Exploring the Role of "Activated" Foods in Human Health / Cancer Prevention |
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Tulane researchers are collaborating with colleagues at the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Xavier University to define the role of dietary compounds in the regulation of human health and disease, including cancer biology. |
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Just like humans, plants have biologic responses to stress. Bacterial or fungal infection, UV light, drought, nutrient changes -- too much of any of these can be lethal to plants. But exposure to these same stressors in moderation can be beneficial to both plants and the humans who eat them.
Phytoalexins are biologically active compounds produced by plants in response to stress. They have been investigated not only for their role in plant defense, but also as possible nutritional components in human foods. Scientists believe these plant compounds could possess key beneficial properties, including antioxidant and anti-inflammation activity, cholesterol-lowering ability and even cancer prevention potential.
"It's like an adaptive immune response," said Matthew Burow, PhD, associate professor of medicine. "When a plant is stressed, it creates these compounds in an effort to survive. They are beneficial to the plant. But how do they impact human cells and can they be mechanisms for improving human health and preventing cancer?"
That's one of the questions Burow and his team hope to answer through a federally funded collaboration with the United States Department of Agriculture. Burow is Tulane's leader on the project and will work with Stephen Boue, PhD, research chemist at the USDA Southern Regional Research Center (SRRC) in New Orleans, and colleagues at Xavier University. Bridgette Collins-Burow, MD, PhD, associate professor of medicine at Tulane, is co-leader on the collaboration.
"This project has a very broad mandate," said Burow. "We're looking at the concept of activated foods -- rich in stress-induced phytoalexins -- and whether they may play a role in the regulation of human health and disease, including cancer biology."
During the first few years of the project, Burow and his team will focus on cell-based assays. Boue will grow and stress rice and soy plants to elicit the phytoalexins and then isolate them in his lab at the SRRC, and Burow and his team will then test those compounds for effects on human cells - things like cell signaling, gene expression pathways, anti-cancer activity, inflammation markers, antioxidant responses, etc.
"As we progress, we hope to develop actual diets that could play a role in preventing cancer in rodent and primate models," said Burow.
This collaboration and funding builds upon previous partnerships between Tulane University, Xavier University, and the USDA-SRRC. "In our previous project, we focused on one particular class of compounds from soy and observed changes in breast cancer and adipose tissues in mice and primates that showed potential cancer prevention effects," said Burow. Unfortunately, the budget for that project ended before they could do the cancer prevention studies.
Long term, the team hopes this work will lead to clinical trials for dietary chemoprevention in humans. "We want to determine whether someone can alter their diet in a subtle way to include an elicited food and induce a long-term health benefit, like cancer prevention. It's a way to take normally healthy food and make it even more healthy, so you get more bang for your buck, so to speak," said Burow.
In addition to soy, Burow and his team will test phytoalexins from rice, sugarcane, and other beans native to Louisiana. "This money is coming to Louisiana, so our focus is on Louisiana crops."
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Associate Professor of Medicine
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Associate Professor of Medicine
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AACR Releases Report Outlining Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Cancer Research and Patient Care |
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The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) recently released the AACR Report on the Impact of COVID-19 on Cancer Research and Patient Care. This first-of-its-kind report provides a comprehensive view of the burden of COVID-19 among patients with cancer; the challenges presented by the pandemic in cancer research and patient care; and the changes implemented during the pandemic that have unexpectedly improved research practices and access to care.
Research indicates that patients with cancer are at an increased risk for COVID-19 infection and severe disease. In addition, the interruptions caused by the pandemic may contribute to worse cancer-related outcomes in the coming years.
According to the report:
- Patients with hematologic cancers as well as patients receiving B cell-targeted therapeutics not only are at higher risk for COVID-19, but also have shown poor responses to the available vaccines.
- The delays in cancer screening, diagnosis, and treatment caused by the pandemic have had and may continue to have negative effects on outcomes for patients.
- The pandemic resulted in nearly 10 million missed cancer screenings from January to July 2020.
- The pandemic impaired referrals for preliminary cancer diagnoses and led to an 11 percent increase in patients diagnosed with inoperable or metastatic cancer during March to December 2020, when compared to the same time frame in 2019.
