Research Projects

Cancer and obesity are significant health concerns in modern society, with higher BMI and fat distribution being key risk factors. Obesity is associated with chronic low-grade inflammation and increased infiltration of macrophages in adipose tissue, which provides a favorable environment for cancer cell growth. However, studies on the effect of obesity-aggravated factors on tumor-associated macrophages are rare and poorly understood. Genetic instability, caused by irreparable DNA damage, is another hallmark of cancer. Altered serum factors, adipokines, and oxidative stress in obesity can alter DNA damage response and cell cycle regulation, leading to the survivability of transformed cells. The proposed project aims to study the relationship between altered levels of obesity-associated factors with DDR, which may influence cancer occurrence under obese conditions and response towards chemotherapy. The objectives include investigating the effect of obesity-associated factors on monocyte and macrophage phenotype and functionality, deciphering the role of obesity-associated factors in cancer, investigating the role of obesity-associated factors in DNA damage response, exploring the mechanistic link between obese phenotype and cancer, and evaluating the role of DNA damage response in cancer therapeutic outcomes. Main experiments include developing an obese mouse model, analyzing bone marrow and peripheral blood monocytes, studying tumor progression in normal and high-fat diet-fed mice, induced colon cancer in normal and high-fat diet-fed mice, and the effects of 5-fluorouracil treatment on tumor progression. The study will contribute to our understanding of altered immune systems and DNA damage response in obesity-influenced cancers and could be implicated in cancer therapy in obese patients.