Recently, the team led by Liu Wentao and Hu Liang from the School of Basic Medical Sciences, Nanjing Medical University published a paper titled "Fucoidan Alleviates Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy via Activating the Gas6/MerTK Signaling Pathway to Reduce Neuroinflammation" in theJournal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. From the perspective of regulating the body's intrinsic anti-inflammatory system and combating neuroinflammation, this study uncovers the key mechanism underlying the therapeutic effect of fucoidan on chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN). The findings highlight fucoidan as a promising candidate for clinical intervention in CIPN and provide a new direction for exploring therapeutic targets in neuroinflammation-related diseases. The work also lays a theoretical foundation for the translational development of fucoidan as a “medicine–food homology” natural extract.
CIPN is a common and severe dose-limiting adverse reaction that affects more than 60% of cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy and immunotherapy. Its clinical manifestations include "glove-and-stocking" - like limb numbness and hyperalgesia, which severely impair patients' quality of life. However, regarding this clinical challenge, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) guidelines currently do not recommend any ideal and effective drugs.
Fucoidan (FUC) is a naturally occurring sulfated polysaccharide abundant in seaweed, with diverse bioactivities such as anti-inflammatory effects, intestinal barrier protection, and anti-tumor potential. Building on the group’s previous work implicating neutrophil extracellular trap (NET)-mediated neuroinflammation as a key driver of CIPN, the researchers established an oxaliplatin-induced mouse model of CIPN. They found that fucoidan dose-dependently alleviated mechanical hyperalgesia, reduced NET accumulation in dorsal root ganglia (DRG), and attenuated neuroinflammatory responses.
Through combined analysis of cellular RNA-seq and GEO database datasets, the team further verified that fucoidan activates the Gas6/MerTK signaling axis. On one hand, it upregulates the expression of SOCS3 to directly exert anti-inflammatory effects; on the other hand, it promotes the phagocytosis and clearance of NETs by macrophages via MerTK, thereby inhibiting neuroinflammation through a "two-pronged approach".
Associate Professor Hu Liang from the School of Basic Medical Sciences, Nanjing Medical University, is the corresponding author of this paper. Yang Yunbo, a 2022 - grade "5+3" clinical medicine undergraduate from the First School of Clinical Medicine; Ma Xinyi, a 2024 - grade postgraduate from the Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences; and Ni Xinchu, Director of the Radiation Oncology Department, the Third Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University (Changzhou No.2 People's Hospital), are the co-first authors. Other undergraduate participants in this study include Tang Lanyue, a 2022 - grade basic medicine undergraduate from the School of Basic Medical Sciences; Ju Zeyi and Wang Minghao, 2023 and 2024 - grade clinical medicine undergraduates from the Second School of Clinical Medicine, respectively. The cover image of the paper was co-created by Zhang Xinyi, a 2023 - grade clinical medicine undergraduate, and Yue Yuze, a 2025 - grade "5+3" clinical medicine undergraduate, from the First School of Clinical Medicine.
In recent years, supported by the high-quality research platform of the “Shilu Program” and funding such as the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the School of Basic Medical Sciences at Nanjing Medical University has focused on “stimulating students’ interest in innovation and entrepreneurship and promoting holistic development.” By advancing the integration of clinical problem discovery with mechanistic research, scientific knowledge with hands-on experimental training, and in-class learning with extracurricular research exploration, this achievement reflects the school’s effectiveness in cultivating medical students’ research and innovation capabilities, and provides strong support for strengthening the alignment between basic research and clinical needs and improving talent training quality.
(Drafted by Hu Liang; Reviewed by Chen Feng & Wang Juejin; Translation revised by Wu Wenbo)
