Decoding autophagy in neuro-tumor crosstalk: from underlying mechanisms to translational opportunities

Recent advances in cancer neuroscience have established the nervous system as an active regulator of tumor initiation and progression, emphasizing the complex bidirectional crosstalk between neural networks and oncology. In order to deconstruct the relationship between primary central nervous system malignancies and brain metastasis, this review systematically studies the specific mechanisms of neuron tumor synaptic communication, paracrine signaling, and neuroimmune interactions. Innovatively, autophagy is considered as a regulatory bridge connecting neuronal activity and tumor behavior. When functioning in neurons, autophagic flux determines synaptic plasticity and regulates neurotransmitter turnover. Inside tumor cells, autophagy may lead to uncontrolled proliferation and help evade immune surveillance. Integrating these molecular observations establishes the neuro-autophagy-tumor axis, and interconnected nodes in this axis provide emerging therapeutic strategies that target neural signaling and autophagy. These insights highlight the importance of incorporating neurobiological context into cancer research and position autophagy as a promising target for disrupting neural regulation in cancer therapy.