Imaging the heart's cell-cleanup process during chemotherapy that can harm the heart
Official title: Monitoring Autophagy in the Heart and in Tumors Treated with Potentially Cardiotoxic Chemotherapy
Funded at Tufts Medical Center · NIH-11242042 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A new nanoparticle imaging agent will be used to show when heart cells clear damaged material during cancer treatments that can injure the heart.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Tufts Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | January 15, 2024 |
| Project end | December 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $758,612 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HL166810-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11242042 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates would be people receiving cancer chemotherapy known to damage the heart (for example, doxorubicin) who can travel to the study site for imaging.
✕Less likely to help
People not exposed to cardiotoxic chemotherapy, those with MRI-incompatible implants, or those with advanced irreversible heart failure are unlikely to benefit from this imaging approach.
What this research studies
This project uses an autophagy-detecting nanoparticle (ADN) that combines an MRI-visible iron core (ferumoxytol) with fluorescent tags that switch on inside autophagosomes and lysosomes. The particle enters heart and tumor cells, becomes unquenched when broken down by lysosomal enzymes, and produces signals that can be seen with MRI and optical imaging. Researchers have tested ADN in cells and mouse models of chemotherapy with doxorubicin and dasatinib and used genetic and chemical tools to confirm the signals track autophagy. The team aims to apply this imaging approach to hearts and tumors exposed to cardiotoxic chemotherapy to spot early cellular changes that could signal harm.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could let doctors detect early chemotherapy-related heart injury and guide treatments to prevent heart failure.
How similar studies have gone: Ferumoxytol and related nanoparticles have been used safely in human imaging for inflammation and tumors, but imaging autophagy with this specific activatable nanoparticle has so far been demonstrated mainly in preclinical models.
Where this research is happening
-
Tufts Medical Center
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Chen, Howard H. — Tufts Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Chen, Howard H.
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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.