Why some targeted cancer drugs can affect the heart
Official title: Mechanisms of Cardiotoxicity Associated with Covalent Kinase Inhibitors
Funded at Stanford University · NIH-11174549 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project will find out whether a heart protein called CSK explains why the cancer drug ibrutinib can cause irregular heartbeats.
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) | $811,348 |
| NIH project number | 5P01HL141084-07 |
| Project ID | NIH-11174549 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People currently treated with ibrutinib or other covalent kinase inhibitors, especially those with a history of atrial fibrillation or other arrhythmias, are the most relevant group for these findings.
✕Less likely to help
Patients not taking ibrutinib or similar targeted kinase drugs or whose heart issues come from unrelated causes are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.
What this research studies
If you or someone you know takes ibrutinib or similar cancer drugs, this team is studying how those drugs might harm the heart. They will use laboratory-grown heart cells and genetic tools to see if the drug hits an off-target protein called CSK. They will test cardiac effects in mice to look for heart remodeling and rhythm changes. Finally, they will examine clinical and pharmacovigilance databases to see whether the lab and animal findings match what has been reported in patients.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help prevent or reduce heart rhythm problems in patients taking ibrutinib and related drugs.
How similar studies have gone: Clinical reports have linked ibrutinib to atrial fibrillation, but linking that toxicity to CSK and combining cell, mouse, and database approaches is a relatively new and emerging direction.
Where this research is happening
-
Stanford University
Stanford, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wu, Joseph C. — Stanford University
- Study coordinator: Wu, Joseph C.
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Dual targeting of heart cell receptors to prevent chemotherapy heart damage
Atrial patients receiving the chemotherapy drug doxorubicin may be protected from heart damage by targeting two heart cell receptors at once.
-
Genetic clues for doxorubicin heart risk using patient-derived heart cells
A research project tests how human heart cells grown from stem cells react to a common chemotherapy to see which genetic differences may raise the risk of heart damage.
-
Targeting STK3 to protect the heart during breast cancer treatment
A new approach tests whether blocking STK3 can protect the heart from chemotherapy damage without reducing its cancer-fighting effect in breast cancer patients.
-
High-throughput 3D human heart tissue to screen drug safety
A Johns Hopkins team is creating a high-throughput, 3D human heart tissue model to test drug safety on human heart cells.
-
Precision imaging of heart damage from cancer treatment using metabolic MRI biomarkers
Researchers will use advanced MRI to find early metabolic signs of heart injury in cancer patients treated with common drugs, so doctors can protect the heart earlier.
-
PET imaging to detect heart damage from chemotherapy
This research tests a new PET imaging tracer to detect early heart muscle damage in people who have received cancer chemotherapy.
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.