Preventing chemo-related heart damage in African American children
Predicting and Preventing Chemotherapy-Induced Cardiotoxicity in African American Children
['FUNDING_R01'] · NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY · NIH-11146712
This project uses patients' own lab-grown heart cells to find genetic risks and ways to stop heart damage from the chemotherapy drug doxorubicin in African American children treated for cancer.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_R01'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (CHICAGO, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11146712 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
As a patient, your skin or blood cells can be turned into heart cells in the lab to see how your heart would respond to doxorubicin. The researchers compare these lab-grown heart cells from African American survivors who did and did not develop heart damage and look for genetic and gene-regulation differences using tools such as ATAC-seq. They will test candidate genes and protective strategies in the patient-specific heart cells to identify mechanisms and potential interventions. The aim is to create lab-based risk predictions and identify approaches that could be used to prevent heart damage in children like you.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are African American children or adolescents who have received or will receive doxorubicin-containing chemotherapy, or survivors concerned about anthracycline-related heart risk.
Not a fit: Patients whose heart problems are not related to anthracycline chemotherapy or those with advanced, irreversible heart failure may not benefit directly from this research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could allow doctors to identify children at higher risk for chemo-related heart damage and offer protections or alternative plans to prevent permanent heart injury.
How similar studies have performed: Earlier work from this team showed patient-derived heart cells can predict sensitivity to doxorubicin, so the approach is promising though still novel for studying racial differences in risk.
Where this research is happening
CHICAGO, UNITED STATES
- NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY — CHICAGO, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: BURRIDGE, PAUL W. — NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
- Study coordinator: BURRIDGE, PAUL W.
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 below.