Scientific Program

Abstract:

Cancer chemoprevention is the use of natural or synthetic compounds for the inhibition, delay, or reversal of carcinogenesis. Chemotherapy is one of the most common treatments for cancer. It uses certain drugs to kill cancer cells or to stop them from growing and spreading to other parts of the body. There are several approaches for the primary prevention and treatment of cancers. One effective way is to modify food habits by including dietary micronutrients. Hence, researchers have focused on micronutrients as the best way to cancer chemoprevention and chemotherapy. Several micronutrients have attracted the attention of the scientific community as potential cancer-preventive agents. Among them, curcumin, piperine and Tangeritin, etc. have been studied because of the protection they offer against oxidative stress. These antioxidants are found to be very effective in minimizing the side effects induced by anticancer drugs. The Chemopreventive/chemotherapeutic efficacy of these natural antioxidants in experimental cancer will be discussed.    

Audience Take Away Notes:

• The Audience will be encouraged to use micro nutrients as natural anti-oxidants to prevent free radical-induced lipid peroxidation and other related cellular damage
• It is highly recommended to researchers to use the micronutrients as natural anti-oxidants along with known anti-cancer drugs as combination therapy in experimental cancer-bearing animals to explore the possibility of using the anti-oxidants in clinical studies

Biography:

Professor Dr.Dhanapal Sakthisekaran has obtained his Ph.D., degree from the University of Madras. He has joined as Lecturer in the Department of Medical Biochemistry, University of Madras in 1978 and subsequently promoted as Reader and Professor in 1988 and 1994 respectively. He is having about 45 years of Professional standing. He has published more than 140 research papers in reputed journals and written four textbooks in Biochemistry as Chairperson. He has received many awards for his contributions to the field of Basic Medical Sciences. He has won Indian Council of Medical Research Award (Govt.of India) in 2003 and Tamil Nadu Scientist Award in the year 2005. He has received SOMPS Poster Award from ICACT, Paris, France in 2008. He has guided 49 PhD students and all of them are well placed in India and abroad. He was the Editor in Chief of the journal BIOMEDICINE published by the Indian Association of Biomedical Scientists, India. He has retired in 2014 as Professor and Head of the Department of Medical Biochemistry, University of Madras and served as UGC –BSR Faculty Fellow from 2014 -2017.