Center for Global Health Faculty

Academic Degrees

Departmental Address

Contact Information

Email:

jfahey+jhmi.edu

Phone:

410-614-2607

Link:

Personal Website

Research and Professional Experience

Dr. Fahey is a nutritional biochemist in whose laboratory at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, plants are being developed as chemoprotective agents. His current work at Johns Hopkins addresses the induction by phytochemicals, of detoxication enzymes in mammalian systems. This work draws on elements of natural product chemistry, enzymology, nutritional epidemiology and clinical research in order to develop nutritional strategies for cancer chemoprotection in humans. Most of these studies have dealt with the glucosinolates and isothiocyanates that are found primarily in cruciferous vegetables. His work led to the discovery that broccoli sprouts are an exceptionally rich source of inducers of the enzymes that detoxify carcinogens (PNAS 94:10367-10372), and to the development of techniques for their detection and for assessing their metabolism in humans. The most recent development has been the determination that one of these inducers (sulforaphane), has potent antibiotic activity against Helicobacter pylori, a causative agent of peptic ulcer disease and stomach cancer (PNAS 99: 7610-7615). Before joining the Hopkins faculty in 1993, he spent 15 years in the biotechnology industry and held senior management positions in agricultural biotechnology research and process development. His work focused primarily on plant cell culture, plant-microbe interactions, seed physiology, and related aspects of the biology of food crops. In that capacity he developed methods for regeneration of elite maize genotypes, for deliberately inoculating grain seeds with beneficial bacteria, and for long term storage of disease-free sugarcane in tissue culture on a commercial scale.

Keywords

Diet, disease prevention, chemoprotection, chemoprevention, cancer, phytochemistry, crucifer, brassica, glucosinolate

Selected Publications

Suganuma H, JW Fahey, KE Bryan, ZR Healy and P Talalay. (2011) Stimulation of phagocytosis by sulforaphane. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications 405(1): 146-151.

Egner PA, JG Chen, JB Wang, Y Wu, Y Sun,  JH Lu, J Zhu, YH Zhang, YS Chen, MD Friesen, LP Jacobson, A Muñoz, D Ng, GS Qian, YR Zhu, TY Chen, NP Botting, Q Zhang, JW Fahey, P Talalay, JD Groopman and TW Kensler.  (2011) Bioavailability of sulforaphane from two forms of broccoli sprout beverage: Results of a short term, cross-over clinical trial in Qidong, People’s Republic of China.  Cancer Prevention Research 4(3): 384-395.

Rodriguez-Cantu, L, J Gutierrez-Uribe, J Arreola-Vucovich, R Diaz de la Garza, JW Fahey and S Serna-Saldivar. (2010) Broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica) sprouts and extracts rich in glucosinolates and isothiocyanates affect cholesterol metabolism and genes involved on lipid homeostasis in hamsters.  Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 59(4): 1095-1103.

Bhattacharya A, Y Li, KL Wade, JD Paonessa, JW Fahey and Y Zhang. (2010) Allyl isothiocyanate-rich mustard seed powder inhibits bladder cancer growth and muscle invasion.  Carcinogenesis 31(12): 2105-2110.

Dinkova-Kostova, AT, JW Fahey, AL Benedict, SN Jenkins, L Ye, SL Wehage and P Talalay. (2010) Dietary glucoraphanin-rich broccoli sprout extracts protect against UV radiation-induced skin carcinogenesis in SKH-1 hairless mice.  Photochemical and Photobiological Sciences 9: 597-600.

Yanaka A, JW Fahey, A Fukumoto, M Nakayama, S Inoue, S Zhang, M Tauchi, H Suzuki, I Hyodo and M Yamamoto. (2009) Dietary sulforaphane-rich broccoli sprouts reduce colonization and attenuate gastritis in Helicobacter pylori-infected mice and humans.  Cancer Prevention Research 2(4): 353-360.

Lee SL, KL Stephenson, JW Fahey, TL Parsons, PL Lietman, AA Andrade, X Lei, H Yun, GH Soon, P Shen, S Danishefsky and C Flexner. (2009) Induction of chemoprotective phase 2 enzymes by ginseng and its components.  Planta Medica 75: 1-5.

