Project description:Here, we present the first study showing race and side-specific differences in the trajectories of epigenetic aging in normal colonic mucosa. The cohort conisted of matched biopsies of left/right colon from healthy individuals (n=129). The majority of individuals were African American (n=89). Methylation arrays (Illumina EPIC) were performed on DNA extracted from fresh frozen biopsies taken at the time of colonoscopy. Our results provide novel insight of epigenetic aging underlying racial disparities in CRC. Side-specific colonic epigenetic aging may be a promising marker to guide interventions to reduce CRC burden.
Project description:In the US, the majority of cancer samples analyzed are from white people, leading to biases in racial and ethnic treatment outcomes. Colorectal cancer (CRC) incidence and mortality rates are high in Alabama African Americans (AAs) and Oklahoma American Indians (AIs). We hypothesized that differences between racial groups may partially explain these disparities. Thus, we compared transcriptomic profiles of CRCs of Alabama AAs, Oklahoma AIs, and white people from both states. Compared to CRCs of white people, CRCs of AAs showed (a) higher expression of cytokines and vesicle trafficking toward modulated antitumor-immune activity, and (b) lower expression of the ID1/BMP/SMAD axis, IL22RA1, APOBEC3, and Mucins; and AIs had (c) higher expression of PTGS2/COX2 (an NSAID target/pro-oncogenic inflammation) and splicing regulators, and (d) lower tumor suppressor activities (e.g., TOB2, PCGF2, BAP1). Therefore, targeting strategies designed for white CRC patients may be less effective for AAs/AIs. These findings illustrate needs to develop optimized interventions to overcome racial CRC disparities.
Project description:African Americans (AA) are 70% more likely than Caucasian Americans (CA) to die from heart failure (HF) even after adjusting for known causes. Although the causal factors responsible for this racial disparity remain unknown, it is theorized that environmental stressors This alarming health disparity represents an important challenge to U.S. healthcare as global prevalence of heart failure has already exceeded epidemic levels with a disease burden that disproportionately impacts members of ethnic and racial minorities. The current multicohort study of cardiac DNA methylation identifies the cardiac epigenome as a previously unrecognized syntax that encodes race-based environmental differences in the failing human heart.
Project description:African Americans (AA) are 70% more likely than Caucasian Americans (CA) to die from heart failure (HF) even after adjusting for known causes. Although the causal factors responsible for this racial disparity remain unknown, it is theorized that environmental stressors This alarming health disparity represents an important challenge to U.S. healthcare as global prevalence of heart failure has already exceeded epidemic levels with a disease burden that disproportionately impacts members of ethnic and racial minorities. The current multicohort study of cardiac DNA methylation identifies the cardiac epigenome as a previously unrecognized syntax that encodes race-based environmental differences in the failing human heart.