WSU researcher is looking for the best strain of grain
By Julie Rausch
John Carter, who's been researching preventive measures against cancer for several years, is now trying to find the strain of wheat that provides the best protection against colon cancer.
Carter, associate professor, public health sciences, is working with two scientists at Kansas State University to investigate how wheat in various food products might prevent the development of colon cancer by looking at 90 strains. He says this is the first time such testing has been done on wheat strains in Kansas.
The research is sponsored in part by the Kansas Wheat Commission, a state agency that supports research dealing primarily with wheat agriculture projects. This is the first biomedical research project the agency has agreed to fund.
`The Flossie E. West Memorial Trust, which funds research in cancer treatment, also has awarded grant money for this project.
During the current phase of the project, the researchers are measuring antioxidant potential, which will provide insight into the protective qualities of wheat, Carter says.
"Many studies have shown that antioxidants have preventive properties against premalignant changes that could lead to cancer," says Carter. "It might be found that several strains will be beneficial, but they will offer different degrees of protection. We want to find the one that offers the best protection."
The second phase, which will begin in the fall and take about a year, involves a special strain of laboratory mice that develop colon tumors spontaneously.
"We will incorporate into their food these different strains of wheat," Carter says. "When we remove the tumors and look at what’s going on inside of their colons we will determine which wheat was most effective based on how many tumors are present and how large they are."
Carter says the KWC is hoping to promote the growth of one strain of wheat that has the best protective qualities against colon cancer, with the hope of getting that into the foods of consumers.
