HUNTINGTON – Marshall University has received a grant of $300,000 to study the effects of capsaicin on small cell lung cancer, according to a news release from U.S. Rep. Evan Jenkins, R-W.Va.
The grant will allow Marshall to continue research which investigates the impacts capsaicin has on cell growth for those diagnosed with small cell lung cancer.
“(National Institute of Health) grants are extraordinarily competitive and I applaud Dr. Piyali Dasgupta for this award that will help continue the vital work in her lab,” Marshall University President Jerome Gilbert said in the release. “Her research to determine the effect the nutritional agent capsaicin, which is the active ingredient in chili peppers, has in patients with small cell lung cancer could lead to new treatments for a devastating disease.”
The National Cancer Institute, a branch of the NIH, awarded the $300,000 grant to Marshall to support this research project.
“Marshall University is in a unique position to research a number of illnesses, including lung cancer, and I am proud to support their efforts to find innovative solutions,” Jenkins said in the release. “This grant will allow Marshall to continue researching various treatments for those who have been diagnosed with small cell lung cancer. I applaud Marshall University and its researchers for pushing the boundaries of research to help not only those in West Virginia, but millions of Americans.”