Hardman Research Summary

W. Elaine Hardman, Ph.D.

Associate Professor
Department: Biochemistry and Microbiology
Research Cluster: Cancer Biology
Phone: (304) 696-7339 Fax: (304) 696-7207
E-mail: hardmanw@marshall.edu
Office: BBSC 336-S
Laboratory: BBSC 315

Research Interests

My research interests are to identify the mechanisms of action of omega-3 fatty acids to increase the efficacy and reduce the side effects of cancer chemotherapy and to prevent cancer. It seems so simple, yet there are good biological explanations for the how dietary omega-3 fatty acids can profoundly effect the efficacy of cancer chemotherapeutic agents. These activities include altering: the potential for lipid peroxidation and free radical damage to cancer cells, prostaglandin production in cancer and normal cells, cell membrane fluidity, membrane transport, membrane permeability, the activities of the peroxisome proliferator activated receptor and/or nuclear factor kB, membrane receptor function, estrogen metabolism and the inflammatory process. My future plans include investigating the individual contribution of these mechanisms to increasing the efficacy of cancer chemotherapy in mouse models and in cell culture systems for isolation of independent mechanisms.

Education and Experience

University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, Ph.D., Cell Biology, 1992

Instructor, Cellular and Structural Biology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, TX, 1993-1997

Research Assistant Professor, Cellular and Structural Biology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, TX, 1997 - 2001

Assistant Professor, Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, 2001 to 2005

Associate Professor, Marshall University School of Medicine, Dept of Biochemistry and Microbiology Huntington, WV, 2005 to present

Representative Publications

Hardman, WE and Cameron, IL. Fish oil supplementation enhances CPT-11 (irinotecan) efficacy against MCF7 breast carcinoma xenografts and ameliorates intestinal side effects. Br. J. Cancer, 81:440-448, 1999.

Hardman, WE, Avula, CPR, Fernandes, G. and Cameron, IL. Three percent dietary fish oil concentrate increased efficacy of doxorubicin against MDA-MB 231 breast cancer xenografts. Clin. Cancer Res. 7: 2041-2049, 2001.

Hardman, WE, Moyer, MP and Cameron, IL. Small amounts of a concentrated omega-3 fatty acid product, INCELL AAFA, in the diet reduces the side-effects of the cancer chemotherapy drug, CPT-11 (irinotecan). Br J Cancer 86(6): 983-8, 2002.

Hardman, WE, Munoz, J. and Cameron, IL. Role of lipid peroxidation and antioxidant enzymes in omega 3 fatty acids induced suppression of breast cancer xenograft growth. Cancer Cell International, 2:10, 2002.

Hardman, WE. Omega 3 fatty acids to augment cancer therapy. J Nutr.132: 3508S-3512S, 2002.

Hardman, WE, Sun, L.Z., Short, N. and Cameron, IL. Dietary omega-3 fatty acids and ionizing irradiation on human breast cancer xenograft growth and angiogenesis. Cancer Cell Int. 2005 Apr 28;5(1):12.