CHECKUP UCLA SCIENTISTS MAKE PROGRESS ON LYMPHOMAS.

Byline: - Staff and Wire Services

Scientists at UCLA's Jonsson Cancer Center have developed the world's first animal model for a common form of lymphoma, a discovery that may lead to a better understanding of the genetic mutations that cause these types of cancers.

Three types of non-Hodgkins lymphomas - Burkitt-like lymphoma, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and follicular center cell lymphoma - grew out of Dr. Mike Teitell's animal model.

The research team will examine why these three forms arose in the same genetic background. Teitell theorizes that there may be different cell pathways - highways that cells use to send signals - involved in the three different types of lymphoma. If the pathways can be identified, the team can attempt to block them with new drugs. The idea is to interrupt the cell signal that triggers the genetic mutation and causes the cancer to grow.

About 60,000 Americans will develop lymphomas and 26,000 will die of them this year, according to the American Cancer Society.

STUFF YOURSELF: Your Thanksgiving table may be laden with more than turkey and the trimmings - it may be rich in disease-fighting antioxidants, too.

It isn't necessarily in the dishes you would expect, such as sweet potatoes or cranberries, but in the stuffing.

German researchers have discovered that during the baking of bread, an antioxidant called pronyl-lysine is created, especially in the crust.

``(Pronyl-lysine) is more present in the crust because you need higher temperatures to generate that compound,'' says study author Thomas Hofmann, a professor and head of the Institute for Food Chemistry at the University of Muenster.

Antioxidants are healthful compounds found in many foods. Vitamins C and E are two examples of antioxidants. These compounds are believed to help fight cancer and other diseases, according to the American Dietetic Association.

Hofmann and his colleagues analyzed a sourdough bread mixture that contained rye and wheat flour, and discovered the pronyl-lysine after baking. The antioxidant was not present in the flour used to make the bread.

The antioxidant is created during a chemical reaction between the amino acid L-lysine and starch and sugars in the bread. This same reaction causes the crust to have a darker color than the rest of the bread, Hoffmann says.

Pronyl-lysine is also found in malt as well as in beer. The antioxidant is present in higher amounts in dark bread and beer, Hofmann says.

The next step in the research is to learn if the antioxidant is actually absorbed into the blood during digestion, where it might be able to help fight disease. The researchers are currently conducting animal tests to see if this occurs.

Of course, this doesn't mean you can gorge yourself with stuffing on Thanksgiving, guilt-free. Most recipes contain lots of butter and gravy, too.

A CUT FOR A CAUSE: D. Miller Salon in Studio City will donate the proceeds from haircuts and many other services performed Sunday afternoon to breast cancer research at the City of Hope, one of the leading research and treatment centers for cancer. The HopeCuts benefit will be held between noon and 4 p.m. The salon is at 12180 Ventura Blvd. Call [phone] to make an appointment.