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June 7, 2013

LA Cancer Foundation supports ULM pharmacy professor's cancer research

The Louisiana Cancer Foundation once again presented ULM College of Pharmacy Professor Dr. Paul Sylvester with funds to support his breast cancer research.

This is the seventh consecutive year Sylvester has received funding from the Louisiana Cancer Foundation to support his cancer research, for a combined total of $77,500.

In the past five years, ULM's College of Pharmacy has received a total of $4.7 million in cancer research dollars.

"We're proud of the research going on here at the College of Pharmacy," said ULM President Nick J. Bruno.

"We're optimistic that someday hopefully we'll contribute to the cure of this very significant disease."

Sylvester, the Pfizer Endowed Professor of Pharmacology and ULM Director of Graduate Studies and Research, has garnered national attention for his research.

He has spent decades studying how the tocotrienols—derived from palm oil—can attack cancer cells in early stages without harming healthy cells.

He said, "Specifically, these compounds show significant potential for use in the treatment of breast cancer."

The United States Patent & Trademark Office awarded Sylvester and three other ULM pharmacy professors a patent for "Anti-cancer tocotrienol analogues and associated methods" in 2012.

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