A self-amplifying nerve-fibroblast circuit drives colorectal cancer progression.
Cholinergic stimulation triggers a self-amplifying nerve-fibroblast circuit that drives colorectal cancer progression, with high NTN1 expression linked to poor outcomes.
- Why it matters: Understanding how nerve and fibroblast interactions influence tumor growth could reveal new therapeutic targets for colorectal cancer, which remains a leading cause of cancer-related deaths.
- What they did: The study used chemogenetic activation and blocking strategies in mouse models, along with analysis of human CRC samples, to investigate the role of CHRM3/Gq signaling and NTN1 in tumor progression.
- The result: Disrupting CHRM3 or NTN1 pathways reduced tumor growth and improved survival in mice, indicating that targeting this neuro-mesenchymal circuit may offer effective treatments for CRC.