How the brain's sensing of the body affects chemo-related nerve symptoms
Official title: Longitudinal assessment of the role of interoception in chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) along the cancer chemotherapy continuum
Funded at University of Maryland Baltimore · NIH-11182478 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers will follow people with breast or gastrointestinal cancer getting taxane or platinum chemotherapy and healthy volunteers to learn whether changes in the brain's body-sensing relate to nerve symptoms after chemotherapy.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Maryland Baltimore NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Baltimore, United States) |
| Project start | September 4, 2024 |
| Project end | August 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $624,555 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA278939-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11182478 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are adults with breast or gastrointestinal cancer who are scheduled to receive taxane- or platinum-based chemotherapy.
✕Less likely to help
People not receiving taxane or platinum chemotherapy, those with neuropathy from unrelated causes, or those unable to undergo MRI may not receive direct benefit from this work.
What this research studies
You would join a group of 120 people with breast or GI cancers who are about to start taxane- or platinum-based chemotherapy and 60 age-matched healthy volunteers. Everyone is seen before chemo, shortly after finishing chemo, and six months later. At each visit you'll have a brain MRI, answer questions about bodily sensations and neuropathy symptoms, and have simple clinical tests of nerve function. The team will compare changes over time between patients and controls to link brain signal changes with chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal brain-based markers or targets that lead to better ways to prevent or treat chemotherapy-related nerve damage.
How similar studies have gone: Prior research has linked brain changes to chronic pain, but applying interoception concepts specifically to chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy is a relatively new and largely untested approach in humans.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Maryland Baltimore
Baltimore, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kleckner, Ian Robert — University of Maryland Baltimore
- Study coordinator: Kleckner, Ian Robert
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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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).
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Axonal transport and chemotherapy-related nerve pain
This grant studies why certain cancer patients develop painful nerve damage from chemotherapy and explores ways to prevent or treat it.
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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.
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.