Ali Vaziri-Gohar, PHD
Assistant Professor
Cancer Biology
Research Interests:
- Pancreatic cancer
- Metabolic vulnerabilities in tumor microenvironment
- Metabolic regulation of redox homeostasis
- Metabolic dependencies of gene regulation
- Development of novel targeted therapies
- Drug resistance
The Vaziri-Gohar lab aims to study the metabolic dependencies that particularly protect tumor cells against oxidative stress caused by the austere tumor microenvironment of pancreatic cancer or anti-cancer therapies. We are also eager to identify the cell-autonomous and non-cell-autonomous mechanisms that support these metabolic alterations in cancer. Understanding these survival-conferring processes may assist in designing promising therapeutic approaches. We use a variety of biochemistry, molecular biology, and mass spectrometry-based methodologies in our mechanistic and translational experimentations. Our ultimate goal is to develop novel targeted therapies and to enhance current therapies to save lives.
Education
- BS in Biomedical Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences
- MS in Biochemistry, Kerman University of Medical Sciences
- PhD in Molecular Biology, New Mexico State University
- Postdoctoral Fellowship in Cancer Metabolism: Thomas Jefferson University, Case Western Reserve University
Research Interests
- Pancreatic cancer
- Metabolic vulnerabilities in tumor microenvironment
- Metabolic dependencies of gene regulation
- Development of novel targeted therapies
- Drug resistance
Publications/Research Listings
- Cytosolic transport of citrate protects nutrient-austere pancreatic cancer from ferroptosis Kneebone, A; Lindaur, K; Abbas, A; Cassel, J; Graff, S; Abood, J; Ding, X; Small, W; Tatsuoka, C; Sidoli, S; Salvino, JM; Vaziri-Gohar, A. BioRxiv 2025; doi: https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.01.15.633097v2
- IDH1 inhibition potentiates chemotherapy efficacy in pancreatic cancer Zarei, M; Hajihassani, O; Hue, JJ; Loftus, AW; Graor, HJ; Nakazzi, F; Naji, P; Bourtros, CS; Uppin, V; Vaziri -Gohar, A; Shalaby, A; Asara, JM; Rothermel, LD; Brody, JR; Winter, JM Cancer Research 2024; doi: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-23-1895
- Editorial: Metabolic regulation under oxidative stress in cancer Subramani, E; Dominic, A; Bhattacharya, P; Frigo DE; Bederman, I; Vaziri-Gohar, A. Frontiers in Oncology. 2023 Sept 12. doi: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1286086
- Increased glucose availability sensitizes pancreatic cancer to chemotherapy #Vaziri-Gohar, A; Hue, JJ; Abbas, A; Graor, HJ; Hajihassani, O; Zarei, M; Titomihelakis, G; Feczko, J; Rathore, M; Chelstowska, S; Loftus, AW; Wang, R; Zarei, M; Goudarzi, M; Zhang, R; Willard, B; Zhang, L; Kresak, A; Willis, JE; Wang, G-M; Tatsuoka, C; Salvino, JM; Bederman, I; Brunengraber, H; Lyssiotis, CA; Brody, JR; #Winter, JM. Nature Communications 14, 3823 (2023). doi: 10.1038/s41467-023-38921-8. #co-senior authors.
- Limited nutrient availability in the tumor microenvironment renders pancreatic tumors sensitive to allosteric IDH1 inhibitors Vaziri-Gohar, A; Cassel, J; Mohammed, FS; Zarei, M; Hue, JJ; Hajihassani, O; Graor, HJ; Srikanth, YVV; Karim, SA; Abbas, A; Prendergast, E; Chen, V; Katayama, ES; Dukleska, K; Khokhar, I; Andren, A; Zhang, L; Wu, C; Erokwu, B; Flask, CA; Zarei, M; Wang, R; Rothermel, LD; Romani, AMP; Bowers, J; Getts, R; Tatsuoka, C; Morton, JP; Bederman, I; Brunengraber, H; Lyssiotis, CA; Salvino, JM; Brody, JR; Winter, JM. Nature Cancer 2022;3(7):852-865. doi: 10.1038/s43018-022-00393-y. Epub 2022 Jun 9. PMID: 35681100; PMCID: PMC9325670.
- IDO1 is a therapeutic target for pancreatic cancer-associated depression Hue, JJ; Graor, HJ; Zarei, M; Katayama, ES; Ji, K; Hajihassani, O; Loftus, AW; Vaziri-Gohar, A; Winter, JM. Molecular Cancer Therapeutics 2022.MCT-22-0055. doi: 10.1158/1535-7163.MCT-22-0055. PMID: 36190971.
- Clinical development of IDH1 inhibitors for cancer therapy Zarei, M; Hue, JJ; Hajihassani, O; Graor, HJ; Katayama, ES; Loftus, AW; Bajor, D; Rothermel, LD; Vaziri-Gohar, A; Winter, JM. Cancer Treatment Reviews 2022;103:102334. doi: 10.1016/j.ctrv.2021.102334. Epub 2021 Dec 28. PMID: 34974243.
- Prodromal depression and anxiety are associated with worse treatment compliance and survival among patients with pancreatic cancer Davis, NE; Hue, JJ; Kyasaram, RK; Elshami; M; Graor, HJ; Zarei, M; Ji, K; Katayama, ES; Hajihassani, O; Loftus, AW; Shanahan, J; Vaziri-Gohar, A; Rothermel, LD; Winter, JM. Psychooncology. 2022 Aug;31(8):1390-1398. doi: 10.1002/pon.5945. Epub 2022 May 6. PMID: 35470512
- Metabolic Dependencies in Pancreatic Cancer Vaziri-Gohar, A; Zarei, M; Brody, JR; Winter, JM. Frontiers in Oncology 2018;8:617. doi: 10.3389/fonc.2018.00617. Erratum in: Front Oncol. 2019 Jan 31;8:672. PMID: 30631752; PMCID: PMC6315177.
- Posttranscriptional Upregulation of IDH1 by HuR Establishes a Powerful Survival Phenotype in Pancreatic Cancer Cells Zarei, M; Lal, S; Parker, SJ; Nevler, A; Vaziri-Gohar, A; Dukleska, K; Mambelli-Lisboa, NC; Moffat, C; Blanco, FF; Chand, SN; Jimbo, M; Cozzitorto, JA; Jiang, W; Yeo, CJ; Londin, ER; Seifert, EL; Metallo, CM; Brody, JR; Winter, JM. Cancer Research 2017;77(16):4460-4471. doi: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-17-0015. Epub 2017 Jun 26. PMID: 28652247.