Proteins linked to breast cancer risk

Identification of proteins for breast cancer risk: an integrative epidemiologic and genomic study

NIH-funded research Vanderbilt University Medical Center · NIH-11175424

This project looks for proteins in breast tissue that may explain why some women develop breast cancer by combining protein and genetic data from many people.

Quick facts

Grant typeR01 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionVanderbilt University Medical Center NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Nashville, United States)
Project IDNIH-11175424 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

Researchers will analyze proteins in more than 5,000 normal breast tissue samples from the Susan G. Komen Tissue Bank and compare those results with proteomics from about 125 breast tumor samples in the Clinical Proteomic Tumor Analysis Consortium. They will integrate these proteomic measurements with genome-wide genetic data from roughly 427,000 cases and controls to see which genetic risk signals correspond to changes in protein levels. By linking genetic variants to protein levels, the team aims to identify the specific proteins that drive breast cancer risk across diverse ancestries. These findings would point to biological mechanisms and possible targets for future risk tests, prevention strategies, or treatments.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Ideal participants would be women willing to donate breast tissue or genetic data, including people from African and Asian ancestries to improve diverse representation.

Not a fit: People seeking immediate clinical treatment for breast cancer are unlikely to get direct, short-term benefit from this research.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal protein markers that improve risk prediction and suggest new targets for prevention or therapy.

How similar studies have performed: Transcriptome and proteogenomic work has suggested some candidate genes, but directly linking proteins to breast cancer risk in large diverse samples is relatively new.

Where this research is happening

Nashville, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.