# Integrative Genomics, Epigenomics and Bioinformatics Analyses of Human Uterine Fibroids

> **NIH NIH R01** · NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $671,053

## Abstract

Uterine leiomyomas (UL), also known as uterine fibroids, are benign smooth muscle tumors with excessive
depostition of extracellular matrix proteins. UL is a major health problem worldwide, because it affects almost
70-80% of all women and disproportionally African Americans, but still remains poorly understood. The long
term goal of our team is to systematically discover novel mechanisms regulating key molecular events that
contribute to leiomyoma. The immediate goal of this R01 application is to test the hypothesis that altered
epigenomic signatures define normal myometrial tissues and leiomyomas, and therapy treated human tissues.
Using genome-wide studies integrated with bioinformatic and other analyses, we will determine the epigenomic
signatures in uterine fibrosis for the first time. This unbiased study will identify epigenomic differentiating
features of normal and diseased tissues and may allow for development of Epitherapy (targeting the
epigenome) for leiomyomas
 The proposed work is scientifically, translationally, and clinically significant and highly innovative
because it represents the first systematic exploration of the epigenome in leiomyomas. Results obtained from
this analysis will be used to generate new hypotheses to better understand the molecular underpinning of
leiomyomas.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9975635
- **Project number:** 5R01HD089552-05
- **Recipient organization:** NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Grant D Barish
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $671,053
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2016-09-16 → 2023-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9975635

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9975635, Integrative Genomics, Epigenomics and Bioinformatics Analyses of Human Uterine Fibroids (5R01HD089552-05). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-27 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9975635. Licensed CC0.

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