A genetic score for how your body breaks down nicotine and links to lung cancer risk
CYP2A6 genetic score, nicotine metabolism and lung cancer
A genetic score that predicts how quickly smokers break down nicotine is being used to explain differences in lung cancer risk among people from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds.
Quick facts
| Grant type | P01 program project |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Minnesota NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Minneapolis, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11180286 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you smoke, researchers will use DNA and nicotine metabolism measures already collected from people in a large U.S. multiethnic cohort to build a CYP2A6 genetic score that predicts nicotine clearance. They will carefully determine each person's CYP2A6 gene variants, which is technically challenging because the gene has many similar copies and different variant patterns across racial and ethnic groups. The team will then compare that genetic score with who later developed lung cancer among ever-smokers to see whether metabolism speed relates to cancer risk. The project focuses on improving accuracy across racial and ethnic groups so the results apply to people from diverse backgrounds.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are people who have ever smoked and who have DNA or biospecimens in large cohort studies, especially those from diverse racial and ethnic groups such as African American participants.
Not a fit: People who never smoked, have very limited smoking history, or do not have genetic/biospecimen data are unlikely to benefit directly from this work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help identify smokers at higher lung cancer risk and support more personalized prevention, screening, or quitting strategies.
How similar studies have performed: Previous research has linked CYP2A6 activity and nicotine metabolism biomarkers to lung cancer risk, but creating an accurate multiethnic genetic score is a newer and still-developing approach.
Where this research is happening
Minneapolis, United States
- University of Minnesota — Minneapolis, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Murphy, Sharon E — University of Minnesota
- Study coordinator: Murphy, Sharon E
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.