Vincristine is a chemotherapeutic agent that causes a peripheral neuropathy characterized by gait abnormalities, obstipation, changes in the perception of mechanical or vibration stimuli particularly in the hands and feet, as well as pain. Using a murine model, our work demonstrates that vincristine-induced pain involves release of interleukin-1ß from macrophages infiltrating peripheral nervous tissue via activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome. Accordingly, treatment with the anti-rheumatic IL1 receptor antagonist anakinra or the NLRP3 inhibitor MCC950 prevents development of vincristine-induced neuropathy. These findings have implications for prevention of chemotherapy-induced neuropathy in cancer patients.

Those wishing to meet the speaker should contact Grace Shin, Grueber Lab


The Columbia Neuroscience Seminar series is a collaborative effort of Columbia's Zuckerman Institute, the Department of Neuroscience, the Doctoral Program in Neurobiology and Behavior and the Columbia Translational Neuroscience Initiative, and with support from the Kavli Institute for Brain Science.