BUFFALO, NY - Josephia Muindi, MD, PhD, a scientist and Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, was awarded a $108,000 grant from the National Cancer Institute to study a possible link between Vitamin D3 metabolism and colorectal cancer.
Vitamin D deficiency has shown an increasing role in cancer and other chronic diseases. By understanding changes in the metabolism of Vitamin D3 from patient to patient, researchers may one day be able to identify individuals at high risk for developing certain diseases.
Dr. Muindi hypothesizes that some genes involved in Vitamin D3 biotransformation may play a role in how well the body absorbs the nutrient either naturally or through supplementation. If successful, her research may help to explain in part the variations that lead to Vitamin D3 deficiency. It could also serve as a paradigm to predict the efficacy of Vitamin D3-based interventions, in addition to predicting those at higher risk for developing cancer and various chronic conditions.
The mission of Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center is to understand, prevent and cure cancer. Roswell Park, founded in 1898, was one of the first cancer centers in the country to be named a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center and remains the only facility with this designation in Upstate New York. The Institute is a member of the prestigious National Comprehensive Cancer Network, an alliance of the nation’s leading cancer centers; maintains affiliate sites; and is a partner in national and international collaborative programs. For more information, visit Roswell Park’s website at http://www.roswellpark.org, call 1-800-ROSWELL (1-800-767-9355) or email AskRoswell@Roswellpark.org.
Annie Deck-Miller, Senior Media Relations Manager
716-845-8593; annie.deck-miller@roswellpark.org