Chemotherapy and your body clock: links to fatigue
Chemotherapy-induced circadian master clock disruptions and fatigue
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 ID | NIH-11239823 on NIH RePORTER |
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.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People most likely to benefit are breast cancer patients who are receiving or have recently finished chemotherapy and who are experiencing ongoing fatigue.
Not a fit: 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.
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 performed: 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
Columbus, UNITED STATES
- Ohio State University — Columbus, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Pyter, Leah M — Ohio State University
- Study coordinator: Pyter, Leah M
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 below.