Thinking beyond the Salad Bowl: Preventing Breast Cancer with Cruciferous Vegetables
December 10, 2004—Oakland, CA—Research supported by the California Breast Cancer Research Program (CBCRP) is moving from a brilliant idea into a clinical study for the prevention of breast cancer.
For years, Ling Jong, Ph.D., the Senior Organic Chemist at SRI International, has been studying compounds of I3C, or indole-3-carbinols, which are found in cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and cabbage. I3C has been shown to interact with stomach acid to produce tumor inhibitors, but it wasn’t known which of many digestion products was the most important for cancer prevention, and the cancer preventive effects could vary considerably between individuals, or even at different times in the same individual, because variation in gastric contents would substantially affect the formation of the active forms of the compound.
Dr. Jong approached the CBCRP in 1998 as a New Investigator, with an idea for developing a safe, effective reliable breast cancer preventive agent based on I3C that could be taken orally and would retain the ability to inhibit cancer onset, would have improved stability, increased clinical effectiveness, consistent results, and minimal side effects. She formed a multidisciplinary team that combined compound design, medicinal chemistry, computer modeling, cell culture biological screening, and tumor biology to pursue the questions developed in her proposal.
The California Breast Cancer Research Program supports young investigators and encourages innovative ideas and multidisciplinary teams. The CBCRP funding that Dr. Jong received in 1998, 2002, and 2003 enabled her to develop the research results necessary to obtain a commitment from the National Cancer Institute to fund drug development through Phase II trials.
News about Dr. Jong’s NCI funding can be viewed here (pdf)
More information about Dr. Jong can be found here: http://www.cbcrp.org/research/PageInvestigator.asp?person_id=2291
About the CBCRP
The mission of the California Breast Cancer Research Program is to eliminate
breast cancer by leading innovation in research, communication, and collaboration
in the California scientific and lay communities.
Created by the State Legislature in 1993, the California Breast Cancer Research Program (CBCRP) is the largest state-funded breast cancer research program in the nation and is administered by the University of California, Office of the President. To date, the CBCRP has awarded 617 grants to 70 scientific institutions and community entities, totaling more than $150 million for research in California to prevent, treat, and cure breast cancer. Grants from the CBCRP fill gaps not traditionally funded by other research programs to jump-start new areas of investigation that push the boundaries of research and foster new collaborations. The CBCRP is funded through the voluntary tax check-off program on personal income tax form 540, a portion of the state tobacco tax, and individual contributions. For more information call 888 313-2277, or visit www.cbcrp.org.
