Chemotherapy-induced periperal neuropathy (CIPN) is a dose-restricting collateral effect of various anti-cancer drugs.

Due to the fact that no cure is currently available, the only option to prevent serious and lasting damage in affected individuals is to reduce or suspend chemotherapy treatment.

This change to therapy may have an important effect in the long-term, as alternative treatments may not prove so effective. One of the reasons for the lack of a cure is the fact that the features of CIPN are still relatively unknown.

The project sets out to investigate, simultaneously, 4 of the main effects of CIPN: impaired axonal transport/damage to microtubules, neural inflammation, impaired Ca2+ homeostasis/ intracellular membrane currents and mitochondrial toxicity.

Our research in Novara focuses particularly on the effect of chemotherapy on the activity and expression of ion transport channels, cytoplasmic and mitochondrial calcium signalling, and pH homeostasis in sensorial neurons.

The research studies are carried out in close collaboration between Prof. Guido Cavaletti (PI of the project, Università degli Studi of MILANO-BICOCCA), Dr. Silvia Giatti (Università degli Studi of MILANO) and Dr. Maria Elena Pero (Università degli Studi of Naples Federico II) and Prof. Francesca Bartolini (Columbia University, NY, USA)