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Loss of p53 protein strikes a nerve to aid tumour growth

Tumours often grow entangled among neurons, which makes the cancer difficult to treat. The finding that cancer cells hijack neighbouring neurons to promote tumour growth suggests new therapeutic targets.
  1. Marco Napoli

    1. Marco Napoli is in the Department of Molecular Oncology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida 33612, USA.

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  2. Elsa R. Flores

    1. Elsa R. Flores is in the Department of Molecular Oncology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida 33612, USA.

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Malignant tumours are a complex, yet organized, diverse ensemble of cells. Tumour cells are surrounded by other types of cell, which collectively form the tumour microenvironment. Components of this microenvironment include fibroblast cells, which can promote the growth and spread of tumours to distant sites, and immune cells. The latter have antitumour functions that are often suppressed by cancer cells; indeed, therapies that boost such immune cells are revolutionizing the treatment of certain cancers. By contrast, the interactions between cancer cells and neurons in the tumour microenvironment are less-well understood. Writing in Nature, Amit et al.1 reveal how tumours influence neurons to promote tumour growth, and show how this discovery might lead to new anticancer therapies.

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Nature 578, 367-369 (2020)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-020-00328-6

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