- Patients and cancer centers reported delays in cancer treatments including chemotherapy, immunotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgery.
- The pandemic has had a considerable negative impact on the mental health of cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers arising from a range of issues such as social isolation, financial stress, food insecurity, concerns about timely access to cancer treatments, and disease recurrence.
- Racial and ethnic minorities and other medically underserved populations not only have shouldered a disproportionate burden of COVID-19, but also have been more affected by pandemic-related disruptions to the cancer care continuum.
The pandemic has also caused significant challenges for cancer researchers, leading to research laboratory closures and clinical trial interruptions. It has negatively impacted career development opportunities as well, especially for women and minority early-stage investigators. According to a recent survey of 66 AACR grant recipients, the results of which are included in the report:
- Ninety-nine percent of respondents indicated that the pandemic negatively impacted their research, career, and/or patient care.
- Eighty-seven percent of respondents reported a drop in productivity.
- Sixty-one percent of respondents indicated that the pandemic has delayed their career advancement.
At the same time, cancer researchers who were uniquely positioned to respond to many of the scientific questions posed by COVID-19 have used their expertise in genetics, immunology, and drug development to combat the pandemic. For example, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) unified its national network of serology centers to support research on SARS-CoV-2 immunology and to increase the nation’s serological testing capacity. Research from this network has uncovered important insights into the mechanisms of immune response to COVID-19.
What’s more, as explained in the report, decades of research into mRNA vaccines for use as cancer immunotherapies paved the way for the development of COVID-19 vaccines at an unprecedented speed. In turn, the tremendous success of the COVID-19 vaccines has renewed enthusiasm for mRNA-based cancer immunotherapies, which have the potential to revolutionize cancer treatment.
Despite the many adverse effects of the pandemic, some of the necessary adjustments to clinical research and practice over the past two years have the potential to improve care for patients with cancer in the future. As noted in the report:
- The use of telemedicine for health care needs was 38 times higher in July 2021 than before the pandemic, an expansion that was welcomed by most Americans.
- The pandemic also required changes to the conduct of clinical trials that made such studies more patient-centric, a shift that has the potential to increase and diversify clinical trial participation, shorten the timelines for some trials, and minimize the financial and logistical burdens on clinical trial participants.
Finally, the global scientific collaborations and rapid sharing of resources and expertise necessitated by the pandemic, already a staple of the team science approach in cancer science and medicine, offer a framework for rapidly responding to future public health crises of this magnitude in the years to come.
"Like many challenges we face, our adaptation and streamlining during the pandemic has helped us to create a stronger and more resilient approach to cancer," said Tulane Cancer Center Director Prescott Deininger, PhD.
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Annual Gunning for a Cure Sporting Clays Event
to Benefit Prostate Cancer Research
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Saturday, March 12
4881 LA-39, Braithwaite, LA 70040
Breakfast - 8 AM
Sporting Clays Competition - 9 AM
Luncheon and Reception - Noon - 5 PM
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This clay shooting competition and fundraiser exclusively benefits Tulane's Prostate Cancer Research Program and has raised a cumulative $1.4 million since its inaugural event in 2013.
"This is an exciting time in the prostate cancer research realm," said Oliver Sartor, MD, head of Tulane's Prostate Cancer Research Program. "We have made great progress over the past few years with regard to the development and approval of new drugs. In fact, a unique new cancer treatment that uses engineered radioactive molecules to target prostate cancer cells is awaiting FDA approval now. This new practice-changing therapy inhibits tumor growth and in clinical trials extended survival for patients with advanced prostate cancer and very few alternative treatment options. Of course, none of this would be possible without the research funding necessary to blaze new trails in our search for cures. That's why this event and the support it generates is so very important."
Gunning for a Cure was started by the family and friends of the late Chalin Perez, a former patient of Dr. Sartor's. "He always attributed his quality of life over the years to Dr. Sartor," said son Chalyn, head of the Gunning for a Cure Organizing Committee. "We continue to support Dr. Sartor's research because we believe he implements and continues to improve the best prostate cancer treatment available anywhere."
