Research Interests:

Receptor and non-receptor Death Signaling

Regulation of Cell Death Signaling in Cancer Cells

Reactive Oxygen Species and Cell Fate Decisions

Bcl-2 Family and Mitochondrial Physiology

Redox Status and Cancer Stem Cells Autophagy and Cancer

Novel Drug Discovery

Academic Background:

Research Fellow, Cancer Center, Department of Internal Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, 1994 - 1996

Research Fellow, Department of Pathology, Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, 1992 - 1994

Ph.D., Tumor Cell Biology, Southern Methodist University/Baylor Medical Center, Dallas, Tx, USA, 1992

M.B.B.S., King Edward Medical College, Lahore, Pakistan, 1985

Selected Publications:

Poh TW, Huang S, Hirpara JL, Pervaiz S. LY303511 amplifies TRAIL-induced apoptosis in tumor cells by enhancing DR5 oligomerization, DISC assembly, and mitochondrial permeabilization. Cell Death Differ. 2007 Jun 22; [Epub ahead of print].

Chen, Z, X. and Pervaiz, S. Bcl-2 Induces Pro-oxidant State by Engaging Mitochondrial Respiration in Tumor Cells. Cell Death and Diff. 2007 May 18; [Epub ahead of print].

Akram, S., Fliegel, L., Pervaiz, S., and Clement, M-V. Rac1-mediated production of intracellular superoxide is a signal for Na +-H + exchanger NHE-1 gene expression. Cell Death and Diff. 13(4):628-641, 2006.

Shen, H.M. and Pervaiz, S. TNF receptor superfamily induced cell death: redox dependent execution. FASEB J, 20(10):1589-1598, 2006

Poh, T. W., and Pervaiz, S. LY294002 and LY303511 sensitize tumor cells to drug-induced apoptosis via intracellular hydrogen peroxide production independent of the PI3K-Akt pathway. Cancer Res. 65(14): 6264-6274, 2005.

Sun, Y., Orrenius, S., Pervaiz, S., Bengt, F. Plasma membrane sequestration of apoptosis protease activating factor-1 in human B lymphoma cells: a novel mechanism of chemoresistance. Blood, 105(10):4070-4077, 2005.

Ahmad, K., Iskandar, K.B., Hirpara, J.L., Clement, M-V., and Pervaiz, S. Hydrogen peroxide-mediated cytosolic acidification is a signal for mitochondrial translocation of Bax in tumor cells. Cancer Res. 64(21):7867-78, 2004.

Ahmad, K., Clement, M-V., Hanif, I.M., and Pervaiz, S. Resveratrol inhibits drug-induced apoptosis in human leukemia cells by creating an intracellular milieu non-permissive for death execution. Cancer Res. 64(4): 1452-59, 2004.

Clement, M-V., Hirpara, J.L., and Pervaiz, S. Decrease in intracellular superoxide sensitizes Bcl-2 overexpressing tumor cells to receptor- and drug-induced apoptosis independent of the mitochondria. Cell Death Diff. 10(11):1273-85, 2003.

Pervaiz, S ., Cao, J., Chao, O. S. P., Chin, Y. Y., and Clement, M-V. Activation of the Rac GTPase inhibits apoptosis in human tumor cells. Oncogene, 20(43):6263-68, 2001.

Pervaiz, S. Reactive oxygen dependent production of photochemotherapeutic agents. FASEB J. 15:612-617, 2001.

Hirpara, J.L., Clement, M-V., and Pervaiz, S. Intracellular acidification triggered by mitochondrial-derived hydrogen peroxide is an effector mechanism for drug-induced apoptosis in tumor cells. J. Biol. Chem. 276(1): 514-521, 2001.2001.

Hirpara, J.L., Seyed, M.A., Dong, H., Kini, M., Pervaiz, S. Induction of mitochondrial permeability transition and cytochrome C release in the absence of caspase activation is insufficient for effective apoptosis in human leukemia cells. Blood, 95(5): 1773-1780, 2000.

Pervaiz, S ., Seyed, M. A., Hirpara, J. L., Clement, M-V., Loh, K. W. Purified photoproducts of merocyanine 540 trigger cytochrome C release and caspase 8-dependent apoptosis in human leukemia and melanoma cells. Blood, 93(12):4096-4108, 1999.

Clement, M-V., Hirpara, J., Chowdhury, S., Pervaiz, S. Chemopreventive agent resveratrol, a natural product derived from grapes, triggers CD95-signaling dependent apoptosis in human tumor cells. Blood, 92(3): 996-1002, 1998.