# Pilot Project 2: Comprehensive characterization of tumor-immune interaction in cancer patients with African ancestry

> **NIH NIH U54** · CITY COLLEGE OF NEW YORK · 2024 · $47,100

## Abstract

Project Summary
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among the African American population. Although many
actionable biomarkers and targeted treatments are available to significantly prolong lung cancer survival, patients
of non-European ancestry are less likely to undergo next-generation sequencing testing than their white
counterparts. Our preliminary analysis based on real-world, observational data of clinical tumor sequencing show
that although patients with African ancestry are enriched in tobacco smoking-induced mutational processes,
there is an enrichment of TP53 and depletion of KRAS mutations, suggesting that African ancestry may modify
smoking exposure on developing KRAS-mutant lung cancer. Moreover, there is a significant enrichment of high
tumor mutation burden, which is a biomarker for immune checkpoint inhibitors, independent of smoking status.
In this project, we will identify germline ancestry or race-specific environmental/social factors influencing the
tumor genome of lung cancers. We will also assess the joint effect of African ancestry and smoking, on somatic
mutations and tumor-immune features. We will perform immune profiling on immunotherapy -treated patients of
African ancestry. We will assess the inflammatory mediators from plasma samples of patients of African ancestry
and understand how different factors in innate response may impact patient’s immunotherapy outcome.
The proposed study will broaden our knowledge about the complex relationship between genetic ancestry,
environmental exposure and immune interaction contributing to genomic differences. The findings will improve
lung cancer diagnostic testing and immunotherapy outcome prediction, and lead to future study and discovery
of new treatment options for African American patients. Relevance. There is a significant racial disparity in lung
cancer. In this proposal, we will identify and characterize somatic biomarkers in tumors from patients of African
ancestry. These studies will improve clinical genomic testing and uncover therapeutic targets for this patient
population.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 11011999
- **Project number:** 2U54CA132378-16
- **Recipient organization:** CITY COLLEGE OF NEW YORK
- **Principal Investigator:** Sanna M Goyert
- **Activity code:** U54 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $47,100
- **Award type:** 2
- **Project period:** 2008-09-26 → 2029-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/11011999

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 11011999, Pilot Project 2: Comprehensive characterization of tumor-immune interaction in cancer patients with African ancestry (2U54CA132378-16). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/11011999. Licensed CC0.

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