primary specialty as oncology.
“He was my colleague of 40 years,” remembered Adan Rios, MD, professor of oncology. “He was like my guardian angel.”
Quesada was at the forefront of cancer research, predicting a fundamental relationship between the immune response, mediated by interferon species, and the activation of NK cells and cytotoxicity stimulated by ‘danger signals’ as detected by specific cell receptors.
“His leading paper published in the New England Journal of Medicine almost 40 years ago on the activity of alpha-interferon against hairy cell leukemia was prophetic,” Rios said.
The interferon study opened the floodgates of the immunotherapy field. Quesada then went on to demonstrate the activity against renal cell cancer, another disease considered intractable by the available means of the time. Eventually, he translated these efforts into the fight against AIDS, becoming a leader on this subject.
“For over 25 years he became a key person in the city of Houston’s efforts against AIDS, including his contributions to the development of new therapies against HIV disease and of a preventive HIV vaccine,” Rios said.
Rios said he also got to know Quesada’s patriotic side. “His father had defended the national colors of his beloved Mexico as a soccer player throughout the world and was affectionately known by his Mexican compatriots as ‘Quesadita.’ Jorge’s seriousness was betrayed by a very special glitter in his eyes and a nostalgic smile when attending sporting events where Mexico was a participant, and he saw a Mexican national wrapped with the Mexican flag. It was the magic conjunction of his past with his present, for Jorge’s heart was also wrapped with the Mexican flag.”
He is survived by his wife, Rocio, and his son, Andrés.
A visitation will be held 4-8 pm, Tuesday, Aug. 13, at The Settegast-Kopf Company at Sugar Creek, 15015 Southwest Fwy, Sugar Land. A funeral mass will occur at 10 am Wednesday, Aug. 14, at St. Laurence Catholic Church, 3100 Sweetwater Blvd, Sugar Land. A graveside service will follow at 1 pm at Forest Park Westheimer Funeral Home and Cemetery, 12800 Westheimer Rd.
REFERENCES:
1. Quesada, J.R., Ruben J., Manning J.T., Hersh E.M. J.U. Alpha-interferon for induction of remission in Hairy Cell leukemia. N Engl J Med 1984; 310:15-8.
2. Quesada, J.R., Rios, A., Swanson, D., Trown, P., Gutterman, J.: Antitumor Activity of Recombinant-Derived interferon Alpha in Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma. J. Clin Oncol. 3: 1522-1528, 1986.
3. Rios, A., Quesada, J., Anderson, D., Goldstein, AL., Fossum, T.,Colby-Germinario, S., Wainberg, M.A.: Complete inactivation of HIV-1 using photolabeled non-nucleosides reverse transcriptase inhibitors. Virus Research. 155:189-194, 2011.