Title:
Diet, DNA Methylation and Other Epigenetic Events, and Cancer Prevention
(Presented as DNA Methylation, Diet and Cancer Prevention)

Contact:

Sharon A. Ross, Ph.D., M.P.H.
Nutritional Science Research Group
DCP, NCI
Telephone: (301) 594-7547
E-mail: sr75k@nih.gov

Objective of Project:

The purpose of this RFA is to invite applications for grants proposing innovative, preclinical and clinical research to determine how diet and dietary factors impact epigenetic processes involved with cancer prevention.

Description of Project:

Epigenetic events represent an important mechanism by which gene function is selectively activated or inactivated. A variety of regulatory proteins including DNA methyltransferases, methyl-CpG binding proteins, histone-modifying enzymes, chromatin remodeling factors, and their multimolecular complexes are involved in the overall epigenetic process. Since epigenetic events are susceptible to change they represent excellent targets to explain how environmental factors, including diet, may modify cancer risk and tumor behavior.

Abnormal DNA methylation patterns are a hallmark of most cancers, including those of high proportion in the United States i.e., colon, lung, prostate, and breast cancer. Recent evidence suggests that diet could be a key regulator of DNA methylation and also that DNA methylation may determine the response to bioactive food components. More information is needed about epigenetics and gene-specific changes in DNA methylation as influenced by bioactive food components, as well as how such changes impact cell vulnerability in cancer development or cell responsiveness to cancer prevention. This RFA is aimed at encouraging innovative research leading to the elucidation of mechanism(s) by which dietary factors influence epigenetic processes as well as increasing the understanding of these processes in cancer prevention. The approach is to encourage collaboration between nutrition and epigenetic /DNA methylation experts to study bioactive food components with cancer preventative properties, and to examine key epigenetic events in cancer processes (i.e., carcinogen metabolism, cell division, differentiation, apoptosis) so that investigators can begin to establish linkages between epigenetics, methylation pattern, and tumor incidence/behavior. It is anticipated that the information gained will provide guidance for the development of dietary intervention strategies for cancer prevention.