# Pre-clinical validation of Phase II peptide LRP-1 agonist to treat and prevent chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy.

> **NIH NIH R43** · SERPIN PHARMA, LLC · 2022 · $398,816

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a common, toxic side effect of
chemotherapy agents. CIPN can be described as mainly sensory nerve impairment accompanied
by chronic pain that will decrease the quality of life of the individual. Symptoms and the severity
vary between those affected and they can include tingling, temperature- or touch-induced
paresthesias and dysesthesias, and painful sensations such as mechanical or thermal allodynia
or hyperalgesia. In severe cases, it can lead to irreversible and permanent damage to the
peripheral nerves and severe disability. It effects over half of the 28 million cancer survivors. Pain
associated with CIPN developed during the chemotherapy treatment can commonly cause the
reduction of dose administered and decrease treatment adherence, which could affect the
outcome of the treatment. Although the etiological mechanism for the peripheral nerves damage
slightly differ from one antitumoral drug to another: Inflammation always plays a key role in CIPN,
as it has been confirmed by several studies showing an increase of pro-inflammatory cytokine
levels during CIPN episodeThere are no curative treatments for CIPN, current the therapeutic
options involved steroids, local anesthetics, antidepressants, anti-seizures drugs, and opioid and
narcotic which are reserved for severe pain. All these non-specific treatments aim at temporarily
reducing the pain to a manageable level but won’t cure the underlying nerve damage, additionally
all these molecules can cause severe side effect and addiction.
Herein, we propose to establish a preclinical proof-of-concept for the use of the therapeutic
peptide SP16 drug and second-generation reduced size cyclic analogs (RSA), as an effective and
safe treatment against peripheral neuropathy. These analogs won’t only address CIPN’s
symptoms by reducing inflammation and pain, but they will also heal patient by promoting nerve
healing and regeneration.
This proposal is articulated around 3 main tasks, first we will determine the basic PK constant for
our lead analogs. Secondly, we will evaluate their activity in an in vivo CIPN mice model and
finally examine in vitro their effect, or lack of, on a panel of breast cancer cell lines and on their
response to antitumoral treatment.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10485642
- **Project number:** 1R43CA268700-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** SERPIN PHARMA, LLC
- **Principal Investigator:** WENDY M. CAMPANA
- **Activity code:** R43 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $398,816
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2022-09-19 → 2023-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10485642

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10485642, Pre-clinical validation of Phase II peptide LRP-1 agonist to treat and prevent chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy. (1R43CA268700-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10485642. Licensed CC0.

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