Mentors: Bryan Allen, MBA, MD, PhD and Doug Spitz, PhD

Comprehensive Exam: 

GC4419 for radio-sensitization and accelerating wound healing in soft tissue sarcoma

My Research:

My current research focuses on understanding the mechanisms of radiation injury in non-malignant tissues during cancer therapy in soft tissue sarcoma and lung cancer patients. Using redox biology, my work identifies vulnerabilities in cancer that allow for selective radio-sensitization in the tumor while simultaneously protecting normal tissues.

Selected Publications:

PubMed

1. Zaher A, Stephens LM, Miller AM, et al. Pharmacological ascorbate as a novel therapeutic strategy to enhance cancer immunotherapy. Front Immunol. 2022;13:989000. 

2. Zaher A, Mapuskar KA, Sarkaria JN, Spitz DR, Petronek MS, Allen BG. Differential H(2)O(2) Metabolism among Glioblastoma Subtypes Confers Variable Responses to Pharmacological Ascorbate Therapy Combined with Chemoradiation. Int J Mol Sci. Dec 5 2023;24(24)

3. Zaher A, Duchman B, Ivanovic M, et al. Exploratory Analysis of Image-Guided Ionizing Radiation Delivery to Induce Long-Term Iron Accumulation and Ferritin Expression in a Lung Injury Model: Preliminary Results. Bioengineering (Basel). Feb 14 2024;11(2)

4. Zaher A, Mapuskar KA, Petronek MS, et al. Superoxide Dismutase Mimetic Avasopasem Manganese Enhances Radiation Therapy Effectiveness in Soft Tissue Sarcomas and Accelerates Wound Healing. Antioxidants (Basel). May 10 2024;13(5)

Awards:

University of Iowa Post-Comprehensive Exam Research Fellowship, Spring 2024

NIH/National Medical Association R13 Travel Award for 2023 National Medical Association Annual Convention and Scientific Assembly. "Superoxide dismutase mimetic GC4419 increases radiosensitivity of soft tissue sarcomas while enhancing wound healing in irradiated non-malignant tissue"