PDAC subtypes and racial disparities in pancreatic cancer
Official title: Research Project 1 PDAC Molecular Subtypes Contribute to Cancer Health Disparities
Funded at Virginia Commonwealth University · NIH-11395453 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how pancreatic cancer behaves differently across racial groups and aims to uncover molecular patterns that could lead to better, tailored treatments.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Virginia Commonwealth University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Richmond, United States) |
| Project start | July 19, 2023 |
| Project end | June 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $207,255 |
| NIH project number | 5U54CA283762-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11395453 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
PDAC patients and tumor samples from Black, White, and Latino/Hispanic individuals.
✕Less likely to help
Patients whose tumors do not fit the identified subtypes or who are not represented in the collected samples may see limited direct benefit.
What this research studies
Researchers will study pancreatic cancer tumors from diverse patients to identify molecular subtypes linked to race. Using advanced mass spectrometry, they have already found four PDAC subtypes and race-specific protein signatures, and they will explore how these differences relate to treatment responses. The work focuses on translating these molecular insights into potential therapeutic targets to overcome chemoresistance in Black patients and other groups. The study involves analysis of tumor samples and associated data to understand why outcomes differ and how therapies can be more effective for everyone. This grant supports expertise, data analysis, and collaboration needed to move from discovery to potential clinical impact.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the research could lead to race-informed therapeutic targets and improved treatments for PDAC patients.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work in other cancers has shown that molecular subtypes can guide targeted therapies, supporting potential benefits in PDAC with further validation.
Where this research is happening
-
Virginia Commonwealth University
Richmond, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Woods, Nicholas Taylor — Virginia Commonwealth University
- Study coordinator: Woods, Nicholas Taylor
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Targeting epigenomic regulators to assault pancreatic cancer replication stress
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-
Neoantigen vaccines in pancreatic cancer: overcoming resistance to improve immune responses
This grant supports testing advanced neoantigen vaccines in pancreatic cancer to boost patients' immune responses and potentially improve outcomes.
-
CD11b-activating drug to make pancreatic cancer respond to immunotherapy
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-
Targeting autophagy to treat KRAS-mutant pancreatic cancer
This grant explores using approved drugs to block autophagy in KRAS-mutant pancreatic cancer to improve treatment outcomes.
-
Reprogramming PDAC stroma by targeting blood clotting in the tumor environment
A cancer research grant aimed at turning the tough, fibrous pancreatic cancer environment into one that helps treatments work better and supports the body’s immune response.
-
Understanding paracrine signals in pancreatic cancer to improve drug delivery
A patient-focused look at how the tumor’s signaling networks affect treatment delivery in pancreatic cancer and how targeting these networks could help therapies reach tumors more effectively.
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.