Trial Information

Establishment of a Fibroid Tissue Bank

The long term goal of this protocol is to create a repository of well-characterized fibroid
(leiomyoma) tissues in order to gather information that will lead to improved understanding
of uterine fibroid growth and pathogenesis. It is expected that this initiative will
eventually improve fertility and reproductive health of the millions of women who suffer
from fibroids.

To address the need for increased research in this field, the NICHD in collaboration with
the Office of Research on Women's Health (ORWH) will establish a national fibroid tissue
bank. This initiative will strengthen the science base, improve our understanding of how
uterine fibroids develop and grow, and provide clues to more effective conservative
management of fibroids. The rationale for this protocol is that a repository of
well-characterized, well-preserved leiomyoma tissues will provide investigators interested
in basic and translational research on fibroids the opportunity to study the condition.
This will facilitate research because experiments conducted on the samples may be expected
to improve understanding of the mechanism and pathophysiology of this disease.