Major Research Interests
Our laboratory is investigating the mechanism by which dietary constituents such as vitamin A, resveratrol (red wine), quercetin (apples), etc arrest growth of melanoma cells and prevent melanocytes from being converted to melanoma cells. Melanoma is rapidly increasing in incidence, especially in the under 40 year old population. In its early stage, it is curable by surgery, but once its spreads, it is notoriously resistant to treatment.
A recent area of investigation is production of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF-1alpha) by melanoma cells under conditions of normal oxygen tension. HIF-1alpha is normally produced under hypoxic conditions and allows tumor cells to recruit a blood supply (angiogenesis) and shift their metabolism to produce energy under hypoxic conditions (glycolysis). The role of HIF-1alpha expression by melanoma cells in normal oxygen conditions may contribute to their malignant properties.