Trevecca Student Participates in Cancer Cell Research

NASHVILLE, TN (03/20/2013)(readMedia)--  Anthony Dikhtyar, a biology and chemistry major at Trevecca Nazarene University, is participating in a research study of cancer cells as part of his biology studies at Trevecca Nazarene University. Dikhtyar became interested in the cancer research program after taking a molecular biology course at Trevecca.

The research that Dikhtyar and his classmates are doing is focused on the effects of frankincense oil on breast cancer cells. For their research, they are using an MDA231 cancer cell line. Dikhtyar said, "We hope to learn more about the chemical pathways that cause apoptosis in breast cancer cells upon exposure to the boswellic acid in frankincense oil."

Dikhtyar is part of a four-person student research team. When the students complete their research, they plan to write an account of their research and submit it for publication in a biology journal. They hope that their research experience will result in summer jobs in research institutions and will contribute to their preparation for careers in medicine-related fields.

Dikhtyar, a senior at Trevecca, lives in Brentwood, Tennessee and is the son of Val and Liya Dikhtyar.