Cancer Chemoprevention Research Program

The Chemoprevention program's research is three-fold: 1) understanding the molecular mechanisms of cancer prevention; 2) identifying and developing chemopreventive drugs based on molecular targets; and 3) developing multiagent chemopreventive regimens to improve the clinical efficacy of natural and synthetic agents for the prevention and treatment of cancer.

Program investigators have identified a number of stage-specific molecular targets that will allow them to effectively design strategies to develop novel agents for cancer prevention and treatment. Currently, several chemopreventive studies are in progress in collaboration with OU Cancer Institute members in other programs. 

In 2005 C. V. Rao, PhD, head of the Chemoprevention Program, was awarded a $5.8 million contract from the NCI to conduct large-scale toxicity and efficacy testing of anti-cancer agents. This award supports the investigation of the efficacy of potential chemopreventive drugs and biomarker modifications in preclinical models of colon, breast, lung, prostate, pancreas and skin cancer. This award designates the OU Cancer Institute as just one of three centers in the nation doing such testing under contract for the NCI.

Research Members

Name	Member Status	Department
Anant, Shrikant, PhD	Full	Internal Medicine, OUHSC
Houchen, Courtney, MD	Full	Internal Medicine, OUHSC
Rao, C.V., PhD	Full	Internal Medicine, OUHSC
Sindhwani, Puneet, MD	Associate	Urology, OUHSC
Vesely, Sarah, PhD	Full	Public Health, OUHSC
Zhao, Zhizhuang Joe, PhD	Full	Pathology, OUHSC