Project Grant R01HD121802

The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) awarded a $352,600 Project Grant to the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) on June 1, 2026, through the Child Health and Human Development Extramural Research program (CFDA 93.865). This research project, extending through March 31, 2031, investigates the interplay between the chromatin organizer SATB1 and the transcription factor PIT1 during postnatal maturation of the pituitary gland. The research aims to advance understanding of how these molecular factors regulate gene expression critical to pituitary hormone production, including growth hormone, prolactin, and thyroid-stimulating hormone. By elucidating the mechanisms underlying normal pituitary development, this work has direct implications for understanding combined pituitary hormone deficiency (CPHD) in humans, a condition caused by mutations in PIT1 that impair proper hormone production.

The primary deliverables include scientific research and data advancing knowledge of pituitary gland development and chromatin organization mechanisms. The project employs specialized molecular techniques, including an alternative ChIP-seq protocol (UreaChIP-seq), to map SATB1 binding sites and characterize the two-tiered chromatin organization system governing pituitary-specific gene expression. Research findings will contribute to the broader body of knowledge regarding developmental biology and may inform future therapeutic approaches to treating pituitary hormone deficiencies.