Understanding and Fixing Blood Vessel Changes Caused by Cancer
Rewiring Cancer-Induced Abnormalities in the Vascular Barrier
['FUNDING_R01'] · NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY · NIH-11131013
This research explores how cancer changes blood vessels in distant organs, which can lead to severe weight loss and muscle wasting, and aims to find ways to prevent or reverse these effects.
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-11131013 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
When cancer grows, it can cause unexpected changes in blood vessels and other tissues far away from the main tumor. These changes can lead to a serious condition called cachexia, where patients experience significant weight loss and muscle weakness. Cachexia makes it harder for patients to respond to cancer treatments and recover, impacting their quality of life and survival. Our goal is to understand how cancer causes these distant changes and to develop new ways to identify and treat cachexia early, helping patients feel better and improve their chances against cancer.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: This foundational research is aimed at understanding a complex cancer complication, and future studies stemming from it would ideally involve cancer patients experiencing or at risk of cachexia.
Not a fit: Patients without cancer or those not experiencing cachexia would not directly benefit from this specific research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new ways to diagnose and treat cancer-related weight loss and muscle wasting, improving patients' quality of life and their ability to tolerate and respond to cancer therapies.
How similar studies have performed: While the clinical consequences of cachexia are well known, this specific approach of targeting cancer-induced vascular abnormalities in distant organs as a cause of cachexia appears to be a novel angle.
Where this research is happening
CHICAGO, UNITED STATES
- NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY — CHICAGO, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: IRUELA-ARISPE, M. LUISA — NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
- Study coordinator: IRUELA-ARISPE, M. LUISA
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: Cancer Cachexia, Cancer Cause, Cancer Etiology, Cancer Induction