DNA methylation and aggressive prostate cancer in Puerto Rican men
Official title: Epigenetic variations associated with aggressiveness in prostate cancer among Puerto Rican men
Funded at Ponce School of Medicine · NIH-11169912 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are looking at chemical tags on genes in prostate tumors from Puerto Rican men to find markers linked to more aggressive, treatment-resistant cancer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Ponce School of Medicine NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Ponce, United States) |
| Project start | September 25, 2012 |
| Project end | August 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $144,604 |
| NIH project number | 5U54CA163071-13 |
| Project ID | NIH-11169912 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Men of Puerto Rican ancestry with a prostate cancer diagnosis who can provide tumor or blood samples or have existing samples in a biobank are the best fit.
✕Less likely to help
People without prostate cancer, or patients whose tumors are from very different ancestries and not represented in the study, are unlikely to see direct benefit.
What this research studies
If you participate, researchers will examine DNA methylation (chemical tags that turn genes on or off) in tumor and blood samples from Puerto Rican men with prostate cancer. They will compare those methylation patterns to gene activity and to genetic ancestry (population admixture) to see if links exist with drug response and cancer aggressiveness. The team will compare local samples with larger datasets from Florida biobanks, MCC, and TCGA to find consistent signals. The goal is to find biomarkers that help explain why some tumors behave worse in this population.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could help identify markers that lead to earlier detection of aggressive prostate cancer or inform treatment choices for Puerto Rican men.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies have found DNA methylation marks linked to aggressive prostate cancer, but findings need validation in Puerto Rican and other underrepresented populations.
Where this research is happening
-
Ponce School of Medicine
Ponce, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ortiz, Carmen M — Ponce School of Medicine
- Study coordinator: Ortiz, Carmen M
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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.