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<ol> <LI> Consumption of food-borne bioactive compounds can protect against human diseases such as cancer, inflammation, birth defects, and microbial infection. We will determine the mechanisms by which selected compounds exert their protective action. <LI>Food-borne toxins and carcinogens are present per se or are induced by processing, preparation, and other post-harvest steps. We will identify mechanisms of action and develop biomarkers of natural and induced toxicants in food for human risk assessment and disease prevention. <LI>Selected classes of bioactive compounds show potential for beneficial or adverse effects on human health. We will discover bioactive compounds that have beneficial or adverse effects on human health.<LI>Modifying foods is an increasingly important strategy to improve nutrition and safety. Therefore, we will improve food safety by developing approaches to increase beneficial or decrease adverse effects of bioactive food constituents and microbial contaminants.
NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: Women are consuming dietary phytoestrogens as a natural and 'perceived' safe alternative to hormone replacement therapy. Interference with successful anti-hormone breast cancer therapies is a critical issue since estrogen-like dietary compounds can negate the effectiveness of these therapies. Metastasis to other sites is the main cause of mortality in breast cancer patients. Therefore, the safety of dietary phytoestrogens on breast cancer metastasis presents a critical need for appropriately designed investigations. We will evaluate the effect of dietary phytoestrogens on breast cancer rates in a preclinical animal model. Evaluation of metastasis will involve the injection of human breast cancer cells into the tail vein and following tumor occurrence in lung, kidney, liver, and bone. Results from these studies will provide valuable information to health professionals so that appropriated recommendations can be made to women with or at high risk of breast cancer.
<P>APPROACH: Our research approach is to continue to work with dietary phytoestrogens with an emphasis on tumor growth, progression and metastasis. Most of the focus will be on genistein and equol. We will also evaluate other phytoestrogens being consumed by women such as those contained in estrogenic herbal mixtures. We will utilize a combination of chemical methods to characterize the dietary phytoestrogens-containing products and then evaluated the biological relevance using a combination of cell and whole animal tumor growth studies.