December 10, 2003
Northwestern Receives $10 Million For Cancer
Prevention Clinical Trials
CHICAGO --- Northwestern University has been named one of six
leading research institutions to conduct early-phase cancer prevention
clinical trials. Of the total $42 million award from National Cancer
Institute, Northwestern will receive $10 million.
The clinical studies will assess the cancer preventive potential
of new various substances, including over-the-counter medications,
cholesterol-lowering drugs and compounds in teas and soybeans,
including the isoflavone genistein, which has been reported effective
in the treatment of prostate cancer.
Raymond C. Bergan, M.D., assistant professor of medicine at the
Feinberg School of Medicine, is the principal investigator for
the study at Northwestern University. Bergan is director of experimental
therapeutics at The Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center
of Northwestern University.
“Through this grant, we can now offer new forms of therapy
and hope for those who are at high risk for developing cancer.
Our aim is to stop them from ever getting cancer through early
identification and intervention with cutting edge therapy,” Bergan
said.
The six institutions were selected on the basis of their expertise
in cancer prevention in a variety of cancers. Northwestern, in
particular, excels in the areas of prostate, lung, ovarian and
breast cancer prevention.
The consortium
members will design and conduct experiments to test the cancer
prevention potential of substances and study how
they affect various processes involved in cancer’s formation
and spread. The centers will set up networks of other institutions
to conduct the studies and recruit participants.
Substances likely to be studied include those that inhibit an
enzyme called COX, believed to be involved in cancer formation
and spread. Aspirin and some other over-the-counter painkillers
block production of COX, and some have been shown to prevent certain
cancers. Other drugs and substances to be studied include statins,
which, in addition to lowering cholesterol, have been shown to
affect cell growth and may prevent cancer; polyphenols, antioxidants
found in tea, which may prevent damage to DNA; and certain isoflavones,
such as genistein, which are chemicals found in soybeans that may
play a role in blocking the development of cancers.
The
other institutions participating in these clinical trials are
University of Arizona, Tucson; University of California-Irvine;
the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.; University of Texas-M.D.
Anderson Cancer Center, Houston; and University of Wisconsin-Madison. |