Advancing Toward a Cure for Acquired Neuropathy

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Topic Description

Post Date: April 6, 2026

Expiration Date: April 6, 2028

Background: Acquired neuropathy (AN) can result from inflammation, autoimmunity, chemotherapy, and diabetes. AN results in chronic pain, loss of sensation, amputations, and life-threatening autonomic dysfunction. Current therapeutic approaches are limited to symptom management and don’t address the underlying pathophysiology or reverse nerve damage. Recent advances in bioinformatics, neuromodulation, regenerative medicine, and peripheral nerve biology create opportunities to develop disease-modifying interventions. 

This topic encourages research focused on three identified gap areas: 

  • Biomarkers: Existing large-scale datasets may contain unrecognized signatures associated with AN development and progression, offering opportunities to identify and validate novel biomarkers for early detection, prognosis, and responses to treatments. 
  • Clinical Outcome Measures: The field of AN assessment faces challenges in developing sensitive, practical tools for early detection and progression monitoring - particularly for autonomic neuropathy - necessitating research to develop new or improve existing measures that are fit-for-purpose.
  • Regenerative and Neuroprotective Therapeutics: Advances in understanding disease mechanisms suggest possible interventions that may halt or reverse AN. There is a need to translate these findings into new therapeutic approaches, platforms and models for preclinical testing and clinical trial strategies.  
This topic is being issued as part of the Make America Healthy Again initiative, which is expanding NIH and agency research into specific areas.

Participating ICOs

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)

The National Institute of Diabetes, Digestion, and Kidney Diseases is interested in research that investigates the pathophysiology of diabetic neuropathy (DN) in peripheral as well as autonomic nerves, as well as the sources of heterogeneity in the presentation and progression of DN among people with diabetes. Collaborations between basic neuroscientists and clinicians with expertise in DN is encouraged. 

Areas of interest under this topic include, but are not limited to: 

  • The development of translational animal models and novel approach methodologies
  • The role of factors beyond hyperglycemia that contribute to DN pathophysiology
  • The role of sex differences, socioeconomic status, and sources of heterogeneity in the presentation and progression of DN
IC may give special consideration to support meritorious applications in this topic area.
ICO Scientific Contact:
Dr. Bradley Cooke
[email protected]

National Cancer Institute (NCI)

NCI is interested in research on acquired neuropathies related to cancer or cancer treatment. Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a common acquired neuropathy experienced by cancer patients, but neuropathy can also arise from other forms of treatment, such as surgery or radiation, or cancer itself. Research topics of interest includes but not limited to: 

  • Identifying biomarkers for use in early detection of cancer-related neuropathy or to predict the likelihood of developing neuropathy during cancer therapy
  • Developing new outcome measures for early detection of CIPN and other cancer-related neuropathies
  • Therapeutic development to prevent or mitigate cancer-related neuropathies
  • Developing or optimizing translatable models for identifying and screening therapeutic approaches for cancer-related neuropathies
  • Identifying factors in preclinical models that contribute to variability in CIPN development and mitigation, such as the presence of a tumor, age, and comorbid conditions
ICO Scientific Contact:
Rachel Altshuler, Ph.D.
[email protected]

Office of Research on Women's Health (ORWH)

The Office of Autoimmune Disease Research in the Office of Research on Women’s Health (OADR-ORWH) is interested in supporting research on autoimmune disease associated-neuropathic conditions with a focus on addressing current gaps in the autoimmune disease research portfolio. Topics of interest include:

  • Autoimmune Dysautonomia
  • Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy 
  • Complex Regional Pain Syndrome 
  • Guillain-Barré Syndrome 
  • Multifocal Motor Neuropathy 
  • Brachial Neuritis
  • As well as neuropathic conditions associated with systemic autoimmune diseases including type I diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, celiac disease, inflammatory bowel disease, Sjogren’s disease, scleroderma, systemic lupus erythematosus, sarcoid, and vasculitis. 

The engagement of people living with or at risk for autoimmunity, as well as family members, clinicians, and allied health professionals, is strongly encouraged to ensure research has direct relevance to human health.

This office does not award grants. Applications must be relevant to the objectives of at least one of the participating Institutes or Centers listed in this topic.
ICO Scientific Contact:
Victoria Shanmugam, MBBS, FRCP, FACR, CCD
[email protected]

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