The team will look to establish the role that N-nitrosamines play in the development and progression of the most prevalent chronic diseases.
A team led by Associate Professor Catherine Bondonno from the Edith Cowan University's (ECU's) Nutrition & Health Innovation Research Institute has been awarded more than $1.7 million in funding over a five-year period from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) to investigate N-nitrosamine formation and chronic disease.
N-nitrosamines are established carcinogens that pose significant health risks through exposure either through diet, or when dietary nitrate and nitrate react with amines in the digestive tract.
Associate Professor Bondonno and her team will look to establish the role that N-nitrosamines play in the development and progression of the most prevalent chronic diseases.
"This funding gives us a rare opportunity to finally resolve decades of scientific uncertainty around the nitrate–nitrite–N-nitrosamine relationship. Over the next five years, our results will reveal how N-nitrosamine exposure affects health through different biological pathways, helping to clarify public health guidelines and support truly evidence-based dietary recommendations," Associate Professor Bondonno said.
"Importantly, this work will inform international regulatory frameworks and lay the groundwork for addressing both cancer and non-cancer chronic diseases through simple, cost-effective dietary modifications. It's an exciting step forward for public health and preventative medicine."
The research team will include researchers from around the world, including the Karolinska University Hospital, the University of Copenhagen, Danish Cancer Society, University of Western Australia, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Technical University of Denmark, Zhejiang University and DTU National Food Institute.
