How African ancestry shapes the immune response 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-11398718 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are comparing tumor immune signals in women with West African ancestry who have triple-negative breast cancer to find ancestry-linked patterns.
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) | $15,000 |
| NIH project number | 3R01CA259396-05S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11398718 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Women with triple-negative breast cancer who have West African genetic ancestry (including African, African American, and Afro-Caribbean backgrounds) and who can provide tumor samples and medical information.
✕Less likely to help
People without triple-negative breast cancer, without West African ancestry, or those unable to provide tissue or clinical data are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this work.
What this research studies
If you join, researchers will work with tumor tissue and blood from women with West African ancestry, including African, African American, and Afro-Caribbean participants with triple-negative breast cancer. They will use genetic tests, gene expression profiling, and protein-level (proteomic) analyses to look for immune-related differences tied to ancestry. The team will compare tumor immune cell patterns and inflammatory signals across populations to define distinct tumor-immune microenvironments. The work combines samples from African regions and admixed communities to find signals that could help explain disparities in outcomes.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could reveal ancestry-linked immune markers that guide better tailored treatments and improve outcomes for women with triple-negative breast cancer.
How similar studies have gone: Prior research has shown higher TNBC risk and some immune differences in women with West African ancestry, but directly linking ancestry-specific gene expression with proteomic tumor immune profiles 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.