Protecting the heart from side effects of cancer kinase drugs
Official title: Elucidating Protective Mechanisms for Cardiotoxicity of Kinase Inhibitors
Funded at Stanford University · NIH-11174564 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Finding medicines or strategies to prevent irregular heart rhythms in adults treated with certain cancer drugs called kinase inhibitors.
Quick facts
| Grant type | P01 program project |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Stanford University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Stanford, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2019 |
| Project end | August 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $576,594 |
| NIH project number | 5P01HL141084-07 |
| Project ID | NIH-11174564 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults receiving or planning to receive BTK inhibitors like ibrutinib for B-cell cancers or patients concerned about kinase inhibitor–related heart rhythm side effects.
✕Less likely to help
People not treated with kinase inhibitors or whose heart problems come from unrelated causes are unlikely to benefit directly from this work.
What this research studies
This project uses lab-grown human heart cells (atrial and ventricular cardiomyocytes made from donated human cells) to see how the BTK inhibitor ibrutinib causes arrhythmias. Automated, high-throughput tests plus deep learning are used to detect abnormal heart-wave patterns in those cells. Promising drugs or targets that block the arrhythmias in human cells are then tested in mouse models. The aim is to discover pharmacological protectors that could be given alongside cancer therapy to reduce heart rhythm side effects.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could lead to drugs or strategies that reduce arrhythmias and make important cancer therapies safer for patients.
How similar studies have gone: Related lab and animal studies have successfully used human iPSC cardiomyocytes to reveal drug effects, but applying high-throughput deep-learning screens specifically to ibrutinib cardiotoxicity is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
Stanford University
Stanford, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Mercola, Mark — Stanford University
- Study coordinator: Mercola, Mark
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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.