Aggressive breast tumors may do something unsettling: recruit the body’s own nerves to help them grow. New research maps how — and points to a drug already on the market that might interrupt it.
Scientists at the University of Oklahoma, led by Dr. Maureen Cox, found that triple-negative breast cancer — a hard-to-treat subtype — recruits immune cells called macrophages to release a protein named BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor). That signal draws extensive nerve networks into the tumor, promoting cancer growth and treatment resistance. The findings were published in Cell Death & Differentiation.
Why nerves help tumors
Nerves growing into a tumor may stimulate the formation of new blood vessels that feed it oxygen and nutrients, provide a path for cancer cells to migrate during metastasis, and dampen the immune system’s attack on the tumor. In human tissue, tumors with higher macrophage and BDNF levels correlated with poorer survival.
A drug already on the shelf
In mouse studies, blocking BDNF signaling prevented nerves from growing into tumors and significantly reduced tumor growth. Encouragingly, an existing marketed drug that blocks BDNF signaling showed promise. “It looks really promising that we can use this drug, which is already on the market, to target BDNF,” Cox said.
Why it matters
Triple-negative breast cancer has fewer targeted treatment options than other subtypes. Repurposing an approved drug against a newly understood mechanism — tumor–nerve crosstalk — is an appealing shortcut, though these results are preclinical and would need testing in humans before any clinical use. This article summarizes early-stage research and is not medical advice.