Seventy-five years of impactful environmental and occupational health research at the Nelson Institute of Environmental Medicine at New York University.

Founded in 1947 as the Institute of Industrial Medicine, the Nelson Institute and Department of Environmental Medicine at New York University (NYU) Grossman School of Medicine (NYUGSOM) was supported by a National Institute of Environmental Health Science (NIEHS) Center Grant for over 56 years. Nelson Institute researchers generated 75 years of impactful research in environmental and occupational health, radiation effects, toxicology, and cancer. Environmental health research is continuing at NYUGSOM in its departments of medicine and population health.

Survivin-Sodium Iodide Symporter Reporter as a Non-Invasive Diagnostic Marker to Differentiate Uterine Leiomyosarcoma from Leiomyoma.

Leiomyosarcoma (LMS) has been challenging to diagnose because of limitations in clinical and radiographic predictors, as well as the lack of reliable serum or urinary biomarkers. Most uterine masses consist of benign leiomyoma (LM). However, it is currently a significant challenge in gynecology practice to differentiate LMS from LM.

Differential Effect of Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs Aspirin and Naproxen against (Fusion)-Driven and Non-Fusion-Driven Prostate Cancer.

The consumption of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) aspirin is associated with a significant reduction in the risk of developing (fusion)-positive prostate cancer (PCa) compared to fusion-negative PCa in population-based case-control studies; however, no extensive preclinical studies have been conducted to investigate and confirm these protective benefits. Thus, the focus of this study was to determine the potential usefulness of aspirin and another NSAID, naproxen, in PCa prevention, employing preclinical models of both (fusion)-driven (with conditional deletion of ) and non--driven (Hi-Myc mice) PCa. Male mice ( = 25 mice/group) were fed aspirin- (700 and 1400 ppm) and naproxen- (200 and 400 ppm) supplemented diets from (a) 6 weeks until 32 weeks of Hi-Myc mice age; and (b) 1 week until 20 weeks post-Cre induction in the fusion model.

Developing a global medicine student pre- and post-travel curriculum.

Background: The popularity of short-term global health experiences amongst US medical students has been increasing. However, it remains a challenge for medical schools to comprehensively prepare students to work in an international environment and to contribute in ethically responsible and meaningful ways. Students of the Global Medicine program (GMED) of the UIC College of Medicine Center for Global Health set out to develop a pre-and-post travel curriculum that addresses some of these challenges.

DESIGNER fraction concept unmasks minor bioactive constituents in red clover (Trifolium pratense L.).

In botanical extracts, highly abundant constituents can mask or dilute the effects of other, and often, more relevant biologically active compounds. To facilitate the rational chemical and biological assessment of these natural products with wide usage in human health, we introduced the DESIGNER approach of Depleting and Enriching Selective Ingredients to Generate Normalized Extract Resources. The present study applied this concept to clinical Red Clover Extract (RCE) and combined phytochemical and biological methodology to help rationalize the utility of RCE supplements for symptom management in postmenopausal women.

Z-Endoxifen prevents aggressive mammary cancers in mice by inhibiting cell proliferation and creating a tumor suppressive microenvironment.

Aggressive estrogen receptor (ER) positive breast cancer is frequently tamoxifen-resistant; alternative endocrine approaches exist for therapy, but not for prevention, particularly in premenopausal women. We examined the efficacy of the selective ER modulator (Z-endoxifen) as monotherapy and in combination with the selective progesterone receptor modulators (onapristone and ulipristal acetate) in the tamoxifen-insensitive C3(1)/SV40TAg mouse mammary tumorigenesis model. Unlike tamoxifen at human equivalent dose (HED) 101 mg/day, endoxifen at HED 24 mg/day significantly increased latency and reduced tumor growth relative to untreated controls.

Hormonal and genotoxic estrogen-androgen carcinogenesis in the NBL rat prostate: A role for aromatase.

Background: Androgens are generally thought to cause prostate cancer, but the data from animal studies suggest that they must be aromatized to estrogen and act in concert with genotoxic estrogen metabolites. The objective of this study was to determine whether treatment with testosterone (T) combined with a nonestrogenic estrogen metabolite and a nongenotoxic estrogenic compound would all be necessary and sufficient for the induction of a high incidence of prostate cancer in the susceptible NBL rat strain.

Methods: NBL rats were treated with low-dose testosterone via slow-release Silastic implants and with the marginally estrogenic genotoxic catechol estrogen 4-hydroxyestradiol (4OH-E2) and the nongenotoxic estrogen 2-fluoroestradiol (2F-E2) and in one experiment the aromatase inhibitor letrozole via custom-made slow-release pellets.

