Nerve Dependence: From Regeneration to Cancer

Abstract

Nerve dependence has long been described in animal regeneration, where the outgrowth of axons is necessary to the reconstitution of lost body parts and tissue remodeling in various species. Recent discoveries have demonstrated that denervation can suppress tumor growth and metastasis, pointing to nerve dependence in cancer. Regeneration and cancer share similarities in regard to the stimulatory role of nerves, and there are indications that the stem cell compartment is a preferred target of innervation. Thus, the neurobiology of cancer is an emerging discipline that opens new perspectives in oncology.

Keywords: Schwann cells; cancer; nerve dependence; nerve infiltration; neurotrophic growth factors; regeneration; tumor microenvironment.