Interaction Between the Inflammatory Microenvironment and Somatic Genomic Alterations as a Driver of Prostate Cancer Aggressiveness in African American Men
Abstract
African American (AA) men are more likely to be diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer and are nearly 2.5 times more likely to die from the disease than white (WH) men. This disparity cannot be fully accounted for by disparities in access to care, financial barriers, and socioeconomic status -- indicating that the increased mortality of AA men due to prostate cancer may also be due to distinctive characteristics of the tumors of AA men. The reason for differences in the aggressiveness of prostate cancer in AA men may be multifactorial and may include hereditary factors, diet and lifestyle factors, and environmental exposures. A very consistent finding in previous studies conducted on prostate cancer tissues from AA versus WH men is an indication that chronic inflammation of the prostate may be more prevalent in tumors from AA men than those of WH men. Chronic inflammation is well known to contribute to both tumor development and progression in other forms of cancer. In addition, we now know that key changes that occur in a person s DNA (e.g., "genomic alterations") that are specifically altered in advanced prostate cancer occur at differing frequency in AA and WH men, potentially contributing to disparities in cancer outcomes. These combined observations form the basis for our current research proposal, in which we aim to uncover both immune and genomic components -- and their potential interactions -- that contribute to prostate cancer aggressiveness specifically in AA men. In the near term, the results of these studies stand to reveal a tremendous amount of information regarding the biology driving PCa aggressiveness and disparities in clinical outcomes in AA men. In the long term, understanding the interaction between chronic inflammation and somatic tumor genetics may help to identify subsets of AA men with PCa that could benefit from promising immune modulatory therapies.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Aug 07, 2017
- Source ID
- W81XWH1710286
Entities
People
- Karen S Sfanos
Organizations
- Johns Hopkins University
- United States Army