How African ancestry may shape immune responses in triple-negative breast cancer
Official title: The DARC side of Breast Cancer Disparities - African Ancestry and Cancer- Related Immune Response
Funded at Morehouse School of Medicine · NIH-11176028 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at whether genetic ancestry from West Africa changes tumor and immune behavior in women with triple-negative breast cancer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Morehouse School of Medicine NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Atlanta, United States) |
| Project start | September 23, 2021 |
| Project end | August 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $428,497 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA259396-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11176028 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are people with triple-negative breast cancer, especially those with West African genetic ancestry (including African, African American, and Afro-Caribbean backgrounds) who can provide tumor tissue or clinical data.
✕Less likely to help
People without triple-negative breast cancer or those seeking an immediate change in clinical treatment are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this research.
What this research studies
If you have triple-negative breast cancer, researchers will compare tumor tissue and immune signals from people with West African ancestry to those from other ancestries. They will use multi-omics methods including gene expression and protein profiling alongside immune cell analyses to identify ancestry-linked patterns. The study includes cases from African regions as well as African American and Afro-Caribbean groups to capture diverse ancestry backgrounds. The team aims to link ancestry-associated gene expression with proteomic data to define new tumor phenotypes and immune-response signatures that may relate to outcomes.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could clarify why TNBC outcomes differ by ancestry and point to immune-related markers or targets that help personalize diagnosis or treatment.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies have linked West African ancestry to higher TNBC risk and immune differences, but combining ancestry-linked gene expression with proteomics to define tumor immune phenotypes is a novel approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Morehouse School of Medicine
Atlanta, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Davis, Melissa B — Morehouse School of Medicine
- Study coordinator: Davis, Melissa B
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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.