Exploring a Vision Integrating Knowledge for Food and Health (2004) / Chapter Skim
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4 Challenges Faced and Met in Research on Food and Health
4 Challenges Faced and Met in Research on Food and Health
Pages 35-44
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From page 35... ...
Some panelists shared personal perspectives on developing research programs that broke interdisciplinary barriers. RESEARCH ENDEAVORS INVOLVING FOOD Researchers described how some foods are being tested for their potential to treat disease and others are being modified or fortified to enhance health.
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From page 36... ...
He noted that interest in the therapeutic effect of mushrooms in treating cancer and immunologic disorders is growing. As an example, Preuss offered preliminary results from one Asian study on the effect of maitake mushrooms on rats with cancerous tumors, which suggested potential shrinkage of the tumors, although he noted that the study was not a double-blind placebocontrolled study, so the result would be of limited value.
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From page 37... ...
However, plant breeders, working with modifier genes, have created a mutant proteinenhanced corn called Quality Protein Maize (QPM) that is very similar to normal corn (see Box 4-1 for a more detailed perspective)
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From page 38... ...
Borlaug, Nobel Peace laureate and president of the Sasakawa Africa Association, has strongly endorsed QPM research and use through Sasakawa Global 2000, a program that has successfully promoted QPM in Ghana and several other African nations.33 The Center for Enhancing Foods to Protect Health is a faculty-led organization with a focus on advancing knowledge about food and how it affects health. It has four research aims: discovery and methods development for health protectants, such as phytochemicals and nutraceuticals; testing and validation of health benefits, using primarily cell-culture and animal models; precommercialization of functional food components introduced into traditional food products; and molecular biology and food functional genomics.
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From page 39... ...
He began his research career in animal production and animal nutrition, investigating the role of probiotic bacteria in gnotobiotic chicks to reduce enteric pathogens. He then moved on to biotin metabolism and sudden death syndrome, characterization of abnormal bone growth in nutrient deficiency, food lipids and the chemistry of functional food ingredients, molecular and physiologic actions of phytochemicals on cell function and bone biology, and nonembryonic stem-cell research in bone health.
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From page 40... ...
Recently they developed an infectious clone of a porcine enteric calicivirus that they hope to use in studying the molecular basis of the virus's virulence and cell adaptation. Current research at the university focuses on determining how the viruses cause diarrhea in host species and how the infections can be prevented by using pigs and craves as animal models for sapoviruses and noroviruses similar to those that infect humans.
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From page 41... ...
They also stressed that funding agencies should establish or increase funds aimed specifically at cross-sectional research and that institutions should change their reward structures to support collaboration. Using calicivirus research as a model, Saif identified four essential components for integrated research programs: funding, collaboration, infrastructure, and graduate students and postdoctoral fellows.
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From page 42... ...
Grants-management offices and long-term technical support from universities are important for developing successful integrative research programs, as are facilities to study infectious animal, plant, and human pathogens, including bioterrorism agents. Without highly qualified national and international graduate students and postdoctoral fellows to carry out and carry on research, these programs would not succeed, Saif added.
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From page 43... ...
, the Department of Energy's Energy Biosciences Program, and NSF, as well by industry sponsors. He concluded that his work had appeal to both the public and private sectors because some aspects have practical applications and others involve fundamental molecular genetics, molecular biology, and cell biology.
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From page 44... ...
As the food supply evolves, Watkins predicted lower health-care costs, better nutrition, new medical and functional foods, delayed onset of disease, and improved quality of life. Sumner took a broad view of the role of food in health, with the convergence of such issues as food science, nutrition, food safety, diet, chronic disease, and medicine.
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