The team discovered that the tumor specifically reprograms the neurons for its own benefit. In mice, blocking nerve function inhibited cancer growth and increased the sensitivity of tumor cells to certain chemotherapies and immunotherapies.

For several years, scientists have been discovering interactions with the nervous system in almost all types of cancer studied, interactions that in many cases promote tumor growth and survival. This also applies to pancreatic cancer, which is interwoven with a dense network of nerves.

However, only the nerve fibers project into the tumor, while the nuclei of the nerve cells lie far outside, in the ganglia, the control centers of the peripheral nervous system. Therefore, it was previously unclear which molecular interactions they enter into with cancer cells.