Document Type
Article
Publication Date
8-21-2023
Original Citation
Staff N,
Hrstka S,
Dasari S,
Capobianco E,
Rieger S.
Skin Extracellular Matrix Breakdown Following Paclitaxel Therapy in Patients with Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy. Cancers. 2023;15(16):4191
Keywords
JGM
JAX Source
Cancers. 2023;15(16):4191
ISSN
2072-6694
PMID
37627219
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers15164191
Grant
This research was funded by the National Institutes of Health, grant number 1R01CA215973 and R01 CA21887.
Abstract
The chemotherapeutic agent paclitaxel causes peripheral neuropathy, a dose-limiting side effect, in up to 68% of cancer patients. In this study, we investigated the impact of paclitaxel therapy on the skin of breast cancer patients with chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN), building upon previous findings in zebrafish and rodents. Comprehensive assessments, including neurological examinations and quality of life questionnaires, were conducted, followed by intraepidermal nerve fiber (IENF) density evaluations using skin punch biopsies. Additionally, RNA sequencing, immunostaining for Matrix-Metalloproteinase 13 (MMP-13), and transmission electron microscopy provided insights into molecular and ultrastructural changes in this skin. The results showed no significant difference in IENF density between the control and CIPN patients despite the presence of patient-reported CIPN symptoms. Nevertheless, the RNA sequencing and immunostaining on the skin revealed significantly upregulated MMP-13, which is known to play a key role in CIPN caused by paclitaxel therapy. Additionally, various genes involved in the regulation of the extracellular matrix, microtubules, cell cycle, and nervous system were significantly and differentially expressed. An ultrastructural examination of the skin showed changes in collagen and basement membrane structures. These findings highlight the presence of CIPN in the absence of IENF density changes and support the role of skin remodeling as a major contributor to CIPN.
Comments
© 2023 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ 4.0/).