# Development of a novel therapy targeting the tumor microenvironment in inflammatory breast cancer

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII AT MANOA · 2024 · $192,495

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is the most lethal and aggressive type of breast cancer, with limited
therapeutic options. Racial/ethnic disparities have been well documented in patients with IBC. IBC is found in a
higher proportion of Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) women with breast cancer, and their
prognosis is poorer than other racial/ethnic populations in Hawaii. Given IBC's aggressiveness and its limited
treatment options, there is a critical need to examine the underlying biological mechanisms contributing to the
disparities in risks and outcomes for NHPI women with IBC, and to identify molecular targets to improve their
treatment options. In this project supplement, we will extend our R01-funded investigations of IBC-relevant
mechanisms in the tumor microenvironment (TME), by characterizing the molecular profiles of IBC tumors from
NHPI, Asian American and White IBC patients. We propose 2 aims: Aim 1: Characterize the transcriptomic
profiles of IBC tumors from NHPI, Asian American, and White patients to examine for differences in
tumor biology across the populations. We hypothesize that there are underlying differences in the tumor
biology in IBC tumors from NHPI that are associated with the observed disparate risk and outcome for NHPI
IBC patients when compared to Asian American and White IBC patients. To test our hypothesis, we will
perform RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) for IBC patient tumor samples from The Hawaii Tumor Registry Residual
Tissue Repository with a focus on tumors from NHPI, Asian American, and White patients. We will examine for
differences in gene expression profiles between NHPI and non-NHPI (Asian American and White) IBC
patients. Aim 2: Characterize the immune tumor microenvironment profiles of IBC tumors from NHPI,
Asian American, and White patients to examine for differences across the populations. We hypothesize
that there are immunological differences in TME of IBC tumors from NHPI patients when compared to IBC
tumors from Asian American and White patients. We will conduct multiplexed immunofluorescence staining
(mIF) to assess the immune cell composition and the spatial distribution in tissues from NHPI, Asian American,
and White patients. We will use the immunological profiles to examine the differences in the tumor immune
microenvironment of IBC tumors between NHPI and non-NHPI (Asian American and White) IBC patients. Upon
completion, we expect to characterize racial/ethnic differences in the transcriptomic and immune
microenvironment landscape of IBC patients. We also expect to determine the expression of key molecules
and TME components identified in the parent R01, and how they differ in these three-specific racial/ethnic
cohorts of IBC patients. If successful, our supplement will provide insights to identify molecules and TME
components associated with the aggressiveness of IBC. They could lead to the identification of therapeutic
targets for IBC patients from specific racial or et...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 11014837
- **Project number:** 3R01CA258523-03S1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII AT MANOA
- **Principal Investigator:** Naoto T. Ueno
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $192,495
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2022-03-01 → 2025-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/11014837

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 11014837, Development of a novel therapy targeting the tumor microenvironment in inflammatory breast cancer (3R01CA258523-03S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/11014837. Licensed CC0.

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