Overview

• Researchers documented anatomically defined neuron–cancer synapses in cell culture and mouse allografts using imaging and electron microscopy.
• Genomic analyses revealed synapse-related gene programs in small cell lung cancer that support integration into host neural circuits.
• Functional assays showed neuron-to-cancer communication via glutamate and GABA, and the presence of sensory or cortical neurons accelerated tumor cell proliferation.
• Pharmacological disruption of glutamate signaling in mice improved tumor control, and combinations with chemotherapy also showed benefit in preclinical tests.
• The peer-reviewed study, published in Nature by an international team based in Germany, highlights investigational therapeutic routes including repurposing neurotransmitter-blocking drugs to target cancer–neuron crosstalk.