Senators Collins, King Announce $249,000 for Mount Desert Island Biological Lab

Washington, D.C.—U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced that the Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory has been awarded $249,000 by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.  The grant will allow researchers to study a possible cause of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN).

“Maine is fortunate to have a number of renowned institutions such as MDI Biological Lab, which have made our state a leader in the field of biomedical research,” said Senators Collins and King in a joint statement.  “This grant will allow the skilled scientists at MDI Biological Lab to better understand a side effect of chemotherapy and could help lead to more effective cancer treatments.”

The grant will be used to analyze whether changes in the skin caused by paclitaxel, a chemotherapy drug, are a possible cause of CIPN.  CIPN is a side effect of many chemotherapy drugs that is characterized by damage to nerves that extend from the brain and spinal cord.  Patients with CIPN often must switch chemotherapy drugs or discontinue treatments.