New directions in reducing stress effects on cancer

Abstract

A growing body of evidence is now connecting neuroendocrine mediators of the stress response to cancer biology. Al-Wadei and colleagues report a study in this issue of the journal (beginning on page 189) that provides a new piece of this evidence, adding the inhibitory neurotransmitter γ-aminobutyric acid to this intricate pathway. Their mouse model study supports the hypothesis that stress mediators contribute to lung cancer progression and that known inhibitors of the stress pathway might block such effects, thus adding to the impetus for studying cancer prevention strategies targeting the stress pathway.