# Reactive Oxygen Species in the Initiation, Survival and Racial Disparity of Uterine Leiomyoma

> **NIH NIH R01** · NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $613,971

## Abstract

To date, we do not understand why there is such a high prevalence of uterine leiomyoma in premenopausal
women nor do we understand the reasons for the racial disparity observed in this disease. Black women tend
to
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hypothesize
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develop tumors earlier and are more numerous, larger in size and more symptomatic than other ethnic
We have studied the molecular mechanisms involved in leiomyoma tumor growth and survival as it
to hormones and signaling pathways and found that reactive oxygen species (ROS) plays a significant
 in leiomyoma pathogenesis. Moreover, for the first time, we discovered that ROS levels and effects on
are increased in the myometrial and leiomyoma tissues of Black compared to White women. We
that ROS promotes mutations in the MED12 gene, to promote leiomyoma tumor formation. In
ROS promotes growth and survival of the leiomyoma tumors as estrogen and progesterone provide a
environment to protect the tumors from the toxicity of high ROS levels. We propose mechanistic
molecular analyses to test our hypothesis including mutational analysis upon chronic treatment with ROS,
of ER and PR occupancy on chromatin in response to ROS, and we test the BCL2 inhibitors to target
where ROS promotes senescence when estrogen and progesterone are absent. In all of our studies, we
compare the tissues from Black versus white women which willgenerate valuable and novel insight into
the racial disparity observed in leiomyoma. We will learn about early changes that may lead to leiomyoma
development as well as provide biological rationale to treat leiomyoma tumors with the BCL2 inhibitors.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10072984
- **Project number:** 1R01CA254367-01
- **Recipient organization:** NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Ji-Yong Julie Kim
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $613,971
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-08-06 → 2025-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10072984

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10072984, Reactive Oxygen Species in the Initiation, Survival and Racial Disparity of Uterine Leiomyoma (1R01CA254367-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-21 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10072984. Licensed CC0.

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