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My doctoral research was focused on nutritional immunology. I examined the ability of a dietary milk protein (bovine lactoferrin) to reduce intestinal inflammation by inducing of apoptosis and changing cytokine levels . Bovine lactoferrin (bLf), is an iron binding whey protein, historically known for its bacteriostatic property. Recently, oral administration of bLf has been linked to various immunological benefits. Excessive inflammation results in continual mucosal insult and tissue damage and is associated with an increased risk of colon cancer. Inflammation as a promoter of colon cancer is evident in the increased incidence (as much as 10 times) in patients suffering from inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) such as Crohn's or ulcerative colitis. The results from my research demonstrated that dietary bLf was able to decrease pro-inflammatory cytokines and increase anti-inflammatory cytokines within mouse intestinal lymphocytes. Further, bLf altered apoptotic protein expression to favour the induction of apoptosis in mouse intestinal lymphocytes. This suggests that bLf may induce death of the cells responsible for inducing tissue damage during inflammation. Although, this shift in cytokine levels and induction of apoptosis did not result in mucosal protection, these findings suggest that under the right conditions dietary bLf may be beneficial during the intestinal inflammatory process.
My MSc. work examined the interaction between two macromolecules, one of which was a milk protein. Using several physical chemistry and biochemical techniques, I determined the mechanism through which the two molecules interact. For a look at my research findings please refer to my IFT poster as well as related articles.
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