Obesity-related disparities in the bidirectional risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer

Project: Research project

Project Details

Description

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer often occur in the same patients, in part because of shared risk factors such as obesity. Obesity is associated with inflammation, which is pathogenically linked to both cardiovascular disease and cancer. As compared with Caucasians, the prevalence of obesity is higher in African Americans (AA), who exhibit more pronounced inflammation and, in turn, suffer from a higher burden of CVD and cancer-related mortality. The mechanisms which underlie this association between obesity, inflammation, and the bidirectional risk of CVD and cancer, particularly in AA, remain to be determined. Socioeconomic disparities such as lack of access to quality food may promote obesity and exacerbate hypertension and other risk factors in AA. In turn, the resulting pro-inflammatory milieu may accelerate vascular aging, a major risk factor for CVD and cancer, thus contributing to the higher burden of CVD and cancer in AA.Additionally, biological factors that regulate systemic inflammation may be contributory. Mutations in ACKR1, otherwise known as the Duffy antigen receptor for chemokines (DARC), confer protection against malaria, and most AA express a mutation in this receptor, resulting in loss of its expression. DARC functions as a decoy chemokine receptor, thus dampening chemokine receptor activation and inflammation. Published and preliminary data in humans and mice genetically deficient in DARC suggest that this common gene mutation may contribute to obesity-related disease, CVD, and cancer. We propose to conduct population, clinical, and basic science research to investigate obesity-related disparities in the bidirectional risk of CVD and cancer. Basic science will be undertaken in the Vascular Biology Center, a highly integrated collaborative research environment. We will utilize the unique expertise and resources available at the Georgia Cancer Center and the Georgia Prevention Institute (GPI) to perform clinical and population science projects. The GPI, which has dedicated itself to decades of obesity and disparities research, will serve as a nidus to advance translational research and education. The Center will serve as a platform for postdoctoral training, with an emphasis on underrepresented minorities. It will also partner with Paine College, a historically Black college, to develop an undergraduate research internship for students who desire to pursue healthcare-related careers (clinical and research).

StatusActive
Effective start/end date7/1/216/30/25

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