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Nutrition in the cause and prevention of cancer: An update.

Human diet is a double edged sword and has been implicated in both causation as well as prevention of cancer [1]. Epidemiological and laboratory studies suggest that while certain dietary components are linked with increased risk for the development of cancer others are associated with a preventive role [2]. In 1982, the National Cancer Institute commissioned commttee on diet, nutrition and cancer concluded that cancers of most major sites are influenced by dietary patterns; however, the committee also concluded that the data were insufficient to quantitate the contribution of diet to the overall cancer risk or to determine if cancer can be prevented through dietary manipulations [3]. In the thirty four years since the publication of the report, evidence to support a role for diet in cancer remains full of inconsistencies. Making the whole science complicated is the human diet itself, which is a complex mixture and, to top it all, dietary habits among people vary enormously. The failure of many diet-based human trials may be attributed to our incomplete understanding of the role of human diet in general and the most recently concluded SELECT trial being a typical example to mention [4]. Therefore, the problems and challenges in undertaking diet-based research also include difficulties in designing a successful intervention study [5, 6]. With newer approaches and technologies being available to understand the human genome and metabolome, it should become clearer how the diet interacts and modifies the human biome. It is absolutely essential that we understand the association between diet and cancer so that appropriate recommendations are provided to the general public, that relies heavily on scientific assessments and claims. The purpose of this special issue of Molecular Nutrition & Food Research is to provide to the reader an update on the role of nutrition in causing and preventing cancer. The issue contains eight original articles and 15 reviews and covers a wide range of articles that span the whole gamut of work being undertaken in the area of “diet and nutrition”. The issue begins with a review by Fujioka et al. (page 1228) on the role of cruciferous vegetables in cancer prevention. This review is written to provide a tribute to Lee W. Wattenberg, a pioneer cancer prevention scientist whose research was instrumental in uncovering the cancer prevention properties of many dietary compounds, including those discussed in the review. The review by Yang et al. (page 1239) details some of the lessons we have learned from many studies on cancer prevention and how we could effectively advance the field. Ahmad et al. (page 1251) showcase how natural agents such as 3,3′-diindolylmethane and garcinol are changing the cancer landscape by modulating novel miRNAs, epigenetic factors and cancer stem cell markers. Smith and Meyskens (page 1264) describe molecular mechanisms of flavonoids in melanin synthesis and discuss their potential for the prevention and treatment of melanoma. Janakiram et al. (page 1275) provide an update on immune modulating nutrients and discuss how these substances could be used to study immune modulation in a neoplastic environment. The role of cancer stem cells (CSC) is being investigated in both prevention and treatment of cancer. Khan et al. (page 1295) provide an insight into in vivo studies and clinical trials aimed at evaluating the ability of dietary agents to target CSC. Romagnolo et al. (page 1310) discuss how epigenetic signatures observed in sporadic breast tumors could offer new strategies for breast cancer prevention with specific emphasis on bioactive food components or dietary factors. Many of the bioactive food components have issues with bioavailability limiting their use. The review by Siddiqui and Sanna (page 1330) summarizes how nanotechnology through manipulating controlled and sustained release of bioactive compounds is changing the field of nanochemoprevention. The reviews by Palliyaguru et al. (page 1342), Das and Suh (page 1354), Saxena et al. (page 1364), Katiyar (page 1374), Pan et al. (page 1383), Lall et al. (page 1396) and Singh et al. (page 1406) provide exhaustive updates on individual dietary agents and discuss their use in the prevention and treatment of various cancers. Research articles provide some of the latest approaches in the management of cancer using dietary agents and also showcase how diet influences cancer development. Findings of Henry et al. (page 1416) show