Removing mitochondrial iron to protect the heart during doxorubicin treatment
Mitochondrial iron export therapy for doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity
A treatment approach to protect the hearts of people getting doxorubicin chemotherapy by removing excess iron from heart cell mitochondria.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Massachusetts Lowell NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Lowell, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11252877 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you are receiving doxorubicin chemotherapy, this project aims to stop heart damage by clearing excess iron that builds up inside heart cell mitochondria and causes harmful free radicals. The researchers will test small molecules and strategies in lab-grown cells and animal models to see whether moving iron out of mitochondria keeps heart muscle working without weakening cancer treatment. They note that the only approved cardioprotective drug, dexrazoxane, can remove mitochondrial iron but may reduce chemotherapy effectiveness and cause serious blood problems, so the team is searching for safer, heart-targeted options. If these approaches work in the lab and animals, the next steps would be testing them in patients as an added treatment during chemotherapy.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People receiving or scheduled to receive doxorubicin (anthracycline) chemotherapy, especially those at higher risk for treatment-related heart damage, would be the intended candidates for this approach.
Not a fit: People who are not receiving anthracyclines, whose heart problems come from other causes, or who cannot receive the proposed adjunctive therapy would not be expected to benefit from this research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could prevent or reduce heart damage from doxorubicin, allowing patients to complete effective cancer therapy with less risk of long-term heart problems.
How similar studies have performed: Dexrazoxane, the only approved drug for anthracycline cardiotoxicity, supports the iron-chelation idea but has safety and anticancer interaction concerns, and mitochondrial-targeted iron export strategies remain largely preclinical with encouraging early results.
Where this research is happening
Lowell, United States
- University of Massachusetts Lowell — Lowell, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kim, Jonghan — University of Massachusetts Lowell
- Study coordinator: Kim, Jonghan
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.