Inherited non-coding variants shaping breast cancer risk and therapy response
Official title: Dissecting the Role of Inherited Non-Coding Variants in the Enhancer Architecture of Breast Cancer
Funded at Comprehensive Cancer Center/ Univ/pr · NIH-11461382 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This grant studies how inherited non-coding DNA variants influence breast cancer risk and treatment response, with initial focus on gene regulation and ancestry-related differences.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Comprehensive Cancer Center/ Univ/pr NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Juan, United States) |
| Project start | August 27, 2026 |
| Project end | July 31, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $591,360 |
| NIH project number | 1R01CA316861-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11461382 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Individuals with breast cancer or at elevated risk, particularly of diverse ancestral backgrounds, may participate through data/sample contributions and eventual translational extensions.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals without breast cancer or genetic data may not directly benefit unless participating in future translational steps.
What this research studies
This project aims to understand how inherited non-coding genetic differences affect enhancer activity and how they alter FOXA1-driven regulation in breast cancer. By examining how these variants change transcriptional control, the work will explore why cancer risk and therapy responses vary across populations. The research will use genomic, bioinformatic, and functional assays to map variant effects on FOXA1 and its interaction with NFκB, linking genetic ancestry to regulatory changes. Outcomes could reveal targets for more precise therapies and help explain disparities in breast cancer outcomes. The work is anchored in human breast cancer biology, with analyses that may eventually inform patient-specific risk assessment or treatment decisions.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: findings could lead to more personalized risk assessment and improved endocrine therapy strategies for diverse patient groups.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies show that non-coding variants can affect gene regulation and cancer risk, supporting the potential for impactful findings in this area.
Where this research is happening
-
Comprehensive Cancer Center/ Univ/pr
San Juan, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Franco, Hector Luis — Comprehensive Cancer Center/ Univ/pr
- Study coordinator: Franco, Hector Luis
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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.