Targeting the peripheral neural-tumour microenvironment for cancer therapy

  • Nat Rev Drug Discov. 2024 Oct;23(10):780-796. doi: 10.1038/s41573-024-01017-z.
Dan Yaniv  1 ,  Brandi Mattson  2 ,  Sebastien Talbot  3  4 ,  Frederico O Gleber-Netto  5 ,  Moran Amit  6  7
Affiliations
  • 1. Department of Head and Neck Surgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
  • 2. The Neurodegeneration Consortium, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
  • 3. Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden.
  • 4. Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
  • 5. Department of Head and Neck Surgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA. [email protected].
  • 6. Department of Head and Neck Surgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA. [email protected].
  • 7. UTHealth Houston Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA. [email protected].
PMID: 39242781 DOI: 10.1038/s41573-024-01017-z
Abstract

As the field of Cancer neuroscience expands, the strategic targeting of interactions between neurons, Cancer cells and other elements in the tumour microenvironment represents a potential paradigm shift in Cancer treatment, comparable to the advent of our current understanding of tumour immunology. Cancer cells actively release growth factors that stimulate tumour neo-neurogenesis, and accumulating evidence indicates that tumour neo-innervation propels tumour progression, inhibits tumour-related pro-inflammatory cytokines, promotes neovascularization, facilitates metastasis and regulates immune exhaustion and evasion. In this Review, we give an up-to-date overview of the dynamics of the tumour microenvironment with an emphasis on tumour innervation by the peripheral nervous system, as well as current preclinical and clinical evidence of the benefits of targeting the nervous system in Cancer, laying a scientific foundation for further clinical trials. Combining empirical data with a biomarker-driven approach to identify and hone neuronal targets implicated in Cancer and its spread can pave the way for swift clinical integration.