Int'l science magazine features research from UH Hilo College of Pharmacy dean

Research from University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo College of Pharmacy Dean John M. Pezzuto was highlighted in an article in Chemical and Engineering News, one of the most highly respected sources for scientific news. The article focuses on the work Pezzuto has done in the area of cancer chemoprevention.

Pezzuto has been funded continuously by the National Institutes of Health for more than 30 years. He is well known for his work using natural products for medicinal purposes, most notably for the discovery of resveratrol, the compound found in grapes and wine that is thought to have cancer preventative and many other biological activities. He leads a team of scientists from Purdue University, the University of Illinois at Chicago, the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and Scripts Institution of Oceanography. Most recently, the work has concentrated on deep-ocean microorganisms as a source of new drugs.

“Instead of focusing on ways to treat cancer after it has taken over, we are looking for new drugs to prevent cancer,” Pezzuto said. “Through our collaborative effort, and with support provided by the National Cancer Institute, we are able to discovery new uses of substances that have always been on the planet.”

Pezzuto’s work is also the subject of an article that will appear in the July/August edition of Kaunana, the University of Hawaiʻi’s research publication.

See the C&EN article. The story also was accepted for publication in the print issue and appears in the June 21 edition of C&E News.