Targeting how racial differences shape PDAC biology to reduce disparities
Official title: Targeting subtype specification as a driver of PDAC health disparities
Funded at University of Nebraska Medical Center · NIH-11354410 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This grant seeks to understand why pancreatic cancer behaves differently among Black patients and to identify new ways to tailor treatments for those disparities.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Nebraska Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Omaha, United States) |
| Project start | June 10, 2026 |
| Project end | May 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $394,687 |
| NIH project number | 1R21CA313739-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11354410 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, including patients identified as Black/African ancestry and White patients, whose tumor samples can be analyzed.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without access to tumor samples or those not matching the racial focus may not benefit directly.
What this research studies
The project uses proteomics and molecular analysis of PDAC tumors from diverse patients to find distinct tumor subtypes that correlate with race. By comparing Black and White patients’ tumors, researchers aim to uncover unique molecular features that drive chemoresistance and poorer outcomes. The work builds on past findings of four PDAC subtypes and will examine whether disparity-related factors shift subtype prevalence or biology. Results could point to new targets and strategies that improve treatment effectiveness for historically underserved groups.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to more effective, race-informed treatment approaches for PDAC and help reduce survival gaps.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies have identified PDAC subtypes and race-associated proteomic differences, suggesting potential for targeted approaches, though disparity-focused analyses are still emerging.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Nebraska Medical Center
Omaha, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Woods, Nicholas Taylor — University of Nebraska Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Woods, Nicholas Taylor
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Targeting epigenomic regulators to assault pancreatic cancer replication stress
This research tests a new way to treat pancreatic cancer by blocking key epigenetic regulators during DNA replication to make cancer cells less able to cope with replication stress.
-
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
A study to see if a CD11b-activating drug (GB1275) can help pancreatic cancer patients respond better to immunotherapy when combined with standard chemotherapy and PD-1 blockers.
-
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.