Crosstalk Between the Nervous System and Colorectal Cancer

doi:10.1007/s12264-024-01238-7

Review

. 2025 Jan;41(1):93-106.

doi: 10.1007/s12264-024-01238-7. Epub 2024 Jun 16.

Crosstalk Between the Nervous System and Colorectal Cancer

Xi Li^#^{1

2}, Chunshui Ye^#³, Min Wang⁴, Patrick Kwan^{5

6

7

8}, Xin Tian⁹, Yanke Zhang^{10

11}

Affiliations

¹ Jining Medical University, Jining, 272000, China.
² Department of Neurology, Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical University, Jining, 272000, China.
³ Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Jining No. 1 People's Hospital, Jining, 272000, China.
⁴ Department of Neurology, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200127, China.
⁵ Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurology, Chongqing, 400016, China. patrick.kwan@monash.edu.
⁶ Department of Neuroscience, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia. patrick.kwan@monash.edu.
⁷ Department of Neurology, Alfred Health, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia. patrick.kwan@monash.edu.
⁸ Department of Medicine, Royal Melbourne Hospital, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia. patrick.kwan@monash.edu.
⁹ Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurology, Chongqing, 400016, China. xintian@cqmu.edu.cn.
¹⁰ Department of Neurology, Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical University, Jining, 272000, China. yankezhang@mail.jnmc.edu.cn.
¹¹ Department of Neurology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200080, China. yankezhang@mail.jnmc.edu.cn.

^# Contributed equally.

PMID: 38879846
PMCID: PMC11748644 (available on 2026-01-01)
DOI: 10.1007/s12264-024-01238-7

Review

Crosstalk Between the Nervous System and Colorectal Cancer

Xi Li et al. Neurosci Bull. 2025 Jan.

. 2025 Jan;41(1):93-106.

doi: 10.1007/s12264-024-01238-7. Epub 2024 Jun 16.

Authors

Xi Li^#^{1

2}, Chunshui Ye^#³, Min Wang⁴, Patrick Kwan^{5

6

7

8}, Xin Tian⁹, Yanke Zhang^{10

11}

Affiliations

¹ Jining Medical University, Jining, 272000, China.
² Department of Neurology, Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical University, Jining, 272000, China.
³ Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Jining No. 1 People's Hospital, Jining, 272000, China.
⁴ Department of Neurology, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200127, China.
⁵ Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurology, Chongqing, 400016, China. patrick.kwan@monash.edu.
⁶ Department of Neuroscience, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia. patrick.kwan@monash.edu.
⁷ Department of Neurology, Alfred Health, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia. patrick.kwan@monash.edu.
⁸ Department of Medicine, Royal Melbourne Hospital, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia. patrick.kwan@monash.edu.
⁹ Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurology, Chongqing, 400016, China. xintian@cqmu.edu.cn.
¹⁰ Department of Neurology, Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical University, Jining, 272000, China. yankezhang@mail.jnmc.edu.cn.
¹¹ Department of Neurology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200080, China. yankezhang@mail.jnmc.edu.cn.

^# Contributed equally.

PMID: 38879846
PMCID: PMC11748644 (available on 2026-01-01)
DOI: 10.1007/s12264-024-01238-7

Abstract

The nervous system is the dominant regulatory system in the human body. The traditional theory is that tumors lack innervation. However, an increasing number of studies have shown complex bidirectional interactions between tumors and the nervous system. Globally, colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer. With the rise of tumor neuroscience, the role of nervous system imbalances in the occurrence and development of CRC has attracted increasing amounts of attention. However, there are still many gaps in the research on the interactions and mechanisms involved in the nervous system in CRC. This article systematically reviews emerging research on the bidirectional relationships between the nervous system and CRC, focusing on the following areas: (1) Effects of the nervous system on colon cancer. (2) Effects of CRC on the nervous system. (3) Treatment of CRC associated with the nervous system.

Keywords: Cancer treatment; Colorectal cancer; Nervous system; Tumor microenvironment; Tumor neuroscience.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest: The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

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References

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[1] Sharkey KA, Mawe GM. The enteric nervous system. Physiol Rev 2023, 103: 1487–1564. - PMC - PubMed

[2] Sharkey KA, Mawe GM. The enteric nervous system. Physiol Rev 2023, 103: 1487–1564. - PMC - PubMed

[3] Zeng W, Yang F, Shen WL, Zhan C, Zheng P, Hu J. Interactions between central nervous system and peripheral metabolic organs. Sci China Life Sci 2022, 65: 1929–1958. - PubMed

[4] Zeng W, Yang F, Shen WL, Zhan C, Zheng P, Hu J. Interactions between central nervous system and peripheral metabolic organs. Sci China Life Sci 2022, 65: 1929–1958. - PubMed

[5] Dowling LR, Strazzari MR, Keely S, Kaiko GE. Enteric nervous system and intestinal epithelial regulation of the gut-brain axis. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2022, 150: 513–522. - PubMed

[6] Dowling LR, Strazzari MR, Keely S, Kaiko GE. Enteric nervous system and intestinal epithelial regulation of the gut-brain axis. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2022, 150: 513–522. - PubMed

[7] Pellegrini C, Fornai M, D’Antongiovanni V, Antonioli L, Bernardini N, Derkinderen P. The intestinal barrier in disorders of the central nervous system. Lancet Gastroenterol Hepatol 2023, 8: 66–80. - PubMed

[8] Pellegrini C, Fornai M, D’Antongiovanni V, Antonioli L, Bernardini N, Derkinderen P. The intestinal barrier in disorders of the central nervous system. Lancet Gastroenterol Hepatol 2023, 8: 66–80. - PubMed

[9] Gimple RC, Yang K, Halbert ME, Agnihotri S, Rich JN. Brain cancer stem cells: Resilience through adaptive plasticity and hierarchical heterogeneity. Nat Rev Cancer 2022, 22: 497–514. - PubMed

[10] Gimple RC, Yang K, Halbert ME, Agnihotri S, Rich JN. Brain cancer stem cells: Resilience through adaptive plasticity and hierarchical heterogeneity. Nat Rev Cancer 2022, 22: 497–514. - PubMed

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Crosstalk Between the Nervous System and Colorectal Cancer

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Crosstalk Between the Nervous System and Colorectal Cancer

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