Clearing old damaged cells to help exercise rebuild muscle lost from cancer treatment
Official title: Utilizing senolytics to enhance the response to exercise in cachectic mice
Funded at Baylor University · NIH-11168859 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at whether medicines that remove old, damaged cells can help exercise better protect and rebuild muscle in people who lose muscle from cancer and chemotherapy.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Baylor University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Waco, United States) |
| Project start | August 15, 2024 |
| Project end | July 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $126,000 |
| NIH project number | 5R21AR083023-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11168859 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with cancer who are losing muscle (cachexia) or who are receiving muscle-damaging chemotherapy such as cisplatin would be the most relevant candidates for future trials.
✕Less likely to help
People without cancer-related muscle loss, or whose muscle problems are caused by non-cancer conditions, may not benefit from this approach.
What this research studies
Researchers are using mice that mimic cancer-related muscle loss after chemotherapy to test whether removing senescent (old, damaged) cells improves recovery. They give a chemotherapy agent similar to cisplatin, treat some animals with senolytic drugs that kill senescent cells, and have groups follow an exercise program. The team measures muscle size, strength, and cellular signs of aging to compare the benefits of exercise with and without senolytics. The work aims to guide future treatments to help patients keep or regain muscle during and after cancer therapy.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could lead to treatments that help people keep or regain muscle, strength, and function during and after cancer treatment.
How similar studies have gone: Early animal studies and some pilot human work suggest senolytics can reduce harmful aging cells and exercise improves muscle, but combining them to treat cancer-related muscle loss is a newer approach with limited human data.
Where this research is happening
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Baylor University
Waco, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Dungan, Cory — Baylor University
- Study coordinator: Dungan, Cory
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.