Communication between tumor cells and nerves facilitates tumor perineural invasion

The communication between tumor cells and nerves facilitates tumor perineural invasion. Several mediators are involved in the intricate cancer-neuron communication, including chemokines (such as CX3CL1, CXCL10, CCL21), SLIT2, and the axon guidance molecule SEMA3D. CX3CL1, highly expressed in various neurons, plays a role in the adhesion between nerve cells and stromal cells. This adhesion is enhanced when tumor cells express specific adhesion molecules, promoting tumor migration towards nerves. Peripheral nerves secrete CXCL12, which, through its receptor CXCR4, can upregulate invasion-related genes like MMP-2 and uPA, as well as the AKT signaling pathway, thereby facilitating the migration and invasion of pancreatic cancer cells. Additionally, the CXCL10-CXCR3 and CCL21-CCR7 chemokine axes regulate pancreatic cancer cell migration via the AKT and ERK signaling pathways. The secretion of the axon guidance molecule SEMA3D, through the NGF-TRKA and ANAX2-SEMA3D-PLXND1 signaling axes, promotes bidirectional chemotaxis between nerves and tumors, narrowing the distance between tumor cells and nerves

Publication

Periampullary cancer and neurological interactions: current understanding and future research directions (2024) Yuchen Wang, et al. Front Oncol. 2024;14(NA). Figure: F4. Homo sapiens

Disease mentions