NIH grant funds extensive study on stopping healthy oral cells from turning cancerous

Steve Oghumu, PhD, is a member of the Molecular Carcinogenesis and Chemoprevention Program at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute. His research is aimed at understanding the genetic and immunological factors underlying the pathogenesis of oral cancer.

Dr. Oghumu was just awarded a $3.2 million R01 grant from the National Institutes of Health to conduct research on The oral glucocorticoid system in oral carcinogenesis and its modulation for improved treatment outcomes. The research project will examine how glucocorticoids affect oral cancer development and determine how dietary phytochemicals can impact glucocorticoid metabolism to prevent cancer from developing.

“We’re working to identify discrete and significant mediators of oral carcinogenesis that can be exploited in preventive and/or therapeutic strategies to reduce the risk of oral cancer development,” Dr. Oghumu says. “The process of normal cells changing into cancerous cells is characterized by changes at the cellular, genetic and epigenetic levels.” 

Dr. Oghumu has studied the bioactive phytochemicals that are found in black raspberries, which contain antioxidants that are shown to protect the body from cell damage that could lead to abnormal cell development and cancer. The use of a medication, vitamin or supplement to stop cancer development is called chemoprevention. The study will examine how the bioactive phytochemical gallic acid affects glucocorticoid metabolism during oral cancer chemoprevention. 

A deeper understanding of the cellular, molecular and immunological mechanisms of oral carcinogenesis has the potential to reduce the risk of oral cancer development. 

“Our goal is to advance the development and application of compounds for oral cancer chemoprevention and treatment,” Dr. Oghumu says, “and improve outcomes for patients with cancer.”