Title:
In Utero Exposure to Bioactive Food Components and Mammary Cancer Risk (New PA)
Contact:
Cindy D. Davis, Ph.D.Objective of Project:
The National Cancer Institute invites applications for new R01 and R21 applications which promote research that will enhance the understanding of the relationship between exposures to bioactive food components in utero, hormonal and growth factor response, gene expression or epigenetic changes and subsequent mammary cancer risk in preclinical models. Although much evidence suggests that dietary components are linked to cancer prevention, the specific nutrients, sites of action, and role of exposure in utero remain elusive. Specifically, this program announcement solicits applications that apply new high-throughput genomic, epigenomic, proteomic, and metabolomic technologies to determine how dietary exposures in utero influence adult breast cancer susceptibility. The resulting information will help define effective maternal dietary intervention strategies for breast cancer prevention in her offspring.Description of Project:
The prenatal period is critical in the development of the mammary gland. During this time, the mammary gland is in a largely undifferentiated state, making it particularly vulnerable to a host of environmental forces. Inappropriate nutritional status and the accompanied alteration in growth and endocrine homeostasis may permanently change the fetus’ structure, physiology, and metabolism thereby predisposing it to various diseases in later life including mammary cancer. Preclinical studies have shown that several maternal dietary or hormonal exposures during pregnancy either increase or decrease female offspring’s risk of developing carcinogen-induced mammary tumors as adults. However, much more research is needed to better understand the mechanism of action and the role of other dietary components. Very little information currently exists relating in utero dietary exposures with gene, protein and/or metabolite expression.