Baylor University Medical Center Proceedings July 2017 - 376

■ Study finds aspirin may help prevent

Barrett's esophagus
Aspirin has long been used to help
prevent and manage heart disease. However,
researchers at Baylor Scott & White Research
Institute have discovered another potential
benefit: protection against Barrett's esophagus.
The report was recently published in Gut.
While previous data associated nonsteroidal
antiinflammatory drugs, particularly aspirin,
with certain gastroesophageal reflux disease
protections, the current study was the first to
confirm that aspirin alone could inhibit the NFκB pathway that promotes inflammation and
CDX2 expression, which can lead to protection
against Barrett's esophagus. The researchers
also discovered that aspirin could augment
radiofrequency ablation, which burns away
abnormal tissue associated with Barrett's
esophagus.
"If you are predisposed to developing
Barrett's esophagus, our research suggests
that taking aspirin on a regular basis might
prevent the condition from developing and
the cancers that go along with it," said senior
author Rhonda Souza, MD, co-director of the
Center for Esophageal Research at Baylor Scott
& White Research Institute. "For patients who
have been shown to develop Barrett's, this
research suggests that putting them on aspirin
following radiofrequency ablation may delay or
prevent the intestinal lining from returning," Dr.
Souza said. These novel findings have been
used as a rationale in a National Institutes
of Health-funded clinical trial through MD
Anderson Cancer Center, which is enrolling
patients. Researchers from Baylor Scott & White
Research Institute are conducting the lab work
to support the clinical study design.
■ Study identifies gene mutation that

boosts aspirin's cancer prevention
benefits
Colorectal cancer patients with certain genetic backgrounds may benefit more from taking
aspirin to prevent cancer reoccurrence, based
on a study conducted by researchers at the
Baylor Scott & White Health Research Institute.
The study, published in Cancer Prevention
Research, showed that aspirin slowed growth
of cancer cells with multiple different genetic
makeups, but was most effective in cells with
the PIK3CA gene mutation. Findings suggest
aspirin's benefits may outweigh its risks for
colorectal cancer patients with the mutation,
and the difference in cellular responses to
376

aspirin may be important for tailoring its use in
cancer prevention and treatment.
"Aspirin has promising potential for reducing the risk of colorectal cancer, but it's also
associated with side effects such as gastrointestinal bleeding, which can be concerning and
sometimes fatal," said Ajay Goel, PhD, director
of gastrointestinal research and translational genomics and oncology at Baylor Scott & White
Research Institute and one of the lead authors
of the study. "If we can better predict whether
a patient will benefit from taking aspirin to prevent cancer reoccurrence, we can more widely
recommend it and potentially save more lives."
■ Study on disc degeneration could

revolutionize treatment options for
lower back pain
New research detailing the molecular
mechanisms involved in the breakdown of the
soft tissue discs of the spine has the potential
to help millions suffering debilitating back pain
and may provide opportunities for advanced,
minimally invasive treatments. The research was
conducted by Jason H. Huang, MD, chairman
of neurosurgery for Baylor Scott & White Health
Central Texas Division and researcher with the
Baylor Scott & White Research Institute, and was
published in Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine.
Leveraging previous research on SMURF2, a
gene that has been implicated in tumor formation and disease progression, the study created
an overexpression of the protein to better understand disc degeneration and the molecular
mechanisms involved in the breakdown of the
soft tissue discs in the human spine. By understanding the molecular pathways that lead
to disc degradation, researchers can develop
pharmacological agents and other forms of injectable therapies that may be used in the future
to block degenerative mechanisms or promote
remodeling processes.
"This is a first step in an exciting research
journey that will hopefully reduce that burden
as well as the number of patients having to
undergo invasive surgery, thereby making the
population much healthier," Dr. Huang said. "We
spend more than $100 billion a year to treat
low back pain, which is a significant cost to
our society."
■ Researchers reveal that turmeric's

health benefits extend beyond
curcumin
Curcumin has been studied widely and hailed
for its antiinflammatory properties, but a new
Baylor University Medical Center Proceedings

study by researchers at Baylor Scott & White
Research Institute shows other compounds in
turmeric-the popular spice it's derived from-
hold additional health benefits. The study,
published in Scientific Reports, is the first to
compare antiinflammatory benefits of curcumin
against a combination of both curcumin and
essential turmeric oils, including aromatictumerones, α-turmerones, β-turmerones,
α-santalene, and aromatic curcumene.
Researchers examined how curcumin alone
and curcumin paired with essential turmeric
oils affect ulcerative colitis.
Ajay Goel, PhD, and his team confirmed that
CCL17, a signaling protein in cells that induces
intestinal inflammation, was suppressed by
both standard curcumin and essential turmeric
oil-curcumin treatments-though the latter
treatment was significantly more effective.
Higher doses of the curcumin-essential turmeric
oils treatment resulted in even more pronounced
antiinflammatory effects. "The takeaway for
patients who want to experience the health
benefits of curcumin through a commercially
available supplement is to look for products that
include additional compounds of turmeric-
specifically, essential turmeric oils," Dr. Goel
said.
■ New colon cancer biomarkers may

guide development of personalized
treatment
Researchers at Baylor Scott & White
Research Institute identified a new genetic
biomarker for colon cancer that may lead to
development of more targeted treatment of the
disease. The study, which appeared in a recent
issue of Clinical Cancer Research, was the first
to demonstrate the role of a novel class of RNA,
circular RNA ciRS-7, in colon cancer. For this
study, researchers evaluated the expression
levels of ciRS-7 in patients with colon cancer
and healthy subjects to explore its clinical
significance in the disease. Findings showed
an increased presence of ciRS-7 in colon cancer
patient tissues. High levels of ciRS-7 promoted
rapid cancer cell growth and appeared to be a
predictor for poor survival in patients with colon
cancer.
"This study is important for the way we
treat colon cancer, because ciRS-7 controls the
expression of many genes," said Ajay Goel, PhD,
coauthor of the study. "Since cancer therapies
aimed at targeting a single gene have not been
very effective, targeting a circular RNA such as
ciRS-7 might be a more promising and attractive
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