Kaiso protein as a predictor of aggressive breast cancer in women of African ancestry
The Role of Kaiso as a predictive breast cancer biomarker in Africa and across the African Diaspora
This project looks at whether the protein Kaiso can help predict breast cancer outcomes for women of African ancestry.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Columbia University Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11179212 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you join, researchers will examine tumor tissue to see where the protein Kaiso is located inside cancer cells and link that pattern to how the cancer behaves. They will use tissue and clinical data from women in Africa and across the African diaspora and compare Kaiso patterns to treatment response and survival. Laboratory tests will include microscopic analysis and molecular markers related to extracellular vesicles and the tumor immune environment. The goal is to validate earlier findings in larger, diverse groups of patients so doctors can use the information in care decisions.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Women of African ancestry with a breast cancer diagnosis who can provide tumor tissue or clinical data, including participants from Africa and the African diaspora, are the ideal candidates.
Not a fit: People without breast cancer, patients whose tumors cannot be sampled, or individuals not part of the enrolled African or African-diaspora cohorts are unlikely to benefit directly.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help doctors identify which breast cancers in women of African ancestry are more likely to be aggressive, improving treatment choices and outcomes.
How similar studies have performed: Preliminary work from this team has linked Kaiso's cellular location to worse survival and poorer therapy response, but broad validation across African and diaspora cohorts is a new step.
Where this research is happening
New York, United States
- Columbia University Health Sciences — New York, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Gardner, Kevin L. — Columbia University Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Gardner, Kevin L.
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 below.