The Hormel Institute, University of Minnesota, Austin, MN 55912, USA.
Antioxid Redox Signal. 2013 Jul 10;19(2):163-80. doi: 10.1089/ars.2013.5251. Epub 2013 Apr 15.
Diet exerts a major influence on the risk for developing cancer and heart disease. Food factors such as flavonoids are alleged to protect cells from premature aging and disease by shielding DNA, proteins, and lipids from oxidative damage.
Our work has focused on clarifying the effects of dietary components on cancer cell proliferation and tumor growth, discovering mechanisms to explain the effects, and identifying the specific molecular targets of these compounds. Our strategy for identifying specific molecular targets of phytochemicals involves the use of supercomputer technology combined with protein crystallography, molecular biology, and experimental laboratory verification.
One of the greatest challenges for scientists is to reduce the accumulation of distortion and half truths reported in the popular media regarding the health benefits of certain foods or food supplements. The use of these is not new, but interest has increased dramatically because of perceived health benefits that are presumably acquired without unpleasant side effects. Flavonoids are touted to exert many beneficial effects in vitro. However, whether they can produce these effects in vivo is disputed.
The World Health Organization indicates that one third of all cancer deaths are preventable and that diet is closely linked to prevention. Based on this idea and epidemiological findings, attention has centered on dietary phytochemicals as an effective intervention in cancer development. However, an unequivocal link between diet and cancer has not been established. Thus, identifying cancer preventive dietary agents with specific molecular targets is essential to move forward toward successful cancer prevention.
饮食对罹患癌症和心脏病的风险有重大影响。黄酮类等食物因素据称可通过保护 DNA、蛋白质和脂质免受氧化损伤，使细胞免于过早衰老和发生疾病。
我们的工作重点是阐明膳食成分对癌细胞增殖和肿瘤生长的影响，发现解释这些影响的机制，并确定这些化合物的特定分子靶点。我们确定植物化学物质特定分子靶点的策略涉及使用超级计算机技术结合蛋白质晶体学、分子生物学和实验实验室验证。
科学家面临的最大挑战之一是减少流行媒体中关于某些食物或食物补充剂对健康益处的扭曲和半真半假报道的积累。这些用途并不新鲜，但由于据称没有令人不快的副作用就可获得健康益处，因此兴趣大增。黄酮类据称在体外具有许多有益的作用。然而，它们是否能在体内产生这些作用仍有争议。
世界卫生组织指出，三分之一的癌症死亡是可以预防的，而饮食与预防密切相关。基于这一理念和流行病学发现，人们关注的焦点是作为癌症发展有效干预措施的膳食植物化学物质。然而，饮食与癌症之间并没有明确的联系。因此，确定具有特定分子靶点的癌症预防膳食剂对于成功预防癌症至关重要。
