Professor Emeritus
Department of Nutritional Sciences
Faculty of Medicine
University of Toronto
FitzGerald Building, Room 318
150 College Street
Toronto Ontario
M5S 3E2 CANADA
Tel: (416) 978 3523
Fax: (416) 978 5882
Email: lilian.thompson@utoronto.ca |
 |
The long term goal of my research program is to elucidate the components of plant foods responsible for their health benefits and/or adverse effects and the molecular, cellular and physiological mechanisms of their action. Current research focuses on the role of phytochemicals such as phytoestrogens (lignans and isoflavones) and alpha linolenic acid, and their interactions with drugs, on the development of breast cancer and osteoporosis as well as their metabolism and biovailability. Studies include food analysis and biochemical, in vitro (cell culture), animal, and clinical (healthy human subjects and patients) experiments and food models such as flaxseed, soy and sesame seed. Results should provide guidance in the design of functional foods and nutraceuticals and in the manipulation of diet for risk reduction and treatment of chronic diseases.
- Thompson, L.U. and Ward, W.E. (eds) Food-Drug Synergy and Safety, CRC Press, Boca Raton 2006.
- Thompson, L.U. and Cunnane, S.C. (eds.) Flaxseed in Human Nutrition, Second Edition, AOCS Press, Champaign, ILL, 2003.
- Power, K.S., Saarinen, N.M., Chen, J.M., and Thompson, L.U. Mammalian lignans enterolactone and enterodiol, alone and in combination with the isoflavone genistein, do not promote the growth of MCF-7 xenografts in ovariectomized athymic nude mice. Int. J. Cancer 118:1316-20. 2006.
- Thompson, L.U., Boucher, B., Liu, Z., Cotterchio, M.C., and Kreiger, N. Phytoestrogen of foods consumed in Canada, including isoflavones. lignans and coumestans. Nutr Cancer 54: 184-201, 2006.
- Chen, J., Wang, L. and Thompson, L.U. Flaxseed and its components reduce metastasis after surgical excision of solid human breast tumor in nude mice. Cancer Letters 234:168-75, 2006.
- Saarinen, N., Power, K.P, Chen, J.M., and Thompson, L.U. Flaxseed attenuates the tumor growth stimulating effect of soy protein in ovariectomized athymic mice with MCF-7 human breast cancer xenografts. Int. J. Cancer 119:925-31, 2006.
- Thompson, L.U., Chen J.M., Li. T., Strasser-Weippl, K. and Goss P.E. Dietary flaxseed alters tumor biological markers in postmenopausal breast cancer. Clin. Cancer Res. 11:3828-35, 2005.
- Coulman, K.D., Liu, Z., Hum, W.Q., Michaelides, J. and Thompson, L.U. Whole sesame seed is as rich a source of mammalian lignan precursors as whole flaxseed. Nutr Cancer 52:156-65, 2005.
- Chen, J., Hui, E., Ip, T. and Thompson, L.U. Dietary flaxseed enhances the inhibitory effect of tamoxifen on the growth of estrogen- dependent human breast cancer (MCF-7) in nude mice. Clin. Cancer Res. 10:7703-11, 2004.