Longitudinal study of how body-sense relates to chemotherapy nerve damage
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-11398026 · Data updated 2026-11-12
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.
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 | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $1,967,558 |
| NIH project number | 4R01CA278939-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11398026 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with breast or gastrointestinal cancer about to start taxane or platinum chemotherapy, and age-matched healthy adults.
✕Less likely to help
Healthy participants may contribute to comparisons but are not at risk of CIPN. Cancer patients who cannot complete MRI or follow-up may receive less benefit.
What this research studies
Researchers will track 120 cancer patients scheduled for taxane or platinum chemotherapy and 60 healthy controls over several time points: before treatment, soon after, and six months after finishing. They will use brain MRI to study interoception, plus questionnaires and tests on nerve function and CIPN symptoms. The goal is to understand how brain body-sensing changes might play a role in CIPN, beyond nerve damage alone. The study is observational and will compare changes over time between patients and controls to reveal potential brain-body mechanisms.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: A better understanding of CIPN could lead to new ways to prevent or manage nerve symptoms in patients receiving chemotherapy.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work suggests interoception can influence pain and sensory processing; this study builds on that by linking brain-body signals to CIPN 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).
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
Non-opioid pain relief for chemotherapy-related nerve pain using CART II
A study tests a brain-acting peptide called CART II to help reduce pain from chemotherapy-induced nerve damage without opioids.
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.