ZIA CP010201 10571 (ZIA) | |||
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Title | Genetic and Molecular Analysis of Bladder Cancer and Virally-Induced Cancers | ||
Institution | NCI, Bethesda, MD | ||
Principal Investigator | Prokunina, Ludmila | NCI Program Director | N/A |
Cancer Activity | N/A | Division | DCEG |
Funded Amount | $587,487 | Project Dates | null - null |
Fiscal Year | 2018 | Project Type | Intramural |
Research Topics w/ Percent Relevance | Cancer Types w/ Percent Relevance | ||
Biochemical Epidemiology (45.0%) Cancer (100.0%) |
Bladder (50.0%) Breast (10.0%) Liver Cancer (30.0%) Prostate (10.0%) |
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Research Type | |||
Exogenous Factors in the Origin and Cause of Cancer Endogenous Factors in the Origin and Cause of Cancer |
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Abstract | |||
Recent genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified multiple common inherited genetic susceptibility factors that may play a role in a variety of human diseases and outcomes. The primary goal of my research is to identify the functional links between these genetic associations and molecular phenotypes. My laboratory uses a wide range of methods including DNA sequencing and genotyping, RNA sequencing, statistical imputation, protein expression studies, DNA-protein interaction analysis, cell culture, and epigenetic studies to identify relevant functional mechanisms that may account for cancer susceptibility. The first line of my work is on post-GWAS follow-up studies on bladder cancer. Of 15 GWAS susceptibility regions identified for bladder cancer, my laboratory worked through and published conclusive results on 5 regions - UGT1A cluster at 2q37, PSCA gene at 8q24.2 and SLC14A21 region at 18q12.3, CCNE1 at 19q12 and APOBEC region at 22q13.1. The work on additional bladder cancer GWAS regions is in progress. The second line of my research is on genetics of cancer and immunity. Recently, my laboratory has discovered a novel human interferon, IFN-lambda 4, which is created by a genetic variant strongly associated with outcome of HCV infection and treatment (clearance or non-clearance). I am exploring this gene, its genetic variants and several protein isoforms in relation to infections and cancer. Specifically, I am interested in the role of IFNL4 in proliferation and progression to liver cancer and clinical applications of the laboratory findings. |