Oesophageal Cancer Research Unit

Director: Prof Iqbal Parker
E-mail: mparker@physio.unc.ac.za

The Oesophageal Cancer Research Unit was established in 1997 and comprises a multidisciplinary group of researchers based at the Universities of Cape Town, Stellenbosch and PROMEC.

The focus areas of the Unit span several MRC National Programmes. These include the National Programmes of Molecules to Disease, Non-communicable Diseases, and Environment and Development.

Projects managed by the group can be divided into the following major categories:

Molecular Biology
In this study, mutations in the p53 gene have been investigated as one of the possible genetic causes of oesophageal cancer. Other genes being investigated include several members of the cytochrome p450 family, the glutathione-S-transferase family and the N-acetyltransferases. These genes are all involved in detoxification and could play a major role in oesophageal cancer, not only the aetidogy, but also the treatment of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis of these genes have traditionally been analysed using PCR and direct sequence analysis together with our collaborators in the UK, we are now proceeding with genome-wide SNP analysis in our gene-environment interaction study.

Another facet of this project is screening for new genes involved in oesophageal cancer by using comparative genomic hybridisation, differential display RT-PCR and DNA micro array analysis techniques.

Hospital based Cancer registry
The group  UCT hospital based cancer registry at Groote Schuur Hospital in the Western Cape. Interviews are conducted on all patients entering the Oesophageal Cancer Clinic at GSH and blood samples are collected for DNA analysis. Patients are also interviewed to gather demograohic details on the patient population.   

Nutritional factors in Oesophageal Cancer
The impact of the following dietary factors on oesophageal cancer is being studied:

• selenium
• vitamin deficiency; and
• the consumption of natural products containing high levels of antioxidants (honeybush and magwa teas).