New
Program to Explore Role of Corn, Other Plants in Cancer Prevention
(10-13-04)
Researchers,
industrialists, livestock producers and consumers have long understood
the value of corn as a source of feed, food, fiber and fuel. Now,
a new grant opportunity seeks to explore the value of corn and other
plant resources in the prevention of cancer.
The National
Institute of Health (NIH) is soliciting contract proposals from
small business concerns that will assist with the development of
products and services that improve the health of Americans. The
contract opportunity is part of the Small Business Innovative Research
(SBIR) program at NIH’s National Cancer Institute.
Such research
opportunities not only result in new benefits to consumers, but
also help to create new markets for corn, according to Clark Gerstacker,
chair of the National Corn Growers Association’s (NCGA) Research
and Business Development Action Team.
“This
is an exciting new opportunity for corn growers, both from a research
standpoint and from a market development standpoint,” he said.
“As our understanding of the maize genome continues to evolve,
we will surely discover new applications for corn in the realm of
human health.”
Dr. Kay Simmons,
national program leader for grain crop research at the U.S. Department
of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service, developed
the program concept along with Dr. John Milner of NIH.
Simmons said
the program provides small businesses and partnerships an opportunity
to further advance plant genome research.
“These
grants can provide resources for small businesses to produce sufficient
quantities of new genetic resources and varieties for health benefits
testing,” she said. “This may be an attractive opportunity
for small businesses to develop partnerships with cancer researchers
and nutritionists.”
“The purpose
of this initiative is to learn more about specific food components
that have health benefits,” Simmons said. “For example,
there is scientific evidence that eating whole grains reduces the
risk of colon cancer. But, what we want to know is: What are the
specific bioactive components in grains that reduce cancer risk?”
Simmons said
corn may play an important role in cancer prevention research. “Corn
resources with high and low amylase or oil content would be possible
examples” of food components that have potential health benefits,
she said. “This SBIR program will support the development
of new varieties with both low and high levels of specific bioactive
components. Cancer researchers and nutritionists can then evaluate
these new genetic resources in preclinical and clinical trials.”
Plant genomics
will play an increasingly important role in the future of human
health, Simmons said. “Plant genome research is revealing
the vast array of genes in plants,” she said. “This
research is providing the basis to identify gene products with health
benefits. Research results are being exploited to develop foods
that are even more nutritious and have enhanced health benefits.
In the future, the new plant genomic information will be used to
tailor new foods for individuals with specific food sensitivities
or allergens.”
Contract proposals
are due Nov. 5. For more information on the program, click
here.