Fighting fibroids with single-cell data to find new drugs
Official title: Single Cell Molecular Characterization and Computational Drug Discovery for Fertility-Sparing Treatment of Uterine Fibroids
Funded at University of California, San Francisco · NIH-11607753 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A study uses patient fibroid and normal tissue cells to find existing drugs that could be repurposed to treat fibroids, with tests in human cells and a mouse model.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Francisco NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Francisco, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2026 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $500,000 |
| NIH project number | 1R56HD122741-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11607753 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are women with uterine fibroids (fibroid tissue available for study) and matched controls, particularly those with MED12-positive tumors.
✕Less likely to help
People without fibroids or those not eligible for the tissue studies may not benefit from this project.
What this research studies
This project will analyze gene activity in single cells from fibroids and healthy tissue to map which cells and pathways are involved. It then combines those data with public drug-response information to spot existing medicines that could reverse the disease’s gene patterns. Selected drug candidates will be tested in human fibroid cells in the lab and in an animal model to see if they reduce fibroid-related problems. The goal is to identify safe, effective drug combinations that could spare women from surgery.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could lead to non-surgical medical options to shrink fibroids or slow their growth.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies show promise for single-cell analysis guiding drug repurposing in fibroids, but this integrated approach with in vitro and animal validation is still exploratory.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California, San Francisco
San Francisco, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Sirota, Marina — University of California, San Francisco
- Study coordinator: Sirota, Marina
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.