Ivan L Cameron, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus
University of California, Los Angeles
1962

(210) 567-3817
CAMERON@UTHSCSA.EDU

Professor Cameron teaches in Nutrition and in Microscopic Anatomy courses. He mentors for graduate students. Dr. Cameron was elected President of the International Federation for Cell Biology through the year 2004 and serves on the editorial board of four journals. The Pécs Medical University, Hungary awarded him an Honorary Doctor of Sciences degree in 1997.

Our research is focused on the use of n-3 fatty acids to both increase the efficacy of cancer chemotherapy drugs and to reduce the detrimental side effects. In vivo studies have demonstrated that the efficacy of doxorubicin, edelfosine or CPT-11 against MCF7 or MDA-MB 231 breast cancer or against A549 lung cancer xenografts in nude mice is increased when n-3 fatty acids are increased in the diet.

As expected, the n-3 fatty acid supplemented diet caused an increased in the proportion of n-3 fatty acids in cell membranes. Mechanisms are yet to be defined but our studies are focusing on: 1) lipid peroxidation, 2) alteration of prostaglandin and cytokine production and/or 3) alteration in membrane fluidity, and on 4) activation of PPAR and suppression of NFkB and antioxidant enzymes.

Dietary fish oil ameliorates intestinal side effects of a cancer drug.

 
Another ongoing interest is the development and use of intermediate biomarkers to predict the efficacy of colon cancer preventive measures. The results of our animal studies have shown that dietary changes (increased dietary fiber), n-3 fatty acids and aspirin, are effective colon cancer preventive measures. However, intermediate biomarkers are needed for human intervention studies. We have developed and patented one such biomarker which is, to date, the only marker to successfully predict the efficacy of a chemopreventive intervention.

PUBLICATIONS:
Hardman, W. E., M. P. Moyer and I. L. Cameron. (2002) Consumption of an omega-3 fatty acids product, INCELL AAFA(tm), reduced side-effects of CPT-11 (irinotecan)in mice. Br. J. Cancer 86:983-988.

Hardman, W. E., Munoz, J. Jr. and I. L. Cameron. (2002) Role of lipid peroxidation and antioxidant enzymes in omega 3 fatty acids induced suppression of breast cancer xenograft growth in mice. Cancer Cell Int. 2:10.

Cameron, I. L. and W. E. Hardman. (2002) Paracrine action of transforming growth factor-alpha in rectal crypt epithelium of humans. Cell Biol. Int.

Hardman, W.E., C. P. Reddy Avula, G. Fernandes and I. L. Cameron. (2001) Three percent dietary fish oil concentrate increased efficacy of doxorubicin against MDA-MB 231 breast cancer xenographs. Clin. Cancer Res. 7:2041-2049.

Williams, C. D., M. Markov, W. E. Hardman and I. L. Cameron. (2001) Therapeutic electromagnetic field effects on angiogenesis and tumor growth. Anticancer Res.21:3887-3891.