Event day will begin with a 25-station, four-man team sporting clays competition. Participants will also enjoy a catered lunch, live entertainment, raffles, an auction and awards. The family-friendly event also includes lots of fun activities for the kids, including a bounce house, kid-friendly raffle games, and adult-monitored fire trucks and SWAT vehicles to explore.
To sponsor, register a team, purchase a luncheon ticket or support the event in other ways, visit www.gunningforacure.org for details or call Shelby Daugherty at 504-919-7474.
Hope to see you at Gunning, where even a bad shot is a good shot for a cure!
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February is National Cancer Prevention Month:
The ACS Reminds You to "Get Your Tests"
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During National Cancer Prevention Month, the American Cancer Society (ACS) reminds you that it's important to follow recommendations for cancer screening tests. Screening tests are used to find cancer in people who have no symptoms. Regular screening gives you the best chance of finding cancer early when it’s small and before it has spread.
To answer questions and provide more information about cancer screening guidelines and recommendations as well as the tests themselves, the American Cancer Society produced a series of videos, which can be accessed via their website or by clicking the links above.
The ACS also provides as a resource a list of recommended screenings by age. To download their comprehensive guide, please click here. |
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Annual "Pink Games" Surpass $250K Mark
in Funds Raised for Patient Relief
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Students at Mount Carmel Academy show their spirit and their care for others during their annual "pink" volleyball game against St. Mary's Dominican High School last October, which helped to raise nearly $40,000 to assist local cancer patients with unmet financial needs. (Photo provided by David Mocklin) |
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Despite ongoing pandemic- and Hurricane Ida-related challenges, the students, athletes, coaches, administrations and athletic trainers at Archbishop Chapelle High School, St. Mary's Dominican High School, St. Scholastica Academy, Cabrini High School and Mount Carmel Academy not only held their annual Pink Games fundraisers last fall, but they surpassed a major milestone – the $250K mark! – by raising $39,125 for Tulane Cancer Center's Patient Relief Fund (PRF).
"There was such an amazing effort put forward by all of the schools," said David Mocklin, head athletic trainer at the Tulane Institute of Sports Medicine and founder of the Pink Games - a series of annual benefit volleyball games, swim meets and other fundraising events and activities, often involving friendly competitions among grade levels at the participating high schools.
Mocklin brought the Pink Games to Tulane eight years ago and wanted all funds raised to assist local cancer patients. "When I learned that Tulane Cancer Center's PRF benefited our local cancer patients and that 100% of donations go to patient relief grants, with no overhead or administrative expenses, I was sold."
And so are the many students who participate in Pink Games fundraising each year. "We all have family members who have had to face the enormous physical and emotional burden of a cancer diagnosis," said Mocklin. "Our kids understand that they are helping to ease that burden for some through their participation in the Pink Games. They are making a positive impact in the lives of people right here in their community, and they're having fun doing it! I couldn't be prouder of what we have accomplished together - a quarter of a million dollars raised! Wow!"
Tulane Cancer Center's PRF was established in 1998 to help patients meet unexpected expenses associated with their care. It's often the only source available to our social worker to solve urgent problems – things like lack of transportation, meals or temporary lodging – that could become insurmountable impediments to the ability of a patient to follow his or her cancer treatment plan. These funds are also an important source of emotional relief for needy patients who are often overwhelmed by a cancer diagnosis.
"A major component of any cancer center's mission is to make progress in both research and patient care in close partnership with the community it serves," said Prescott Deininger, PhD, Tulane Cancer Center director. "The Pink Games are a perfect example of all that can be accomplished when that type of community partnership is present. And the fact that it's high school kids who are embracing this cause and making such a huge impact is truly inspiring. Their dedication to service now is a real beacon of hope for the future."
If you would like to make a donation to Tulane Cancer Center's Patient Relief Fund, please visit our "Giving" page by clicking here.
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or visit
To make a tax-deductible donation to Tulane Cancer Center
(Federal Tax ID# 72-0423889) please click here.
Thank you for your generosity and support!
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