A promising molecule against chemotherapy-induced neuropathies
07 November 2025
Currently incurable, peripheral neuropathies are common neurological complications of chemotherapy, causing persistent pain, tingling, and burning sensations in the limbs, sometimes even after treatment has ended. In the hope of offering a therapeutic option to affected patients, a research team led by a CNRS researcher has identified a molecule capable of preventing the onset of such side effects.
This molecule stimulates the production of a compound essential for cellular energy production, on which the survival of all our cells depends, and thus promotes the resistance of nerve cells to the damage caused by chemotherapy treatments such as paclitaxel. This mechanism is described in a study published on October 29 in Science Advances.
Tested on human and rodent cell cultures, the newly discovered molecule has been shown to limit the degradation of nerve cells usually affected in the extremities, thereby reducing painful symptoms without altering its antitumor action.
At a time when chemotherapy-related neuropathies affect 80% of patients and persist in nearly a quarter of them, even forcing a reduction in cancer treatment, this discovery offers real hope. The molecule will undergo clinical trials in the next few years, the first step toward possible therapeutic application, once the regulatory preclinical stages have been validated.
Article :
Preventing neuropathy and improving anti-cancer chemotherapy with a carbazole- based compound
Lauriane Bosc, Maria Elena Pero, David Balayssac, Nathalie Jacquemot, Jordan Allard, Peggy Suzanne, Julien Vollaire, Cécile Cottet-Rousselle, Sophie Michallet, Joran Villaret, Sakina Torch, Sumari Marais, Bénédicte Elena-Herrmann, Uwe Schlattner, Anne Mercier, Véronique Josserand, Chantal Thibert, Patrick Dallemagne, Francesca Bartolini, Laurence Lafanechère. Science Advances, october 29, 2025.