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Soy-peptide Lunasin as potential colon cancer preventive agent

Objective

The dietary factors play an important role in the ethiology of cancer. An inverse association between colorectal cancer and the soy consumption has been reported. Several compounds contained in soybean protein have been described as cancer preventive agent s. One of these compounds, which is named Lunasin, was discovered of serendipitous manner by Prof. de Lumen's group.

The first results obtained from in vitro studies have provided a promising future for this peptide as basis of new nutraceutical products derived from a food source. However, multidisciplinary analyses should be needed to confirm these preliminary results. These analyses will be carried out during the performance of the proposed project "LUNAMICE". This project aims to test the efficacy of Lunasin to delay or prevent the development of colon tumours and determine its chemopreventive mechanism of action. The first objective of this project is increasing the yield of the Lunasin production by optimising and applying different immunoanalytical, chromatographic and electrophoretic techniques. Obtaining Lunasin in high amounts will allow carrying out the following bioavailability assays as well as the proposed nutritional studies with different carcinogenic animal models.

Finally, the project aims to determine the action mechanism of Lunasin by several differential expression studies. The data should result in the revelation of potential surrogate biomarkers such as epigenetics and chromation modifications associated with colon cancer formation. This multidisciplinary project will provide the candidate with a high knowledge of food chemistry and biochemistry, nutrition, proteomics and genomics, and will contribute to her complementary skills. The benefits gained will be the final requirements for becoming an independent and mature professional in food, nutrition and biosciences. All this experience acquired by the researcher will be very helpful for her scientific career once she comes back at Spain.

Call for proposal

FP6-2005-MOBILITY-6
See other projects for this call

Coordinator

CONSEJO SUPERIOR DE INVESTIGACIONES CIENT?-FICAS
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Juan de la Cierva 3
MADRID
Spain

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