How timing chemotherapy can improve treatment for brain metastases in breast cancer
Official title: Circadian Rhythms in Blood Brain Barrier Permeability and Increased Efficacy of Chemotherapy for Brain Metastases
Funded at West Virginia University · NIH-11062431 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how the time of day affects the ability of chemotherapy drugs to reach the brain in patients with breast cancer that has spread to the brain, with the goal of making treatments work better and cause fewer side effects.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | West Virginia University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Morgantown, United States) |
| Project start | April 1, 2024 |
| Project end | March 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $248,916 |
| NIH project number | 5R00CA273424-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11062431 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are women diagnosed with breast cancer who have developed brain metastases.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without breast cancer or those whose cancer has not metastasized to the brain may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates the relationship between circadian rhythms and the permeability of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) to chemotherapy drugs in patients with brain metastases from breast cancer. By understanding how the timing of chemotherapy administration affects the ability of drugs to cross the BBB, the study aims to enhance the effectiveness of treatments while minimizing side effects. The approach involves assessing the permeability of commonly used chemotherapy agents, doxorubicin and paclitaxel, at different times of the day. This could lead to a more effective treatment regimen for patients suffering from brain metastases.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could significantly improve the efficacy of chemotherapy for patients with brain metastases, potentially increasing survival rates.
How similar studies have gone: While the concept of circadian regulation of drug permeability is emerging, this specific approach to timing chemotherapy for brain metastases is novel and has not been extensively tested.
Where this research is happening
-
West Virginia University
Morgantown, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Walker, William Harry — West Virginia University
- Study coordinator: Walker, William Harry
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Timing chemotherapy to help breast cancer that has spread to the brain
This project will see if giving common breast cancer chemotherapy at certain times of day helps the medicines get into brain tumors better for people with breast cancer that has spread to the brain.
-
Photodynamic lipids to boost chemotherapy for metastatic ovarian cancer
A patient-friendly approach tests a light-activated method to make ovarian cancer metastases more sensitive to chemotherapy.
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Dual targeting of heart cell receptors to prevent chemotherapy heart damage
Atrial patients receiving the chemotherapy drug doxorubicin may be protected from heart damage by targeting two heart cell receptors at once.
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A 3D ultrasound scanner to see early chemotherapy response in breast cancer
A new 3D ultrasound imaging method will be tested to see if it can quickly show whether breast cancer is responding to chemotherapy.
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Understanding and interrupting brain metastasis in cancer patients
A national research effort at Stanford aims to understand why cancer spreads to the brain and to develop ways to interrupt it, with the goal of improving survival and quality of life for people with cancer.
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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).
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.