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Updated: Sep 19, 2025
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Monitoring the Cancer-Immunity Cycle and Exploring Tumor Microenvironment Dynamics
Published on: June 7, 2024
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Neuro-immune cross-talk in cancer
Moran Amit1,2, Tuany Eichwald3,4, Anais Roger4
1Department of Head and Neck Surgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA. MAmit@mdanderson.org.
Nature Reviews. Cancer
|June 16, 2025
Summary
The nervous and immune systems interact to influence cancer growth. Understanding this neuro-immune axis in tumors may reveal new ways to boost anti-cancer immunity and improve treatments.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Immunology
- Oncology
Background:
- The nervous and immune systems co-evolve to maintain homeostasis and respond to threats.
- Direct cross-talk between these systems significantly impacts disease progression.
- Cancer neuro-immunity explores the complex interplay between the nervous system, immune responses, and tumor growth.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review current evidence on how neuronal signaling regulates peripheral anti-tumor immune responses.
- To describe the reciprocal interactions among neurons, immune cells, and malignant cells.
- To highlight the role of the peripheral nervous system in modulating anti-cancer immunity.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of existing research on neuro-immune interactions in cancer.
- Analysis of findings on nerve fiber infiltration in peripheral tumors.
- Examination of how immune cells affect neuronal activity, including nociceptive neurons.
Main Results:
- Nerve fibers in tumors release factors that influence immune cells and tumor progression.
- Tumor-infiltrating immune cells can alter the activity of local neurons.
- Sympathetic signaling can suppress anti-tumor immunity by promoting T cell exhaustion and recruiting myeloid-derived suppressor cells.
Conclusions:
- The peripheral nervous system plays a key role in modulating immunity against cancer.
- Understanding the neuro-immune axis offers potential for novel therapeutic strategies.
- Targeting neuro-immune interactions could enhance anti-tumor immunity and improve cancer treatment efficacy.
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