This federal Project Grant award, funded by the National Cancer Institute (CFDA 93.393 Cancer Cause and Prevention Research), will support research at Northwestern University to investigate how altered lipid metabolism and epigenetic reprogramming contribute to the development of estrogen receptor-negative breast cancer. The $187,000 award, spanning Mar 2025 to Feb 2027, will enable the researchers to: 1) determine if the observed increase in neural gene expression due to octanoic acid exposure occurs at the protein level, 2) identify the specific histone methylation changes responsible for the shift from epithelial to neural gene expression, and 3) assess whether genetic factors associated with ER-negative breast cancer produce a similar microenvironment in vivo. This research aims to uncover novel metabolic and epigenetic mechanisms underlying ER-negative breast cancer risk, with the potential to identify new targets for prevention strategies.
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