Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a common and disabling side effect of cancer treatment. It causes pain, numbness, and functional loss that may persist long after therapy, lowering quality of life and sometimes forcing dose reductions that compromise cancer care. Existing preventive or therapeutic options are scarce and largely ineffective, creating a clear unmet need. NeuroProtect tackles this challenge with Localised Microvascular Compression Therapy (LMCT)—a novel, non-pharmacological method that briefly reduces blood perfusion in the extremities during chemotherapy infusion. By limiting delivery of neurotoxic agents to peripheral nerves, LMCT aims to prevent CIPN without reducing the anti-cancer effect of treatment.
Overall objectives: Develop and optimise wearable LMCT prototypes for clinical use; demonstrate in laboratory models and healthy volunteers that LMCT safely and reproducibly lowers local perfusion in a defined therapeutic range; establish risk and design controls compliant with ISO13485 and ISO14971 standards to enable clinical translation and regulatory approval; and draft a first-in-human clinical protocol while building the intellectual-property and market framework needed for commercialisation.
Expected impact: By proving LMCT is feasible, safe, and well-tolerated, NeuroProtect paves the way for clinical studies and market entry. Anticipated benefits include: medical and societal gains—preventing CIPN could markedly improve quality of life, allow full dosing of life-saving chemotherapy, and cut long-term disability and care costs; innovation and economic value—the patented LMCT device creates a new class of supportive oncology care and opens opportunities for licensing, industrial partnerships, and further research into related applications such as mucositis prevention; health-system efficiency—lower CIPN incidence would reduce the need for pain management and rehabilitation, easing pressure on healthcare services.
Role of social sciences and humanities: Although primarily a biomedical engineering and clinical innovation project, NeuroProtect integrates human-centred design and patient-reported outcome measures—approaches informed by social sciences and humanities. Early involvement of patients and oncology clinic staff shaped usability, comfort, and workflow integration, ensuring that the technology meets real-world needs and enhances patient acceptance.