Potential New Approaches for Prostate Cancer Management in Resource-Limited Countries in Africa.

Prostate cancer is a major male malignancy in many sub-Saharan countries in Africa. Because of resource limitations, screening, early detection, diagnosis, and curative treatments are not available for many men on the subcontinent, and there are even barriers to the treatment of advanced-stage metastatic prostate cancer. We are making the case for new approaches to the detection, diagnosis, and treatment of this malignancy in sub-Saharan Africa and other low-resource regions-approaches that differ from the ones available and used in high-income countries.

Effects of perinatal exposure to bisphenol A on induction of prostate cancer in Sprague Dawley rats by MNU and testosterone.

Perinatal and neonatal exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) has been linked to enhancement of prostate carcinogenesis in rats induced by combined treatment with estradiol and testosterone, but human data are lacking. This study aimed to determine the effects of perinatal BPA exposure on induction of prostate cancer in rats by sequential treatment with N-methyl-N-nitrosamine (MNU) and continuous low dose administration of testosterone. Pregnant Sprague Dawley rats were exposed to BPA administered by subcutaneous Alzet minipumps at doses of 2.

Effect of Dietary Methylseleninic Acid and Se-Methylselenocysteine on Carcinogen-Induced, Androgen-Promoted Prostate Carcinogenesis in Rats.

Selenomethionine (SeMet) did not prevent prostate cancer in the SELECT trial and in two hormone-driven rat models. However, we have shown that daily oral bolus administration of next-generation selenium forms, methylseleninic acid (MSeA) and Se-methylselenocysteine (MSeC) at 3 mg Se/kg body weight, inhibits prostate carcinogenesis in the TRAMP and -deficient mouse models and In Vivo growth of human prostate cancer cells. Here, we determined whether these Se forms prevent prostate cancer in a chemically induced-androgen promoted carcinogenesis rat model in which SeMet was not preventive.

Sodium arsenite does not affect prostate carcinogenesis in a chemically-hormonally-induced rat model.

There is epidemiologic evidence to suggest that arsenic exposure is associated with risk of prostate cancer incidence and mortality. There are no studies indicating that arsenic can induce prostate cancer in animals. We evaluated whether drinking water exposure to sodium arsenite would affect prostate carcinogenesis in a rat model that depends on long-term low dose treatment with testosterone.

The MNU Plus Testosterone Rat Model of Prostate Carcinogenesis.

Animal models of prostate cancer are essential to identify chemopreventive treatments against this major male malignancy. The -methyl--nitrosourea (MNU) plus testosterone rat model of prostate carcinogenesis is a reliable animal model that recapitulates human prostate cancer in many respects and has been used extensively in chemoprevention studies with good predictive value for the results of human clinical trials. The objective of this article is to describe the induction protocol of this model, demonstrate its robustness and reproducibility over time and across rat strains, provide diagnostic criteria for the identification of prostate lesions, and present the current tumor induction protocol so that others can use this model in a reliable manner.

Effects of green tea on prostate carcinogenesis in rat models and a human prostate cancer xenograft model.

Background: There is evidence to suggest that green tea soy may have protective effects against prostate cancer, but there are several epidemiologic and clinical studies that did not identify such an effect. We tested the notion of protective effects in a rat model of prostate carcinogenesis that has been predictive of the effects of selenium and vitamin E in randomized clinical trials and a human prostate cancer xenograft model in nude mice and rat prostate tumor cells transplanted in immune-competent syngeneic animals.

Methods: Prostate cancer was induced in rats with methylnitrosourea and testosterone and tumor incidence was determined.

Selective progesterone receptor blockade prevents BRCA1-associated mouse mammary tumors through modulation of epithelial and stromal genes.

Pharmacological approaches to breast cancer risk-reduction for BRCA1 mutation carriers would provide an alternative to mastectomy. BRCA1-deficiency dysregulates progesterone signaling, promoting tumorigenesis. Selective progesterone receptor (PR) modulators (SPRMs) are therefore candidate prevention agents.

Prevalence of prostate cancer at autopsy in Nigeria-A preliminary report.

Background And Objectives: Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in Nigerian men despite the lack of PSA based screening. Current prevalence estimates in Nigeria are based on cancer registry data obtained primarily from hospital admissions and therefore not truly reflective of prostate cancer incidence. Prior autopsy series did not adhere to modern pathologic quality practices.

Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Six-Month Intervention Study of Soy Protein Isolate in Men with Biochemical Recurrence after Radical Prostatectomy: A Pilot Study.

