Mentors: Doug Spitz, PhD and Adam Dupuy, PhD

Comprehensive Exam: 

Combination of Pharmacological Ascorbate and Depletion of NAD+ Metabolism as a Potential Therapeutic Strategy for KEAP1 mutant NSCLC

My Research:

My current research project focuses on identifying the molecular pathways and the key biomarker genes that are responsible for the resistance toward pharmacological ascorbate, auranofin, and radiation. Clinical trials have been performed with pharmacological ascorbate and auranofin investigating their role as pro-oxidants in cancer therapy. We hope to contribute to the improvement of radio-chemotherapy in NSCLC tumors based on the KEAP1 and TP53 mutational status, and to potentially contribute to further development of personalized medicine for NSCLC tumors, which remains one of the most common and deadliest cancers in the United States.

Award:

2025 Wenger Travel Award, Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center

Presentations:

• November 2025: Society for Redox Biology and Medicine conference, Washington, DC. Oral and poster presentations. "Auranofin Synergistically Sensitizes KEAP1 Mutant and WT NSCLCs to P-AscH--induced Cell Killing by a Thiol and H2O2 Dependent Mechanism."
• June 2025: Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center Retreat, Coralville IA. Poster presentation. Sho, S. Heer, C. D., Tomanek-Chalkley, A., Marren, D., Wasimi, S., Dupuy, A. J., Spitz, D. R. “Enhanced Peroxide Metabolism in KEAP1 Mutant Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Cells Induces Resistance to Auranofin and Pharmacological Ascorbate Monotherapies.”
• June 2024: Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center Retreat, Coralville IA. Poster presentation. Sho, S. Heer, C. D., Dupuy, A. J., Spitz, D. R. “Role of KEAP1 Mutational Status in Auranofin Resistance and Pharmacological Ascorbate Efficacy in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.”
• March 2024: Jakobsen Graduate Development Series Research Showcase, Iowa City, IA. Poster presentation. Sho, S., Dupuy, A. J., Spitz, D. R. “KEAP1 Mutational Status Plays an Important Role in Resistance to Auranofin and Pharmacological Ascorbate.”

Publications: 

1. Peters-Hall JR, Coquelin ML, Torres MJ, LaRanger R, Alabi BR, Sho S, et al. Long-term culture and cloning of primary human bronchial basal cells that maintain multipotent differentiation capacity and CFTR channel function. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol. Aug 1 2018;315(2):L313-l327. PMC6139663
2. Li Y, Zhou G, Bruno IG, Zhang N, Sho S, et al. Transient introduction of human telomerase mRNA improves hallmarks of progeria cells. Aging Cell. Aug 2019;18(4):e12979. PMC6612639
3. Peters-Hall JR, Min J, Tedone E, Sho S, Siteni S, et al. Proliferation of adult human bronchial epithelial cells without a telomere maintenance mechanism for over 200 population doublings. Faseb j. Jan 2020;34(1):386-398. doi:10.1096/fj.201902376R. PMC6956733
4. Esparza M, Mor A, Niederstrasser H, White K, White A, Zhang K, Gao S, Wang J, Liang J, Sho S, et al. Chemical intervention of influenza virus mRNA nuclear export. PLoS Pathog. Apr 2020;16(4):e1008407. PMC7117665
5. Stekas B, Yeo S, Troitskaia A, Honda M, Sho S, et al. Switch-like control of helicase processivity by single-stranded DNA binding protein. eLife. Mar 19 2021;10 PMC7997660