Environmental stress can influence anti-tumor immune responses. In Cancer Immunology Research, Xiao et al. identify a positive role for the neuropeptide BDNF in eliciting enhanced cytotoxic CD8+ T cells directed against melanoma tumors. Mice living in socially stimulating environments express more BDNF. Both the sympathetic nervous system and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis contribute to the effects mediated by BDNF. Enhanced hypothalamic expression of BDNF increases the frequency of anti-tumor CD8+ T cells in lymph nodes and diminishes the tumor burden, whereas suppression of BDNF expression produces the opposite effect. These findings indicate a role for neural-immunological communication that can lead to better control of tumor progression.

Cancer Immunol. Res. 4, 488–497 (2016)