Scientists uncover the hidden nerve network fueling breast cancer
Researchers at the University of Oklahoma have discovered that triple-negative breast cancer tumors recruit immune cells called macrophages to stimulate nerve growth. This nerve network helps the cancer grow and resist treatment, suggesting a potential new therapeutic target.
Why it matters
Understanding this biological mechanism could lead to new cancer treatments that disrupt tumor-nerve signaling rather than just attacking cancer cells directly.
New research from the University of Oklahoma has revealed how an aggressive type of breast cancer can manipulate the immune system to draw nerves into tumors, creating conditions that may help the cancer grow.
Scientists have known for years that many solid tumors contain extensive nerve networks. What has been less clear is how those nerves enter the tumor in the first place. The new study, published in Cell Death & Differentiation , provides an explanation for this process in triple-negative breast cancer, a particularly difficult form of the disease to treat.
Immune Cells Help Draw Nerves Into Tumors
The researchers discovered that tumors attract macrophages, a type of immune cell that normally helps the body fight infections and repair damaged tissue. After entering the tumor, these macrophages release brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein that encourages nearby nerves to grow toward and into the cancer.
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