Reducing heart damage from chemotherapy with sildenafil and rapamycin
Novel Strategy of PDE5-mTOR Inhibition in Attenuation of Cancer Drug Cardiotoxicity
['FUNDING_R01'] · VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY · NIH-11112432
This project looks at whether giving sildenafil (Viagra) and rapamycin can protect the hearts of people treated with doxorubicin, including those also receiving trastuzumab for breast cancer.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_R01'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (RICHMOND, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11112432 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
Scientists will use heart cells in the lab and mice with breast tumors to see if sildenafil plus rapamycin reduces heart muscle cell death and preserves heart function after doxorubicin alone or followed by trastuzumab. They will measure heart performance in animals, examine markers of cell death and inflammation, and track specific signaling pathways (PKG and mTOR) that control heart survival. The team will also measure inflammatory proteins such as TLR4, NLRP3, IL-1β and IL-18 to understand whether inflammation drives the heart damage. If the combination protects hearts in these models, the results could guide future human trials to prevent chemotherapy-related heart failure.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults receiving doxorubicin chemotherapy, particularly breast cancer patients also treated with trastuzumab, are the population most likely to be relevant to this research.
Not a fit: People not treated with anthracycline chemotherapy or trastuzumab, or those with heart disease from unrelated causes, are unlikely to benefit from this specific approach.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could lower the risk of chemotherapy-related heart damage and reduce heart failure in cancer patients treated with doxorubicin and trastuzumab.
How similar studies have performed: Preclinical work has suggested PDE5 inhibitors like sildenafil can protect heart tissue, but combining sildenafil with mTOR inhibition for chemotherapy cardiotoxicity is relatively novel and has not been proven in patients.
Where this research is happening
RICHMOND, UNITED STATES
- VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY — RICHMOND, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: DAS, ANINDITA — VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY
- Study coordinator: DAS, ANINDITA
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.
Conditions: Anti-Cancer Agents