Research Interests
My research interests are to identify the mechanisms of action of omega-3 fatty acids to increase the efficacy and reduce the side effects of cancer chemotherapy and to prevent cancer. It seems so simple, yet there are good biological explanations for the how dietary omega-3 fatty acids can profoundly effect the efficacy of cancer chemotherapeutic agents. These activities include altering: the potential for lipid peroxidation and free radical damage to cancer cells, prostaglandin production in cancer and normal cells, cell membrane fluidity, membrane transport, membrane permeability, the activities of the peroxisome proliferator activated receptor and/or nuclear factor kB, membrane receptor function, estrogen metabolism and the inflammatory process. My future plans include investigating the individual contribution of these mechanisms to increasing the efficacy of cancer chemotherapy in mouse models and in cell culture systems for isolation of independent mechanisms