Faculty, Staff and Student Publications
Publication Date
10-1-2024
Journal
Nature Reviews Drug Discovery
DOI
10.1038/s41573-024-01017-z
PMID
39242781
PMCID
PMC12123372
PubMedCentral® Posted Date
5-30-2025
PubMedCentral® Full Text Version
Author MSS
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.
Keywords
Humans, Tumor Microenvironment, Neoplasms, Animals, Antineoplastic Agents, Peripheral Nervous System
Published Open-Access
yes
Recommended Citation
Yaniv, Dan; Mattson, Brandi; Talbot, Sebastien; et al., "Targeting the Peripheral Neural-Tumour Microenvironment for Cancer Therapy" (2024). Faculty, Staff and Student Publications. 4207.
https://digitalcommons.library.tmc.edu/uthgsbs_docs/4207
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