Project Description
Dr. Augenlicht continued his investigations on the molecular mechanisms by which dietary fibers reduce the risk for development of colon cancer. He observed that short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) produced by bacteria from dietary fiber in the colon alter the expression of several mitochondrial genes in colonic epithelial cells. Dr. Augenlicht sought determine how two of the major genetic alterations occurring in colonic carcinomas (APC gene and DCC gene) respond to the natural inducers of differentiation, SCFAs and in particular, butyrate.
