Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging - Tufts University
Current Projects
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- Biochemical functions and regulations of carotenoid cleavage enzymes on carotenoid (lycopene, beta-cryptoxanthin, lutein, and zeaxanthin) metabolism and their interaction with tobacco smoke and chronic alcohol consumption.
- Biologic activity of carotenoid metabolites and their molecular mechanisms functioning as activators of nuclear receptors (PPARs, RXRs and RARs).
- Anti-inflammatory effect of carotenoids against non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) promoted carcinogenesis in animal models and in human liver cancer cells.
- Chemopreventive effects of beta-cryptoxanthin, vitamin A (9-cis retinoic acid), vitamin D (1,25(OH)2 vitamin D3) and fish oil against lung cancer in animal models (A/J mouse model and ferret model).
- Anti-inflammatory effects of lutein in dextran sulfate sodium-induced colitis in mouse model and in human colon cancer cells.
- Alteration of chronic alcohol intake on retinoic acid homeostasis by regulating cytochrome p4502E1 enzyme and mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways.
- Protective effects of tomato extract and lycopene supplementation on alcoholic steatohepatitis (ASH) and alcohol-promoted hepatic carcinogenesis.
- Regulatory effect of lycopene and its metabolites on the insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I)/IGF binding proteins (IGFBPs) system.
- Modulation of molecular biomarkers by carotenoids in the human subjects (cigarette smokers, alcoholics and patients with ASH and NASH).
