# The Effects of High Fructose Corn Syrup on Intestinal Tumorigenesis

> **NIH NIH K22** · BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE · 2020 · $179,877

## Abstract

Summary/Abstract
Dr. Yun completed her Ph.D in the field of Cancer Genetics at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Under
the guidance of Dr. Vogelstein, she worked on the role of KRAS signaling pathway in colorectal cancer.
As a postdoctoral fellow at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York, she has been studying cancer
metabolism in the laboratory of Dr. Lewis Cantley. Dr. Yun’s career goal is to become an independent
researcher directing a nationally recognized laboratory that focuses on the pathogenesis of colorectal
cancer. In particular, she is interested in working on the effects of diet, such as vitamins and sugar, on
the development of colorectal cancer. The increased consumption of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS)
has been linked to the incidence of obesity and also the increased risk and mortality of CRC. However,
the causal effects of HFCS on CRC tumorigenesis and the molecular and biochemical underpinnings that
link HFCS consumption and CRC remain largely unknown. Her preliminary data showed that daily oral
gavage of HFCS for 9 weeks, which mimics daily sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) intake in humans,
significantly increases tumor size and tumor grade in a genetically engineered mouse model (GEMM) of
intestinal tumors driven by Adenomatous Polyposis Coli (APC) deletion. Her goal in this proposal is to
determine the molecular mechanisms by which consumption of HFCS promotes intestinal tumor growth
in the APC-driven mouse model. In Aim 1, she will directly measure the incorporation of fructose to free
fatty acids in APC-/- tumor cells and determine how efficiently fructose can contribute to increased free
fatty acids levels via the lipogenic pathways in APC-/- tumor cells compared to glucose. In Aim 2, she will
examine if fructose-specific metabolic pathway or lipogenic pathways can contribute to tumor growth in
APC-/- tumor cells. Results from these studies will define whether the relationship between HFCS intake
and CRC is causal and will discover potential mechanisms by which HFCS intake may facilitate CRC
progression. Considering that approximately one-third of US adults consume at least one SSB a day, the
results from this proposal will have a significant impact in public health. Furthermore, her study may
identify molecules or metabolic pathways that can potentially serve as biomarkers and/or new targets in
prevention and treatment of colon cancer. Lastly, the integrative and systematic approaches that she
proposes here using both a GEMM and ex vivo 3D organoids will provide the framework to investigate
the effects and mechanisms of other dietary substances on CRC development, thus advancing the fields
of nutrition and cancer.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9878794
- **Project number:** 5K22CA216036-03
- **Recipient organization:** BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE
- **Principal Investigator:** Jihye Yun
- **Activity code:** K22 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $179,877
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-03-01 → 2021-02-28

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9878794

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9878794, The Effects of High Fructose Corn Syrup on Intestinal Tumorigenesis (5K22CA216036-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9878794. Licensed CC0.

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