Congratulations to Chang-Lung Lee, PhD; Manisha Palta, MD; and Professor Emeritus of Pathology Salvatore Pizzo, MD, PhD, who were awarded a $2.8 million U01 grant by the NIH National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
The grant runs from August 2025 to July 2030, and other co-investigators include Duke Radiation Oncology faculty Christopher Kelsey, MD; Pooja Karukonda, MD; and Trey Mullikin, MD, as well as Director of Duke Cancer Institute Biostatistics Donna Niedzwiecki, PhD.
"Epidemiologic studies from A-bomb survivors reveal a significant increase in the risk of cardiovascular disease associated with radiation exposure," said Dr. Lee. "In addition, cardiotoxicity is a major late side effect of radiation therapy for breast cancer, esophageal cancer and lung cancer. However, there is no FDA-approved biomarker that can accurately predict the risk of heart failure among individuals who have been exposed to heterogeneous doses of ionizing radiation."
So far, the team has shown that serological pro-N-cadherin (PNC) is a promising diagnostic marker in screening the general population for subclinical heart failure. The grant aims to develop this as an early biomarker to identify individuals at high risk of developing heart disease following radiation exposure. By integrating studies in non-human primates, cancer patients and irradiated mice, Dr. Lee and colleagues seek to validate serum PNC as a predictor of radiation-induced cardiac fibrosis and dysfunction, leading to early intervention.