A donation of more than $43,000 will support research into treatments for prostate cancer. On hand for a cheque presentation Tuesday were (from left): professor Siyaram Pandey; Preston Harris of the Windsor Essex Prostate Cancer Support Group; Shane Miles, Aldo DiCarlo, Ian France of the Windsor-Essex Ride for Dad; dean of science Chris Houser; and provost Douglas Kneale.
Early detection and treatment helped his father beat prostate cancer for 20 years, says physics lab co-ordinator Aldo DiCarlo.
Captain of the Ride for Dad, which led motorcyclists through a tour of Essex County on May 28 to raise awareness of the disease, he was on hand Tuesday to present a donation from the fundraising event to further biochemistry professor Siyaram Pandey’s research.
The donation totalled $42,433, which Dr. Pandey will use to fund the next stage of his studies, applying dandelion root extract — demonstrated to induce death in cancer cells — to prostate cancer.
“My father was part of the first human trials on dandelion root in Dr. Pandey’s lab,” DiCarlo said. “It is a real honour to be giving back to that research.”
Pandey said that advanced prostate cancer is difficult to treat.
“Chemotherapies are toxic and cause hair loss, vomiting, diarrhea, and a weakened immune system,” he said. “We will investigate the efficacy of dandelion root extract in selectively targeting human prostate cancer.”
If successful, the results could lead to clinical testing of treatments to aid patients.
Watch a video from the event:
See a day in the life of the Pandey lab from a student perspective.