TY - JOUR
T1 - Genomics-Based Identification of Molecular Mechanisms behind the Cancer Preventive Action of Phytochemicals: Potential and Challenges
AU - de Kok, Theo M. C. M.
AU - van Breda, Simone G. J.
AU - Briede, Jacob J.
PY - 2012/1
Y1 - 2012/1
N2 - High intake of dietary phytochemicals, non-nutritive compounds found in vegetables and fruits, has been associated with a decreased risk of various types of cancer. With the introduction of new "omics" research approaches, technologies providing large scale and holistic data on biological responses to dietary or environmental factors, our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of the preventive action of individual phytochemicals has started to increase rapidly. This understanding contributes to the biological plausibility of the observed link between fruit and vegetable consumption and decreased cancer risk in epidemiological studies. In this mini-review, we present an overview of the characteristics of the different "omics" techniques, with emphasis on transcriptomics, epigenetics, and the analysis of single nucleotide polymorphisms, and evaluate their implications in studies on dietary phytochemicals. We focus particularly on studies in human cell cultures in vitro and in human population studies and discuss the potential and different challenges offered by each technique, as well as future perspectives on applications of these new tools in nutritional genomics research.
AB - High intake of dietary phytochemicals, non-nutritive compounds found in vegetables and fruits, has been associated with a decreased risk of various types of cancer. With the introduction of new "omics" research approaches, technologies providing large scale and holistic data on biological responses to dietary or environmental factors, our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of the preventive action of individual phytochemicals has started to increase rapidly. This understanding contributes to the biological plausibility of the observed link between fruit and vegetable consumption and decreased cancer risk in epidemiological studies. In this mini-review, we present an overview of the characteristics of the different "omics" techniques, with emphasis on transcriptomics, epigenetics, and the analysis of single nucleotide polymorphisms, and evaluate their implications in studies on dietary phytochemicals. We focus particularly on studies in human cell cultures in vitro and in human population studies and discuss the potential and different challenges offered by each technique, as well as future perspectives on applications of these new tools in nutritional genomics research.
KW - Antioxidants
KW - dietary intervention
KW - genomics
KW - human cancer prevention
KW - multiomics phytochemicals
KW - synergy
KW - transcriptomics
U2 - 10.2174/138920112798868601
DO - 10.2174/138920112798868601
M3 - Article
C2 - 21466423
SN - 1389-2010
VL - 13
SP - 255
EP - 264
JO - Current Pharmaceutical Biotechnology
JF - Current Pharmaceutical Biotechnology
IS - 1
ER -