Proposed Evaluation of Nonpharmacological Treatments and Therapies for Paclitaxel Based Chemotherapy-induced Peripheral Neuropathy (CIPN)

Authors

• Mackenzie Lesczcynski, Duquesne UniversityFollow

Abstract

Chemotherapy-induced Peripheral Neuropathy (CIPN) is a common complication in breast cancer patients receiving Paclitaxel, a chemotherapeutic agent (1). CIPN symptoms range from numbness to extreme pain and sensitivity in bodily extremities, forcing chemotherapy to be halted (2). The mechanism of this side effect is not well understood and there is no standard pharmacological treatment available to improve effects. Nonpharmacological treatments have been attempted on small patient cohorts, but there are no conclusive findings (3). Due to this, we believe that a comprehensive murine model must be developed in order to assess nonpharmacological treatment efficacy and potential molecular targets for pharmacological treatments. We performed behavioral and electrophysiological assays on CIPN mice with an exercise program, a cryotherapy regiment, or a combination of exercise and cryotherapy (3). Male and female CD1 mice were raised to 18 months, dosed with paclitaxel or saline, and were put through 6 weeks of treatment. While we originally believed a combination of exercise and cryotherapy would synergistically alleviate the symptoms of CIPN, exercise alone was the most impactful.

First Page

50

Last Page

59

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Recommended Citation

Lesczcynski, M. (2025). Proposed Evaluation of Nonpharmacological Treatments and Therapies for Paclitaxel Based Chemotherapy-induced Peripheral Neuropathy (CIPN). D.U.Quark, 9 (1). Retrieved from https://dsc.duq.edu/duquark/vol9/iss1/9