Alcohol-Associated Toxicity and Genomic Instability in Mammary Stem Cells
Official title: Project 3: Alcohol-Associated Toxicity and Genomic Instability of Mammary Stem Cells
Funded at North Carolina Central University · NIH-11416835 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This grant studies how alcohol may damage breast stem cells and trigger cancer-like changes, aiming to uncover how drinking could start breast cancer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | North Carolina Central University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Durham, United States) |
| Project start | September 20, 2022 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $198,976 |
| NIH project number | 5U54AA030451-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11416835 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are individuals at risk for breast cancer or with a family history who are interested in how lifestyle factors like alcohol consumption influence cancer development.
✕Less likely to help
People without risk factors for breast cancer or those who do not consume alcohol may derive less direct benefit from this basic mechanistic research.
What this research studies
Researchers will examine how acetaldehyde from alcohol exposure affects mammary stem cells grown in advanced 3D cultures, looking for DNA damage and genomic instability that could lead to cancer. They will focus on mutations in key genes like p53 and changes in chromosome structure that may promote cancer initiation. Using human-relevant cell models and other supporting systems, the study seeks to map how alcohol-driven molecular events translate into early cancerous transformation. The work builds on prior findings of DNA damage and cancer stem cell changes in breast cancer cell lines to test this mechanism in MaSCs.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the study could identify the cell targets and molecular steps by which alcohol contributes to breast cancer initiation, informing prevention and risk reduction.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work has shown alcohol-related DNA damage and cancer stem cell dynamics in breast cancer models, but this project aims to connect these findings specifically to MaSCs in 3D culture.
Where this research is happening
-
North Carolina Central University
Durham, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Yang, Xiaohe — North Carolina Central University
- Study coordinator: Yang, Xiaohe
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.