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January 13, 2005
C-FAR Research Brings $10.4 Million to Illinois
URBANA--Research on the health benefits of soy and other foods funded
by the State of Illinois through the Illinois Council on Food and Agricultural
Research (C-FAR) has allowed researchers to secure $10.4 million in additional
funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and U.S. Department
of Defense. A C-FAR investment of about $420,000 was leveraged to obtain
this additional funding. C-FAR dollars are important to Illinois researchers
as they often serve as seed money to initiate a research program that
has the potential to provide significant benefits to Illinois food, agricultural
and related industries and/or consumers. Once initial findings show promising
results, the scientists are often able to garner substantial additional
funds from federal programs, private industry, and other sources.
"The funds from C-FAR allowed me to work on important projects that
were not ready to apply for federal funding. Additionally, I was able
to identify new collaborators, which was essential for us to receive the
multi-disciplinary grant from the NIH," said William Helferich, professor
of food science and human nutrition at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
(UIUC) and lead investigator of the project. "The NIH grant is allowing
20 to 30 people to be hired for new positions."
As part of this research, a multidisciplinary team of UIUC scientists
are investigating the effects of soy isoflavones found in dietary supplements
on various body tissues. In particular, they are examining the safety
of phytoestrogens - compounds found in soy and other plants that are thought
to have anti-cancer and cholesterol-lowering benefits. Previous research
has suggested that high levels of the isoflavone genistein promote the
growth of cancerous cells in animal models representing postmenopausal
women with estrogen-dependent breast cancer.
"Our research team is conducting preclinical investigations on animal
models, looking for a balance of potential effectiveness and safety issues,"
said Helferich. "This research will provide essential information
to the food industry, allowing for production of healthy soy-containing
foods that ultimately will have important human health implications."
"C-FAR funding has been vital to establishing this leading-edge
research program in Illinois."
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