The purpose of this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is to advance our understanding of the role of the tumor niche or microenvironment in the risks, development, progression, and diagnosis of cancer observed in individuals with an underlying HIV infection or Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). For this purpose, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) will support several U54 Specialized Centers. Each U54 Center proposed must be based on a specific, tumor-niche relevant scientific theme that will be pursued through 2 to 3 related collaborative scientific projects.
The tumor niche for the purposes of this FOA is focused on an ecological niche, which in this case are the specific host environmental/microenvironmental conditions as the result of an underlying HIV infection that could be encountered by the host and establish an environment for tumor initiation and progression.
The proposed research activities for each U54 Center must be focused on one (or both) of the two main areas listed below that most likely control the major activities for establishing and maintaining the tumor niche:
- Area 1: How HIV directs and establishes the tumor niche; and
- Area 2: How inflammation and decreases in immunosurveillance from the HIV-infected host direct and establish the tumor niche.
Research proposed is expected to have a high potential to advance our understanding of the contribution to the tumor niche in the context of an underlying HIV infection.