The Molecular Profile of Prostate Tumors in African-American Men

The project aims to understand how genetic ancestry-inferred prostate cancer risk is modified by lived experiences, such as neighborhood environment and viral infection history. Previous studies linked West African genetic ancestry to increased prostate cancer risk, particularly in high-deprivation neighborhoods. The current phase involves using VirScan technology to detect viral infection history in blood samples from approximately 4000 men with and without prostate cancer from the NCI-Maryland, NCI-Ghana, and Tobago cohorts. The virome assessment is complete, and data are being analyzed. The project integrates VirScan data with existing GWAS, immune-oncology marker data, and neighborhood deprivation indices to determine associations between viral infection history, immune profiles, germline genetic susceptibility, and the social environment.