Research Question:

The objective of this study is to investigate whether blackberry consumption causes biomarker and gene expression changes that reflect protection against DNA damage, oxidative stress, or inflammation, all of which are associated with cancer risk.

Importance of Proposed Work:

There is a significant body of epidemiological evidence linking intake of certain fruits and vegetables with decreased risk of several cancers. Consumption of berries or foods high in anthocyanins has been associated with prevention of breast, colorectal, esophageal, skin, lung, and liver cancers. The epidemiological evidence for the cancer preventive properties of berries has been supported by cell and animal studies, but there is a significant need to conduct human studies that investigate the efficacy of berries for cancer prevention. In particular, we propose to investigate whether blackberry consumption causes biomarker and gene expression changes that reflect protection against DNA damage, oxidative stress, or inflammation, all of which are associated with cancer risk.