# Pilot Research Project: Evaluating Black and African American Breast Cancer Populations  for Therapeutic Targeting of Aberrant p53, MDM2, MDMX, and PARP signaling

> **NIH NIH U54** · TEMPLE UNIV OF THE COMMONWEALTH · 2024 · $188,112

## Abstract

Project Summary
Evaluating Black and African American Breast Cancer Populations for Therapeutic
 Targeting of Aberrant p53, MDM2, MDMX, and PARP signaling
HC: Jill Bargonetti, PhD (Co-Leader)
TUFCCC: Denise Connolly, PhD (Co-Leader)
Partnerships are needed to break the systemic barriers that have limited systematic and ethical
biological research on the underpinnings of aggressive triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) in
Black Americans of African Ancestry (AA). Our U54 partnership increases the ability to study
understudied biomarkers in order to improve screening and treatment options. This U54 pilot
project brings together teams of established scientists at Hunter College (HC) and Temple
University Fox Chase Cancer Center (TUFCCC) to analyze already available AA patient breast
cancer samples for screening highly probable aggressive breast cancer biomarkers that may
facilitate targeted treatments for AA TNBCs. Moreover, the team will mentor underrepresented
students from HC with cross-institutional exposure to different state of the art scientific platform
to Address Cancer Health Equity in training as well as research objectives. The primary goal of
this project is to determine if PARP inhibitor (PARPi) therapeutics can be expanded,
beyond the mutant BRCA1 cohorts, to Black/AA cohorts with mtp53/MDM2/MDMX/PARP
biomarkers. We will educate the Black/AA community about breast cancer biomarkers and will
empower them to ask biomarker-based questions during diagnosis and treatment. The aims are
the following. 1) To compare the expression of MDM2, MDMX, mtp53 and PARP in breast cancer
(BC) tumors from AA and EA patients. We will construct (BC) tissue microarrays (TMAs) from
retrospectively collected tumors from 125 AA and 125 EA patients. TMAs will be stained for
MDM2, MDMX, p53 and PARP. 2) We will test the driver roles of the MDM2/MDMX-mtp53-PARP
for targeting BCs with PARPi therapies in cell culture and xenograft mouse models. We will work
with the Community Outreach Core to educate community about breast cancer biomarkers
Break Systemic Barriers to Inclusion: This study directly addresses systemic barriers of AA
women as an understudied cohort for biological determinants of TNBC. We are collating TUFCCC
BC AA samples, with the goal of identifying potential targeted therapeutic options to reduce breast
cancer disparities. Completion of this work will provide insights on critical breast cancer
biomarkers mtp53/MDM2/MDMX/PARP in Black/AAs and will educate the next generation of
under-represented scientists.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10931749
- **Project number:** 5U54CA221705-07
- **Recipient organization:** TEMPLE UNIV OF THE COMMONWEALTH
- **Principal Investigator:** DENISE C CONNOLLY
- **Activity code:** U54 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $188,112
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-09-19 → 2028-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10931749

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10931749, Pilot Research Project: Evaluating Black and African American Breast Cancer Populations  for Therapeutic Targeting of Aberrant p53, MDM2, MDMX, and PARP signaling (5U54CA221705-07). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10931749. Licensed CC0.

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