Exploring the Link Between Diet and Cancer

THE link between the human diet and cancer presents an intriguing puzzle for scientists. Research indicates that different foods and how they are prepared can increase a person’s risk for cancer. Cooked muscle meats such as beef, pork, and fowl are one such food. They contain a class of tumor-causing mutagens called heterocyclic amines that target specific organs. For example, 2amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazol[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP), the most abundant mutagen produced in cooked foods, may cause tumors in the breast, prostate, and colon of laboratory animals. Scientists have yet to explain the connection, but a Livermore team funded by the National Cancer Institute is finding new evidence to solve this puzzle.
 
Led by biomedical scientist Kristen Kulp, the team is combining breast cell–based assays with computational modeling and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) to better understand the cell-growth process. This work is part of the Laboratory’s ongoing research on diet and cancer, which is funded by the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Defense’s Breast Cancer Research Program. Results from the team’s experiments and simulations indicate that PhIP competes with the estrogen hormone estradiol, thereby disrupting the hormone’s regulatory role in cell growth.... [more]