OWH-Funded Research: Cancer
The FDA Office of Women’s Health (OWH) awards research grants for 1-2 year studies to support FDA regulatory decision-making and advance the science of women’s health. OWH has funded research projects that address health issues affecting women across their lifespan. This page highlights OWH-funded research related to cancer.
Learn about other OWH-funded research
Non-clinical mechanistic studies in addressing ovarian cancer risk from talc use in cosmetics - Nakissa Sadrieh, PhD, Special Funding/CFSAN (16)
Talc is an important industrial chemical, that is widely used in plastic surfaces, especially in surgical gloves, various plastic apparatus, and gynecologic services, and women are commonly known to use products containing talc for hygiene and cosmetic purpose. Although some studies have examined the relation between talc and ovarian cancer, its effects on female genital system tissues have not been adequately investigated. A study published by Keskin et al (2009), aimed to examine carcinogenic effects of long-term talc exposure on the genital system of female Sprague -Dawley rats. The preliminary results showed that in rats, talc given intravaginally to the animals (100 mg in 0.5 ml saline) daily for 3 months, had unfavorable effects on the female genital system. However, these effects seemed to be in the form of foreign body reaction or infection short of neoplastic changes, suggesting the need for studies with longer exposure periods and more detailed evaluation of the early events in genital system tissue transformation. This proposed research will help to fill some of the existing data gaps, in the molecular and genetic events associated with early ovarian oncogenesis, as these are largely unknown. Specifically, the association of such oncogenesis, with respect to exposure to a cosmetic ingredient used by women (talc), is of particular interest to women's health, and our studies could prove to be useful as possible experimental models for further mechanistic studies in ovarian carcinogenesis.
Nuclear Uptake of Transcription Co-Activator JTV1 Induces p53-Meadiated Apoptosis of Ovarian Cancer (OC) Cells – Implications for the Development of New Ovarian Cancer Biomarkers and Therapeutic Targets – Liu Juhong, PhD, CDER (11)
Genotyping of Transporter Genes Associated with Gender Differences and Promoter Methylation Profile of UGT1A1 in Human Liver: A Mean of Assessing Safety and Toxicity of Chemotherapeutic Drugs - Beverly Lyn-Cook, PhD, NCTR (08)
Sex differences in chemotherapeutic toxicity: profiling of transporter genes in human - Beverly Lyn-Cook, PhD, NCTR (06)
Quantitative Tumor Size- Survival relationship in Oncology clinical trials - Jogarao Gobburu, PhD, CDER (06)
Improving the evaluation of ovarian cancer treatment - Vance Berger, PhD, CBER (99)
In Vitro Prediction of Time to Neutropenic Nadir: Anti-neoplastic Alkylating Agents as Prototype Drugs - Donna A. Volpe, Ph.D., CDER (96)
Development of a Safe, Economical Assay for Silicone Containment in Blood and Tissue - Marwood N. Ediger, Ph.D., CDRH (96)
The Transfer of Defense, Intelligence and Space Technologies for the Early Detection and Control of Cancers in Women (conference) - Melvyn Greberman, M.D., MPH, CDRH (96)