# Novel Therapeutics Targeting CARM1 Overexpression in AML

> **NIH NIH F31** · UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI SCHOOL OF MEDICINE · 2020 · $50,520

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is the 6th leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States. Although up
to 40% of adult patients are responsive to standard chemotherapy, almost all relapse and progress to resistant
disease. Most AML patients display no cytogenetic abnormalities or driver mutations, which poses a significant
challenge for designing targeted therapy. Combination therapy may also be useful for preventing resistance and
improving overall survival. Recent advances in epigenomics have shed light on cellular reprogramming in cancer.
Epigenetic proteins can modulate gene expression to induce pathways that increase cell proliferation and
decrease differentiation. Coactivator-associated arginine methyltransferase 1 (CARM1) is an epigenetic protein
overexpressed in AML. CARM1 has been identified as a key regulator of myeloid differentiation and cancer
progression; and is overexpressed in primary, resistant, and recurrent AML. CARM1’s mechanistic role in AML
induction and progression (including relevant substrates and regulation) is still unclear, which presents an
additional challenge for clinicians to design new therapies. To address gaps in our current understanding of
CARM1 function and the need for new AML therapies, I aim to (1) Identify compounds that target CARM1
expression and compounds that work in synergy with a known CARM1 inhibitor in AML and (2) Identify novel
chemotypes that directly inhibit CARM1 using a hybrid approach of machine learning and simulations of small
molecule-protein interactions.
These aims support key goals of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and Precision Medicine Initiative, including
(1) understanding cancer progression, (2) genomic analysis, (3) advancing precision medicine, (4) bioinformatics
and (5) translational research.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9812180
- **Project number:** 5F31CA228331-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
- **Principal Investigator:** Afoma Chinyelu Umeano
- **Activity code:** F31 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $50,520
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-11-01 → 2022-10-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9812180

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9812180, Novel Therapeutics Targeting CARM1 Overexpression in AML (5F31CA228331-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9812180. Licensed CC0.

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