Community enhancement: university faculty's discoveries are improving the health and wealth of residents.

• Position: RESEARCH NORTH CAROLINA: NORTH CAROLINA AGRICULTURAL AND TECHNICAL STATE UNIVERSITY

The Division of Research and Economic Development at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University is proud to highlight some of its remarkable researchers. These faculty members are trailblazers, mentors and leaders, pioneering the discovery and innovation of this institution through their exceptional contributions.

* Aspirin derivatives: curing more than headaches

Dr. Shengmin Sang

Patients requiring the benefits of aspirin without the accompanying stomach irritation are a step closer to comfort and cures thanks to Dr. Shengmin Sang. Tests on colon cancer cell lines showed that his patented novel compounds, containing both aspirin and bioactive phytochemicals, are more effective at inducing cancer cell death than any of the individual components used alone or physically mixed. In April 2017, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force added colon cancer to the list of diseases for which aspirin should be prescribed as a preventive treatment, which is why he aims to make his discoveries available to all patients who need aspirin's therapeutic usefulness minus its gastric irritation side effects. "It is gratifying when our hard work is proven capable of improving people's lives," said Sang. "Our discoveries could be helpful in treating anything for which aspirin is recommended for treatment or prevention."

* Fighting obesity with good fat

Dr. Hye Won Kang

Nearly 70 percent of U.S. adults are affected by obesity or have excess weight. Dr. Hye Won Kang, assistant research professor of family and consumer science at the university, is researching ways to reduce the incidence of obesity in humans. She is using the gut bacterium Akkermansia muciniphila to decrease adipose--fat deposits--by increasing and activating the beneficial metabolic properties of brown adipose tissue (brown fat), containing mitochondria that breakdown fat, produce energy and generate body heat. "If we can activate brown fat then we can breakdown more fat in the body," said Kang. "Brown fat is automatically induced in winter weather. The hormone norepinephrine goes to the brown fat, activates it and it starts to breakdown the fat. We are looking at what type of dietary and food compound can activate brown fat." Kang's lab is extracting specific compounds from onion peels to test the effect of Akkermansia muciniphila in mice and evaluate its potential effectiveness for helping decrease and prevent human obesity. She is simultaneously exploring the conversion of...