Researchers have discovered that stomach cancer cells connect with nearby sensory nerves, forming electrical circuitsthat fuel tumor growth and help the cancer spread.
This finding, published in Nature, is the first evidence that cancer outside the brain can directly communicate with nerves through electrical signals.
This discovery opens the possibility that many other cancers may also use similar nerve connections to grow. If so, drugs designed for neurological conditions could be repurposed to treat cancer.
Cancer “Hijacks” Nerves for Fast Growth
Scientists have long known that cancers exploit their surroundings—such as blood vessels, immune cells, and connective tissue—to grow. However, the role of nerves in cancer development has only been explored in the last two decades.
“The nervous system works faster than any other part of the tumor microenvironment,” explains study leader Dr. Timothy Wang from Columbia University. “This allows tumors to quickly reshape their surroundings to support their survival.”
How Cancer Forms Electrical Circuits with Nerves
Wang’s research focuses on stomach and gastrointestinal (GI) cancers. About 10 years ago, he found that cutting the vagus nerve in mice significantly slowed stomach tumor growth. This led him to investigate how nerves interact with tumors.
In the new study, researchers focused on sensory nerves, which reacted strongly to the presence of cancer in mice. The findings showed:
- Cancer cells release a protein called Nerve Growth Factor (NGF), which attracts sensory nerve cells.
- The sensory nerves then grow into the tumor, pulling cancer cells closer to them.
- Once connected, the tumor signals the nerves to release CGRP (Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide).
- CGRP creates electrical impulses in the tumor, forming an ongoing circuit that continuously stimulates cancer growth.
This process is similar to how neurons form synapses in the brain, but slower. Scientists confirmed these electrical signals using calcium imaging, a technique that lights up when electrical impulses travel through cells.
Blocking Nerve Signals May Slow Cancer Growth
Since CGRP plays a key role in activating the nerve-cancer circuit, the researchers tested CGRP inhibitors—drugs currently used to treat migraines.
In mice with stomach cancer, these drugs reduced tumor size, extended survival, and prevented the cancer from spreading.
“We believe that the same nerve-cancer circuits exist in humans, based on patient data,” Wang says. “This could provide a new treatment option for stomach cancer.”
How Nerve Signals May Affect Other Cancers
Beyond direct electrical communication, sensory nerves may also use CGRP to promote cancer growth through indirect pathways. For example:
- Nerves may stimulate connective tissue cells in the tumor environment, helping the cancer spread.
- Some research suggests that sensory nerves suppress immune responses against other types of cancer, possibly through CGRP.
Wang believes that nerves act as a hidden master regulator of tumor growth, similar to how they guide organ development in embryos.
What This Means for Cancer Treatment
These findings suggest that targeting nerve-cancer connections could be an effective way to slow tumor growth. If future research confirms similar circuits in other types of cancer, neurological drugs could become a new weapon against cancer.
This breakthrough in cancer neuroscience could lead to innovative treatments that interrupt cancer’s ability to communicate with nerves, preventing tumors from rapidly growing and spreading.
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The research findings can be found in Nature.
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