Towards individualized treatment of uterine fibroids

The goal of this project is to improve the management of uterine fibroids (UFs).

These benign tumors, found in up to 70% of women, have been understudied and insights into their pathogenesis remain limited.

Current drug treatment options for women suffering from UF related symptoms are few and their effect highly unpredictable.Recent studies suggest that there are at least four molecularly distinct UF subclasses with unique driver gene mutations.

Based on this and our preliminary findings, we hypothesize that the subclass specific genetic drivers induce tumor growth through different mechanisms that can affect clinicopathological features, and response to treatment.In the proposed three-year translational project, involving both basic scientists and clinicians, we will test our hypothesis.

By culturing thin slices of UF tissue from women undergoing surgery at Karolinska University Hospital Huddinge, we will determine if UF subclass can be used to predict response to drugs in use/the pipeline.

Newly developed technologies will be used to further explore subclass specific molecular signatures and to identify potential biomarkers.

If we through our study can optimize the use of current and upcoming medical UF treatments by 1) identifying the subgroups of patients that will benefit from a particular treatment, 2) defining clinically relevant biomarkers and 3) using liquid biopsies for pre-screening, this would pave the way towards individualized un-invasive UF treatment.