# Characterization of metastasis models derived from breast cancer patients of African descent

> **NIH NIH R21** · VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY · 2022 · $181,448

## Abstract

Project Summary: Breast cancers arise in one out of eight women and account for ~40,000 deaths each year
in the United States. There are different types of breast tumors with varied treatment options and outcomes.
Triple-negative breast cancers (TNBC) lack estrogen and progesterone receptors (ER and PR), do not express
the HER2 oncogene, and are known to be highly metastatic. Since they lack ER, they cannot be targeted with
antiestrogens, and by not having amplified HER2, the drugs that target this protein are ineffective. People that
are of African ancestry (AA) are two-to-three times as likely to be diagnosed with basal-like TNBC than people
of European ancestry, which is a major disparity and contributes to a significantly poor prognosis. Given that
genetic factors have been identified which portend poor outcomes in AA patients, we hypothesize that AA
derived tumor cells have unique susceptibilities which can be exploited for therapeutic benefit. The goal of this
R21 project is to refine metastasis models systems derived from people of AA as they are currently lacking in
abundance and determine novel therapeutic options that may best benefit them. The proposal will (1) develop
trackable metastasis models from AA TNBC patient-derived xenografts, (2) define their organ tropism, (3)
genomically characterize them at the single-cell level, and (4) identify and test therapeutics which may be
beneficial in addition to standard of care chemotherapeutics. The study is innovative through its multifaceted
approach and significant as it will directly address a major disparity and provide options for expanded testing
of therapeutics that could be utilized in the clinic immediately. The expected outcome of these efforts is that we
will develop model systems that can be shared with the broader research community and identify genomic
features that are activated in metastases and can be targeted. Achieving these goals will have a positive impact
on disparities research and breast cancer treatment.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10510244
- **Project number:** 1R21CA273779-01
- **Recipient organization:** VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Joshua (Chuck) Harrell
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $181,448
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2022-08-01 → 2024-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10510244

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10510244, Characterization of metastasis models derived from breast cancer patients of African descent (1R21CA273779-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10510244. Licensed CC0.

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