Why some cancer drugs change how sweet things taste
The role of Kit signaling in taste bud regeneration
This research looks at whether blocking a protein called Kit explains why people taking certain targeted kidney-cancer medicines lose or distort sweet taste.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Colorado Denver NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Aurora, UNITED STATES) |
| Project ID | NIH-11290785 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers working to help people who lose taste during cancer treatment are focusing on six targeted drugs used for metastatic kidney cancer that commonly cause distorted taste. They compare the drugs' known targets with proteins found in taste cells and identified the Kit receptor as a likely off-target hit in sweet taste cells. In the lab they use mice and tongue organoids grown from adult taste stem cells to see whether blocking Kit reduces markers of sweet taste cells. The team aims to connect those lab findings to the taste changes patients experience and to suggest ways to prevent or reverse them.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults receiving the specific tyrosine kinase inhibitors used for metastatic renal cell carcinoma who are experiencing altered or reduced sweet taste would be most relevant.
Not a fit: People whose taste problems are due to head/neck radiation, other types of chemotherapy, long-standing non-drug taste disorders, or non-medication causes may not benefit from findings specific to these drugs.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to ways to prevent or treat chemotherapy-related loss of sweet taste, helping patients maintain appetite, weight, and quality of life.
How similar studies have performed: This is a novel direction supported by promising preliminary mouse and organoid data, but it has not yet been tested in people.
Where this research is happening
Aurora, UNITED STATES
- University of Colorado Denver — Aurora, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Barlow, Linda a — University of Colorado Denver
- Study coordinator: Barlow, Linda a
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.