Dr. Sarah Short’s research focuses on a family of antioxidant proteins known as the glutathione peroxidases and how they modify intestinal stem cell function, immune responses, and epithelial restitution using a variety of mouse models, as well as novel 3D patient-derived organoids. Ultimately, this work will yield a greater understanding of how individual antioxidant proteins modify redox homeostasis and contribute to intestinal health.
Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are often damaging compounds that can contribute to tissue injury and inflammation in the context of inflammatory bowel disease and colorectal cancers. However, ROS is also crucial for maintaining normal tissue homeostasis, and recent data have indicated that the exact role of ROS and antioxidants in intestinal homeostasis and disease is quite complex and likely highly contextual.