Ariel Zhang, PhD

2026 Next Generation Research Grant in Peripheral Neuropathy

Protecting Nerves from Chemotherapy Damage

Institution: Temple University

Project Summary: Chemotherapy is an important treatment for many cancers, but it can also cause serious side effects. One common problem is chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN), which affects more than half of patients in their first month of treatment. CIPN causes pain or numbness in the hands and feet and can be so severe that patients must reduce or stop their chemotherapy. Despite how common this condition is, there are no FDA-approved treatments to prevent it. Vincristine, a widely used chemotherapy drug, is known to cause CIPN. Researchers have recently discovered that a protein called ATF2 becomes activated during vincristine treatment and contributes to CIPN. Early lab studies show that turning off ATF2 in human nerve cells protects them from vincristine. This suggests ATF2 plays an important role in CIPN, but researchers still need to learn exactly how it works and which other proteins may be involved.

Dr. Zhang’s project aims to understand how ATF2 causes nerve damage and to test whether reducing ATF2 can protect against CIPN in living animals. The research team will start by identifying other proteins that interact with ATF2 when nerve cells are exposed to vincristine. Next, they will use mouse models to see whether lowering ATF2 levels can reduce pain and protect nerves from damage.

This research could lead to new ways to prevent CIPN in the future. By identifying ATF2 or the proteins that work with it as targets for treatment, scientists may be able to develop medicines that protect nerves without interfering with cancer therapy. This work also has the potential to improve long-term quality of life for countless patients who currently face chronic pain and disability from CIPN. Ultimately, the project aims to lay the scientific foundation for safer, more tolerable cancer therapies in the future.

This research is funded by the Foundation for Peripheral Neuropathy through the American Brain Foundation.