GATA proteins' role in endometriosis
Official title: Roles of GATA Transcription Factors in Endometriosis
Funded at Northwestern University · NIH-11248425 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers will compare uterine lining tissue from women with and without endometriosis to learn how changes in GATA proteins may cause the condition.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Northwestern University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chicago, United States) |
| Project start | February 5, 2024 |
| Project end | November 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $652,138 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HD113891-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11248425 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are reproductive-age women diagnosed with endometriosis who can provide endometrial tissue or surgical samples, plus healthy women without endometriosis as comparison donors.
✕Less likely to help
People who cannot or will not provide uterine tissue (for example, those who have had a hysterectomy or are unwilling to undergo sampling) would not be able to participate or benefit directly.
What this research studies
This work compares endometrial tissue from women who have endometriosis and those who do not, plus specially modified human endometrial cells grown in the lab. Scientists will measure gene activity, epigenetic marks, enhancer activity, and 3-D chromatin organization to see how GATA transcription factors control cell behavior. The project focuses on a 'GATA-switch' where GATA2 is reduced and replaced by GATA4 and GATA6 in endometriotic stromal cells, and will map how that switch alters cellular states. By integrating multiple genomic and chromatin methods, the team aims to link molecular changes to the tissue changes that allow ectopic growth and infertility.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could point to new diagnostic markers or treatment targets to reduce pain and improve fertility for people with endometriosis.
How similar studies have gone: Earlier research noted altered GATA expression in endometriosis, but linking that switch to epigenetic changes and 3-D chromatin organization is largely novel.
Where this research is happening
-
Northwestern University
Chicago, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Chakravarti, Debabrata — Northwestern University
- Study coordinator: Chakravarti, Debabrata
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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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.