Firefighter Sulforaphane Pilot Study

Funding: San Francisco Firefighters Cancer Prevention Foundation

Principal Investigator: Jackie Goodrich, PhD

Project Coordinator: Elisabeth Hoornaert

Goal:

The purpose of this research study is to better understand potential health effects of sulforaphane supplementation. Sulforaphane naturally occurs in broccoli and has properties that may affect levels of toxic exposures in the body and risk from these exposures. We are interested in whether sulforaphane supplementation can affect biological markers of health including epigenetic aging and inflammatory markers in firefighters. We will do this by comparing firefighters taking sulforaphane supplementation to firefighters not taking sulforaphane supplementation.

Specific Aims

Aim 1: Collect data from firefighters before and after sulforaphane supplementation. We will enroll firefighters into the FFCCS, and half will be provided with a daily sulforaphane supplement through a program offered at their fire department. We will collect information and samples from firefighters again after 3 months of supplementation.  

Aim 2: Epigenetic analyses. We will profile DNA methylation in blood leukocyte samples collected at enrollment and follow-up in both groups. From these data, we will: a) compare epigenetic age acceleration over time and b) DNA methylation at genes known to be responsive to firefighting exposures and/or important for cancer risk, inflammation, and oxidative stress.

Aim 3: Inflammation. We will assess C-reactive protein levels at enrollment and follow-up and compare across groups.

Anticipated Impact

We hypothesize that participants taking the supplement will have decelerated epigenetic age and reduced C-reactive protein levels at follow-up compared to enrollment. This is a pilot study and not a randomized controlled trial. Results will be used to inform larger efforts to test sulforaphane supplementation as a health protective agent in the future in the fire service.

Study Updates

  • Firefighters from the San Francisco Fire Department have been enrolled into the study.