What We Do
From Oncology Learning Network.
Melissa Davis, Ph.D., Weill Cornell Medicine, discusses the ongoing research of genomic sequencing in diverse populations, including disparities and ancestries, presented at the 2021 AACR Annual Meeting.
Using the concept of Oncologic Anthropology, we study how tumor phenotypes correlate with the social history of race/ethnic groups - associated with ancestry.
Our Mission
To ensure that precision medicine, genomic technology and theragnostics are inclusive of multi-ethnic populations, and are utilized toward amelioration of cancer health disparities. We believe that community education and outreach are imperative to fully engage minority populations in research and clinical trials.
“Your work is so important and inspiring.”
— ICSBCS Conference Attendee
What We’ve Achieved
We have established that an epigenetic regulator (CARM1) has distinct expression levels (and localization) among patients of diverse genetic ancestry.
In addition, we have established differential gene regulation on a genome-wide scale between prostate cancer patients (tumor-specific) that also correlate with epigenetic miRNA (genome-wide) data which we have also published recently.
Recently, we have reported the African specific expression pattern of DARC in lymphoblasts, setting the stage for our current proposal.
THE DARC side: We are the first group to imply that tumor expression, not just erythrocytic expression, can impact tumorigenesis and clinical outcomes.
Established increased expression of DARC/ACKR1 in lymphoblasts of ancestry groups that were characteristically described as being ‘null’.
Established the association of specific immune responses; including infiltrating tumor-associated immune cells and circulating chemokine levels in the context of epithelial expression of DARC/ACKR1 in primary tumors.