ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION. Oncological patients need timely neurorehabilitation in order to prevent or reduce complications from the central nervous system, both against the background of cancer and with specific treatment. Cognitive impairment may be a systemic complication of chemotherapy as a result of neurotoxicity. Pathogenetically, direct vascular damage, autoimmune endothelial damage and hypercoagulation in small vessels of the central nervous system develop, which can lead to microinfarctions, as in vascular diseases of the brain.

AIM. Review of possible pathogenetic therapy of cognitive impairment in cancer patients with neuropeptide drugs.

MATERIALS AND METHODS. A review of the literature for 2015–2025 on the databases PubMed, Medline, Scopus, Web of Science and eLibrary has been performed. Using keywords: oncology, neurotoxicity, cognitive impairment, neurorehabilitation, neuropeptides, Cellex.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION. At the stage of drug therapy, it is important to use drugs with the most effective and safe profile, such drugs include neuropeptides. In clinical studies in patients with cerebral circulatory disorders, the neuropeptide drug Cellex has shown high efficacy in ensuring neuroplasticity processes. The pathogenetic mechanisms of cognitive dysfunction development in chronic cerebral ischemia and on the background of chemotherapy in cancer patients have a single mechanism in the form of oxidative stress, impaired neuro- and vasculogenesis, activation of proinflammatory cytokines with the formation of endothelial dysfunction, and phenomena of neuronal apoptosis. The use of neuropeptides in the treatment of these pathological processes in cancer patients is of interest. According to preliminary data from a clinical trial conducted on a small sample of patients, Cellex showed a positive effect in patients with cognitive dysfunction after chemotherapy.

CONCLUSION. In order to obtain convincing data on the effectiveness of the drug in oncological patients, it is necessary to conduct qualitative comparative clinical studies on a sufficient sample. Of course, the use of Cellex seems promising and needs further study. 

KEYWORDS: neurorehabilitation, oncology, neurotoxicity, cognitive impairment, neuropeptides, Cellex

For citation: Ivonina N.A. Possibilities of Using Neuropeptides in Cognitive Impairment in Cancer Patients: A Review. Comorbidity Neurology. 2026; 3 (2): 60–68. https://doi.org/10.62505/3034-185x-2026-3-2-60-68

For correspondence: Natalia A. Ivonina, Ph.D. (Med.), Associate Professor of the Department of Neurology, Manual Therapy and Reflexology, Novokuznetsk State Institute for Further Training of Physicians – Branch Campus of the Russian Medical Academy of Continuous Professional Education, Novokuznetsk, Russia, e-mail: nan64@mail.ru.

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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Natalia A. Ivonina, Ph.D. (Med.), Associate Professor of the Department of Neurology, Manual Therapy and Reflexology, Novokuznetsk State Institute for Further Training of Physicians – Branch Campus of the Russian Medical Academy of Continuous Professional Education, Novokuznetsk, Russia. E-mail: nan64@mail.ru. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8713-4532

Acknowledgment. The author expresses his gratitude to: ANO "Almed Medical Center" represented by the chief physician I.A. Lesnikov for providing statistical data, analysis and critical remarks regarding the review article.

Author contributions. Author confirm the compliance of their authorship, according to international ICMJE criteria (conducting research and preparing an article).

Funding. This study was supported by external sources of funding.

Disclosure. The material was prepared with the support of Group of company "Pharm-Sintez".

The content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

©2026. Natalia A. Ivonina