There is evidence to suggest that soy may be beneficial for prostate cancer patients, but few randomized trials have addressed this. We examined the effect of 6-8 mo soy protein supplementation on prostate specific antigen (PSA) serum levels in men who recurred (PSA > 0.1 ng/ml) within three years of prostatectomy.

Soy protein supplementation in men following radical prostatectomy: a 2-year randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial.

Background: Many studies have addressed effects of dietary supplementation with soy protein, but most have been inconsistent and few have been long-term studies in men.

Objectives: This study was a secondary analysis of body weight, blood pressure, thyroid hormones, iron status, and clinical chemistry in a 2-y trial of soy protein supplementation in middle-aged to older men.

Methods: Data were analyzed as secondary outcomes of a randomized controlled trial of dietary supplementation with 20 g/d soy protein isolate, providing 41 mg/d total isoflavones and 23 mg/d genistein, in 44- to 75-y-old men who were at risk of cancer recurrence following prostatectomy randomized to soy (n = 50) or a casein-based placebo (n  = 43).

Impact of 18-Month Soy Protein Supplementation on Steroid Hormones and Serum Biomarkers of Angiogenesis, Apoptosis, and the Growth Hormone/IGF-1 Axis: Results of a Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial in Males Following Prostatectomy.

Many studies have addressed the effects of dietary supplementation with soy protein on cancer risk and mortality, but there are only few randomized studies with soy in males. We used serum samples from a two-year trial of soy protein isolate supplementation in middle-aged to older males at risk of recurrence of prostate cancer after radical prostatectomy to determine soy effects on steroid hormones involved in prostate cancer (testosterone, SHBG, and estradiol) and explore the effects on biomarkers of the growth hormone/IGF-1 axis, apoptosis, and angiogenesis. Compared with a casein-based placebo, 18 mo, of consumption of 19.

The New Zealand white rabbit animal model of acute radiation syndrome: hematopoietic and coagulation-based parameters by radiation dose following supportive care.

Purpose: Animal models that accurately reflect human responses to radiation injury are needed for advanced mechanistic investigation and development of effective therapeutics. The rabbit is an established animal model accepted by the FDA for studies of cardiovascular disease, lipid metabolism, the development of anticoagulants, testing of bone implants, and the development of treatments for infectious diseases such as HIV. The purpose of this study was to investigate the New Zealand White (NZW) Rabbit model as a model of acute radiation exposure because of its established similarity to human vascular, immune, and coagulation responses.

Eliminating Deaths From Cervical Cancer-Report of a Panel at the 7th Annual Symposium on Global Cancer Research, a Satellite Meeting at the Consortium of Universities for Global Health 10th Annual Meeting.

This is a summary of the presentations addressing approaches and achievements to reach the goal of eliminating cervical cancer as a global public health problem that were delivered at the 7th Annual Symposium on Global Cancer Research at the 10th Annual Consortium of Universities for Global Health Meeting in March 2019. Dr Princess Nothemba Simelela, Assistant Director-General for Family, Women, Children and Adolescents, World Health Organization, gave an introduction to the World Health Organization-led Cervical Cancer Elimination Initiative and the emerging conceptual framework and targets that will shape the global 2020 to 2030 strategy. Subsequent presentations shared experiences from national programs in Rwanda (Agnes Binagwaho), Latin America (Patricia J.

Effects of Black Raspberries and Their Constituents on Rat Prostate Carcinogenesis and Human Prostate Cancer Cell Growth In Vitro.

Prostate cancer patients often use dietary supplements, such as black raspberries, which are a rich source of compounds with antioxidant and anticancer activity, particularly on gastrointestinal cancers. Feeding black raspberries inhibited mammary cancer induction in rats and growth of cancer cells in nude mice, indicating systemic bioavailability of bioactive compounds. We tested whether feeding black raspberries and its constituents would inhibit prostate cancer development.

Novel insight in estrogen homeostasis and bioactivity in the ACI rat model of estrogen-induced mammary gland carcinogenesis.

Despite being widely used to investigate 17β-estradiol (E2)-induced mammary gland (MG) carcinogenesis and prevention thereof, estrogen homeostasis and its significance in the female August Copenhagen Irish (ACI) rat model is unknown. Thus, levels of 12 estrogens including metabolites and conjugates were determined mass spectrometrically in 38 plasmas and 52 tissues exhibiting phenotypes ranging from normal to palpable tumor derived from a representative ACI study using two different diets. In tissues, 40 transcripts encoding proteins involved in estrogen (biotrans)formation, ESR1-mediated signaling, proliferation and oxidative stress were analyzed (TaqMan PCR).