Project description:
In this study, the scientists show that sensory nerves actively contribute to the progression of pancreatic cancer. They discovered that nerve fibers form direct physical contacts with cancer cells, creating structures similar to synapses known from the nervous system. Through these “pseudo-synapses,” nerves release the signaling molecule glutamate, which is received by specific receptors on cancer cells. This nerve-to-tumor communication increases cancer cell activity and supports tumor growth. Importantly, disrupting this signaling pathway in experimental models slowed tumor progression and significantly improved survival. The findings reveal that the nervous system is an important and previously underestimated driver of pancreatic cancer and suggest new therapeutic strategies that target not only cancer cells themselves, but also their communication with nerves.
Publication: Lei Ren, Chunfeng Liu, Kaan C¸ ifcibas‚ı, ..., Gu¨ralp O. Ceyhan, Rouzanna Istvanffy, Ihsan Ekin Demir, Cancer Cell, 2025.
Paper: https://www.cell.com/cancer-cell/fulltext/S1535-6108(25)00395-2
Submitting the Paper of the Month:
Else Kröner-Fresenius-Stiftung is using the series “Paper of the Month” to report in an exemplary and hot-off-the-press style on the outstanding work being done by the scientists it supports. We regularly present publications which have recently appeared in especially renowned journals, have emerged from foundation funding and been given appropriate acknowledgment. This is done in the respective categories “Original Paper” and “Review”. In the case of each of these publications, the first author and/or senior author are being funded by the foundation.
We invite all project managers, fellowship recipients and members of graduate study programs to send their work in accordance with the stated criteria as proposal for Paper of the Month to Ms. Anne Asschenfeldt (a.asschenfeldt@ekfs.de).
More Paper of the Month can be found here.
