Oral HPV-related mouth and throat cancer risk in people with HIV in Nigeria
Official title: Epigenetic study of oral HPV infection-associated oral cancer in people living with HIV in Nigeria
Funded at Northwestern University · NIH-11167776 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks for DNA changes in mouth samples that could help spot and predict HPV-related mouth and throat cancers in people living with HIV in Nigeria.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Northwestern University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chicago, United States) |
| Project start | September 16, 2022 |
| Project end | August 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $539,229 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA274952-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11167776 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are people living with HIV in Nigeria, especially those with oral HPV infection or visible oral/oropharyngeal lesions who can attend clinic visits.
✕Less likely to help
People without HIV, those outside the study locations in Nigeria, or individuals whose cancers are not caused by HPV are unlikely to directly benefit from this project.
What this research studies
You would be invited to give oral samples and possibly small biopsies and to attend follow-up visits while researchers test for HPV and for DNA methylation changes (epigenetic markers) in those samples. The team will compare findings from people with and without HPV and with and without oral lesions to see which markers signal higher cancer risk. They will follow participants over time to link those markers with later development of oral or oropharyngeal cancer. The goal is to use those markers to guide better prevention and earlier detection for people living with HIV.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to tests that detect HPV-related mouth and throat cancers earlier in people with HIV, enabling earlier treatment and better outcomes.
How similar studies have gone: DNA methylation biomarkers have shown promise in other cancers and some head and neck cancer research, but applying them specifically to HPV-related oral cancers in people with HIV is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
Northwestern University
Chicago, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Hou, Lifang — Northwestern University
- Study coordinator: Hou, Lifang
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Epigenetics of oral HPV-related mouth and throat cancer in people with HIV in Nigeria
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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.