Axonal transport and chemotherapy-related nerve pain
Official title: Axonal transport and chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy
Funded at Dana-Farber Cancer Inst · NIH-11350880 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This grant studies why certain cancer patients develop painful nerve damage from chemotherapy and explores ways to prevent or treat it.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Dana-Farber Cancer Inst NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | April 1, 2016 |
| Project end | June 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $590,280 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA205255-10 |
| Project ID | NIH-11350880 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with cancer who are receiving or have received neurotoxic chemotherapy and who have or are at risk for CIPN, plus patients from whom iPSC-derived sensory neurons are generated.
✕Less likely to help
Patients not receiving neurotoxic chemotherapy or without CIPN symptoms may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
If funded, researchers will use lab models and patient-derived nerve cells to understand how chemotherapy damages long nerve fibers and to identify possible treatments that protect nerves without reducing chemotherapy’s cancer-killing effects. They plan to look at microtubule changes, calcium signaling, and enzymes that break down nerve structure, using both animal models and human-derived neurons from people with severe CIPN. The goal is to find targets for therapies that could reduce pain and improve quality of life for cancer patients and survivors. This work could lead to new strategies to prevent CIPN during cancer treatment and aftercare.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could lead to new ways to prevent or lessen chemotherapy-induced nerve pain and sensory loss for cancer patients.
How similar studies have gone: Prior work suggests calcium signaling and calpain enzymes play a role in CIPN, and this project builds on those findings with human neuron models.
Where this research is happening
-
Dana-Farber Cancer Inst
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Segal, Rosalind Anne — Dana-Farber Cancer Inst
- Study coordinator: Segal, Rosalind Anne
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Non-invasive, microscopic biomarkers to detect CIPN in chemotherapy patients
This grant aims to develop a non-invasive imaging method to measure nerve changes in patients undergoing chemotherapy to better understand and monitor chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN).
-
Longitudinal study of how body-sense relates to chemotherapy nerve damage
This study follows people with breast or gastrointestinal cancer and healthy controls to see if brain processing of body sensations contributes to chemotherapy-induced nerve damage.
-
A new screen for chemotherapy-related nerve problems in young children
A clinician-scientist at Yale is developing a child-friendly survey to quickly screen for nerve-related side effects from cancer treatment in kids from birth to age 5.
-
How the immune system’s CD4+ T cells in women might prevent chemotherapy-related nerve pain
A study in mice explores whether female immune cells in nerve tissue can lessen pain from chemotherapy, with potential implications for preventing CIPN in women.
-
Remote monitoring and nurse follow-up to manage chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy
A program uses symptom reporting tools with nurse follow-up to reduce and better manage chemotherapy-induced neuropathy for cancer survivors, during and after treatment.
-
Non-opioid pain relief for chemotherapy-related nerve pain using CART II
A study tests a brain-acting peptide called CART II to help reduce pain from chemotherapy-induced nerve damage without opioids.
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.