Illustration of a kidney shielded from chemotherapy's effects, with cancer cells fading in the background.

Cisplatin's Hidden Side Effects: How to Protect Your Body During Chemotherapy

Kai Mendoza in Health & Wellness December 2025 • 4 min read.

"Discover how scientists are targeting a specific protein to minimize the harmful side effects of cisplatin, a common chemotherapy drug, while enhancing its cancer-fighting abilities."

Cancer is a formidable foe, and the treatments we use to combat it often come with their own set of challenges. Chemotherapy, while effective at killing cancer cells, can also damage healthy tissues, leading to a range of side effects that can significantly impact a patient's quality of life. Finding ways to minimize these side effects without compromising the treatment's effectiveness is a major goal in cancer research.

Cisplatin is a widely used chemotherapy drug known for its effectiveness against various types of cancer. However, it can also cause serious side effects, particularly kidney damage. Scientists have been working for years to understand how cisplatin harms the kidneys and to find ways to protect them without reducing the drug's ability to fight cancer.

This article explores recent research that has identified a specific protein, protein kinase C δ (PKCδ), as a key player in cisplatin-induced kidney damage. Excitingly, studies have shown that inhibiting PKCδ can protect the kidneys from cisplatin's harmful effects while actually enhancing the drug's ability to kill cancer cells. This discovery could pave the way for safer and more effective chemotherapy treatments.

How Does Cisplatin Cause Kidney Damage?

Illustration of a kidney shielded from chemotherapy's effects, with cancer cells fading in the background.

Cisplatin works by damaging the DNA of cancer cells, preventing them from growing and dividing. Unfortunately, it can also damage the DNA of healthy cells, particularly in the kidneys. The kidneys are responsible for filtering toxins from the blood, and they are exposed to high concentrations of cisplatin as the drug is processed and eliminated from the body. This exposure can lead to cell death and inflammation, resulting in acute kidney injury.

For years, researchers believed that strategies to protect the kidneys during cisplatin treatment might also reduce the drug's effectiveness against cancer. After all, if the same mechanisms that cause kidney damage also contribute to cancer cell death, blocking those mechanisms could protect healthy tissues but also weaken the chemotherapy's impact.

DNA Damage: Cisplatin directly damages DNA, leading to cell death.
Inflammation: Damaged kidney cells trigger an inflammatory response, exacerbating the injury.
Cell Death Pathways: Cisplatin activates various cell death pathways in kidney cells.

The groundbreaking research discussed here challenges this assumption by pinpointing PKCδ as a specific target for kidney protection. By inhibiting PKCδ, scientists have found a way to reduce kidney damage without compromising cisplatin's anti-cancer effects – and in some cases, even enhancing them.

The Future of Safer Chemotherapy

The identification of PKCδ as a key mediator of cisplatin-induced kidney damage represents a significant step forward in the fight against cancer. By targeting this specific protein, researchers hope to develop new strategies to protect patients from the harmful side effects of chemotherapy while improving the effectiveness of their treatment. This approach, along with other advancements in targeted cancer therapies, holds the promise of a future where cancer treatment is both more effective and less toxic.

About this Article -

This article was crafted using a human-AI hybrid and collaborative approach. AI assisted our team with initial drafting, research insights, identifying key questions, and image generation. Our human editors guided topic selection, defined the angle, structured the content, ensured factual accuracy and relevance, refined the tone, and conducted thorough editing to deliver helpful, high-quality information.See our About page for more information.

This article is based on research published under:

DOI-LINK: 10.18632/oncotarget.439, Alternate LINK

Title: Curtailing Side Effects In Chemotherapy: A Tale Of Pkcδ In Cisplatin Treatment

Subject: Oncology

Journal: Oncotarget

Publisher: Impact Journals, LLC

Authors: Navjotsingh Pabla, Zheng Dong

Published: 2012-01-31

Everything You Need To Know

What is Cisplatin and why is it used?

Cisplatin is a widely used chemotherapy drug employed to combat various cancer types. Its mechanism involves damaging the DNA of cancer cells, thereby preventing their growth and division. However, this process is a double-edged sword because it can also harm healthy cells, leading to adverse side effects, such as kidney damage. Despite these challenges, Cisplatin's effectiveness makes it a crucial component in many cancer treatment protocols.

How does Cisplatin cause damage to the kidneys?

Cisplatin causes kidney damage through multiple mechanisms. Firstly, it directly damages the DNA of kidney cells, leading to cell death. Secondly, this damage triggers an inflammatory response, which exacerbates the injury. Finally, Cisplatin activates various cell death pathways within kidney cells. The kidneys, responsible for filtering toxins, are exposed to high concentrations of Cisplatin as the drug is processed, making them particularly vulnerable.

What role does protein kinase C δ (PKCδ) play in Cisplatin's side effects?

Protein kinase C δ (PKCδ) has been identified as a key player in the kidney damage induced by Cisplatin. Research indicates that inhibiting PKCδ can protect the kidneys from Cisplatin's harmful effects. This is a significant breakthrough because it suggests a way to reduce the toxicity of Cisplatin without compromising its ability to kill cancer cells. This approach could lead to safer and more effective chemotherapy treatments.

Why was it initially believed that protecting the kidneys from Cisplatin's side effects might reduce the drug's effectiveness?

Initially, researchers thought that protecting the kidneys from Cisplatin's side effects might lessen the drug's cancer-fighting ability because it was believed the same mechanisms that cause kidney damage also contribute to cancer cell death. Therefore, blocking these mechanisms was thought to protect healthy tissues but potentially weaken the chemotherapy's impact. However, the discovery of PKCδ as a specific target has challenged this assumption, demonstrating that kidney protection is achievable without reducing Cisplatin's anti-cancer effects, and sometimes even enhancing them.

How could the discovery about PKCδ improve the future of chemotherapy?

The identification of PKCδ as a key mediator of Cisplatin-induced kidney damage opens new avenues for safer chemotherapy. By targeting this specific protein, researchers aim to develop strategies that shield patients from harmful side effects while maintaining or even improving treatment effectiveness. This approach, along with advancements in targeted cancer therapies, holds the promise of a future where cancer treatment is less toxic and more effective. It suggests the potential for personalized medicine, where treatments are tailored to minimize harm and maximize benefits for individual patients.