Chemotherapy and your body clock: links to fatigue
Official title: Chemotherapy-induced circadian master clock disruptions and fatigue
Funded at Ohio State University · NIH-11239823 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This research looks at whether chemotherapy disrupts the brain’s central body clock and causes fatigue in people treated for breast cancer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Ohio State University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Columbus, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | January 23, 2023 |
| Project end | December 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $516,214 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA270372-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11239823 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People most likely to benefit are breast cancer patients who are receiving or have recently finished chemotherapy and who are experiencing ongoing fatigue.
✕Less likely to help
Patients whose fatigue is unrelated to chemotherapy or circadian disruption, or those with non-cancer causes of fatigue, may not benefit directly from this work.
What this research studies
This work uses a breast cancer “survivor” mouse model to mimic how chemotherapy can change daily body rhythms. Researchers will record activity and sleep-like behaviors governed by the brain’s master clock (the SCN) and test how well those rhythms re-entrain after environmental challenges. They will examine whether chemotherapy-driven inflammation in the brain impairs SCN function and produces fatigue-like behavior. The goal is to find rhythm-focused strategies that might guide new ways to reduce fatigue during and after chemotherapy.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new ways to protect or restore circadian rhythms and reduce debilitating fatigue for people undergoing chemotherapy.
How similar studies have gone: Previous clinical and animal studies have linked circadian disruption with cancer-related fatigue, but directly testing chemotherapy-induced SCN inflammation in a breast cancer model is a relatively new approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Ohio State University
Columbus, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Pyter, Leah M — Ohio State University
- Study coordinator: Pyter, Leah M
Related research
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Exploring the link between energy production in cells and fatigue in breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy
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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.