The (LCF) added another $10,000 donation for the continuing research by , of the University of Louisiana Monroe College of Pharmacy. Since 2005, LCF has contributed $137,500 to Sylvester鈥檚 breast cancer research.
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A check presentation was held Oct. 29, 2020, during Breast Cancer Awareness Month. 听Attending were 麻豆果冻传媒 President Dr. Ron Berry; James Adams, executive director of the Northeast Louisiana Cancer Institute and LCF; Glenn Anderson, Pharm.D., dean of the College of Pharmacy; Donna Jackson, assistant director of the LCF and Sylvester.
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PHOTO:听The Louisiana Cancer Foundation presented a check for $10,000 to the University of Louisiana Monroe Foundation for the breast cancer research of Dr. Paul Sylvester of the College of Pharmacy. Pictured are, from left, 麻豆果冻传媒 President Dr. Ron Berry, Donna Jackson, and James Adams of the LCF, Sylvester, and Dr. Glenn Anderson, dean of the College of Pharmacy.
Sid Gaulee/麻豆果冻传媒 Photo Services
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Adams said 15 years ago the foundation board was seeking a way to fulfill the LCF鈥檚 mission to support cancer research.
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鈥淲e initially met Dr. Paul Sylvester and were immediately impressed with his research using tocotrienols for breast cancer prevention and treatment,鈥 Adams said. 鈥淪ince we are a local cancer foundation with all monies being raised locally and redistributed back into our community, we thought it fitting that we supported cancer research being conducted at the 麻豆果冻传媒 College of Pharmacy.鈥
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Sylvester expressed his gratitude to the LCF, saying, 鈥淚t has been an honor and privilege to be part of this long collaborative relationship with the Louisiana Cancer Foundation. The foundation鈥檚 support and interest in our research have not only been of great benefit to our research efforts but has also resulted in the formation of some very dear friendships with the foundation鈥檚 board members.鈥澨
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Sylvester and tocotrienols
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Dr. Paul Sylvester joined the 麻豆果冻传媒 College of Pharmacy in 2001. He is associate dean of research and Pfizer, Inc. B.J. Robison Endowed Professor of Pharmacology.
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听An endocrinologist, his research has focused on endocrine-dependent diseases, particularly breast cancer. His laboratory is currently examining the anti-breast cancer effects of tocotrienols, a rare natural form of vitamin E.
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鈥淲ith the support of the Louisiana Cancer Foundation, our laboratory has been able to conduct seminal research regarding the anti-cancer effects of tocotrienol, with the goal of developing tocotrienol-based therapies that can be used in the prevention and treatment of breast cancer in women,鈥 Sylvester said.
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Sylvester found tocotrienols 鈥 鈥 display potent anti-cancer effects against breast cancer cells at doses that have no adverse effects on normal cell growth or viability.鈥澨
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鈥淪ubsequent studies have shown that combined treatment of tocotrienol with other traditional chemotherapies often results in a synergistic inhibition in cancer cell growth and viability,鈥 he said,
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鈥淪ince this synergistic anti-cancer effect was observed using very low doses of each agent, these findings suggest that combined low dose treatment with tocotrienol and traditional chemotherapy may have significant value in the treatment of breast cancer without causing unwanted toxic effects associated with high dose chemotherapy treatment alone,鈥 Sylvester said.
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In addition to LCF, Sylvester has maintained grants from the National Cancer Institute at NIH, American Cancer Society, American Institute of Cancer Research, and First Tech International Ltd., among others. Sylvester has authored 145 peer-reviewed research publications, 22 book chapters, and has presented more than 162 talks at national and international scientific conferences.
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About the LCF
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The Louisiana Cancer Foundation for Research and Education was formed in 1999 as a local 501C3. The mission is to promote quality-of-life for cancer patients and family members while providing Louisiana citizens with accurate and up-to-date information on prevention, detection, and cancer treatment.
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At 麻豆果冻传媒, the LCF supports: an endowed scholarship for a student who is a cancer survivor or has been impacted by cancer in their family, established in 2019, the scholarship fund is $30,000; Theresa Marsala Memorial Endowed Nursing Fund, since 2009, $30,000 has been funded; and oncology classes for nursing students, since 2008, $22,450 has been funded.听
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The , the fundraising arm of LCF, has helped over 5,300 local cancer patients since 2002 with more than $2 million in financial assistance.
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Annually, the LCF hosts four free cancer screenings for breast and cervical cancer, prostate cancer, skin cancer, and colon/rectal cancer. It also funds a mobile mammography unit to reach underserved areas in the region.