The majority of new cancers that were diagnosed and the majority of cancer related deaths worldwide occurred in low-and-middle income countries (LMICs) in 2018. This is in striking contrast to more developed countries where cancer care and outcomes are improving. One driver of this difference is the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) which predisposes those who are infected to develop certain cancers. Despite the burden of cancer in LMICs, there is a lack of organized research and support services to see to the successful outcomes of research programs. In the case of cervical cancer, the confluence of high HIV prevalence, disparity in resources and lack of infrastructure in research results in high burden of what could be a preventable disease. The overall objective of this proposal is to improve the screening, prevention, and knowledge of the mechanisms of cancer development as it relates to cervical cancer in Kenyan and Ugandan women. In HIV-infected women and uninfected women, cervical cancer is caused by persistent infection of human papillomavirus (HPV). Though infection with HPV is relatively common, only a small percentage of women will develop cervical cancer. Environmental factors unique to Kenya and Uganda may also contribute to the increase in cervical cancer burden in this area of the world. There is also a lack of understanding of the human molecular mechanisms and viral (HPV and HIV) work together to promote cancer development. The investigation of how all of these factors (environmental, viral, human behavioral and biological) interact in Kenyan and Ugandan women is the overall objective of this program project. The role of the Translational Biology Core (TBC) is to support the scientific endeavors outlined in the three projects and to provide an environment conducive to the training of new African scientists in the field of HIV-associated malignancies. Not only will the TBC process and store samples collected during the study period, it will also continue augment the biorepository that will provide samples for ongoing research in Oncology in East Africa. As a part of this proposal, the TBC will be improving data sharing resources in partnership with the International Epidemiology Databases to Evaluate AIDS in East Africa (IeDEA-EA) so that data generated in Kenya and Uganda can be freely shared among members of the consortium. In doing so, the care provided to women in Kenya and Uganda with cervical cancer will improve.
Our objective in the translational biology core (TBC) is to support the three projects in this proposal, enhance the research capabilities in Kenya and Uganda, and to foster young African investigators as they begin their careers in science and the study of HIV-associated cancers.