Doerr, B, KL Wade, KK Stephenson, SB Reed, and JW Fahey. (2009) Cultivar effect on Moringa oleifera glucosinolate content and taste: A pilot study.  Ecology of Food and Nutrition 48: 199-211.

Thurber, M and JW Fahey. (2009) Adoption of Moringa oleifera to combat under-nutrition viewed through the lens of the 'Diffusion of Innovations' theory. Ecology of Food and Nutrition 48: 212-225.

Healy, ZR, AT Dinkova-Kostova, SL Wehage, RE Thompson, JW Fahey and P Talalay. (2009) Precise determination of the erythema response of human skin to ultraviolet radiation and quantification of effects of protectors.  Photodermatology, Photoimmunology & Photomedicine. 25: 45-50.

Ng, F, H Yun, X Lei, SJ Danishefsky, JW Fahey, KK Stephenson, C Flexner and L Lee.  (2008) (3R,9R,10R)-Panaxytriol: a molecular-based nutraceutical with possible application to cancer prevention and treatment.  Tetrahedron Letters 49: 7178-7179.

Farag, TH, JW Fahey, SS Khalfan and JM Tielsch. (2008) Diet as a factor in unexpectedly low prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection.  Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 102(11): 1164-1165.

Dinkova-Kostova, AT, JW Fahey, SN Jenkins, SL Wehage and P Talalay. (2008) Rapid body weight gain increases the risk of ultraviolet radiation-induced skin carcinogenesis in SKH-1 hairless mice.  Nutrition Research 28(8): 539-543.

Dinkova-Kostova, AT, SN Jenkins, SL Wehage, DL Huso, AL Benedict, KK Stephenson, JW Fahey, H Liu, KT Liby, T Honda, GW Gribble, MB Sporn and P Talalay. (2008) A dicyano-triterpenoid induces cytoprotective enzymes and reduces multiplicity of skin tumors in UV-irradiated mice.  Biochem Biophys Res Commun 367: 859-865.

Munday, R, P Mhawech-Fauceglia, CM Munday, JD Paonessa, L Tang, JS Munday, C Lister, P Wilson, JW Fahey, W Davis and Y Zhang.  (2008) Inhibition of urinary bladder carcinogenesis by broccoli sprouts. Cancer Res. 68(5): 1593-1600.

Fahey JW and KK Stephenson. (2007) Can fresh vegetable sprouts be produced for human consumption in areas with poor water quality? A pilot study. Trees for Life Journal 2:1.

Fahey JW and TW Kensler. (2007) Role of dietary supplements/nutraceuticals in chemoprevention through induction of cytoprotective enzymes. Chemical Research in Toxicology. 20: 572-576.

Dinkova-Kostova AT, JW Fahey, KL Wade, SN Jenkins, TA Shapiro, EJ Fuchs, and P Talalay. (2007) Induction of the phase 2 response in mouse and human skin by sulforaphane-containing broccoli sprout extracts. Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev. 16(4): 847-851.

Cornblatt BS, Ye L, Dinkova-Kostova AT, Erb M, Fahey JW, Singh NK, Chen MS, Stierer T, Garrett-Meyer E, Argani P, Davidson NE, Talalay P, Kensler TW, Visvanathan K. (2007) Preclinical and clinical evaluation of sulforaphane for chemoprevention in the breast. Carcinogenesis. 28(7): 1485-1490.

Wade KL, IJ Garrard, JW Fahey. (2007) Improved hydrophilic interaction chromatography method for the identification and quantification of glucosinolates. J. Chrom. A. 1154: 469-472.

Talalay, P, Fahey, JW, Healy, ZR, Wehage, SL, Benedict, AL, Min, C, Dinkova-Kostova, AT (2007) Sulforaphane mobilizes cellular defenses that protect skin against damage by UV radiation. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 104: 17500-17505.

Dinkova-Kostova AT, SN Jenkins, JW Fahey, L Ye, SL Wehage, KT Liby, KK Stephenson, KL Wade, and P Talalay. (2006) Protection against UV-light-induced skin carcinogenesis in SKH-1 high-risk mice by sulforaphane containing broccoli sprout extracts. Cancer Letters 240: 243-252.