The Neural Niche in the Tumor Microenvironment: From Mechanistic Insights to Therapeutic Targeting

Submission Deadline: 31 July 2026 View: 653 Submit to Special Issue

Guest Editor(s)

Assist. Prof. Meng-Yao Li

Email: limy@sioc.ac.cn

Affiliation: 1. Shanghai Cancer Institute, Renji Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200017, China 

2. Shanghai Key Laboratory of Cancer Systems Regulation and Clinical Translation, Shanghai Jiading District Central Hospital, Shanghai, 201800, China

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Research Interests: tumors, anti-tumor drugs, tumor drug resistance, tumor neurology

Assist. Prof. Shuai Ren

Email: shuairen@njucm.edu.cn

Affiliation: Department of Radiology, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210029, China

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Research Interests: gastrointestinal oncology, pancreatic cancer, metabolomics, proteomics, mirna, radiology, molecular imaging, nanomedicine, multi-omics

Assist. Prof. Lei Huang

Email: lei.huang@umassmed.edu

Affiliation: Department of Molecular, Cell, and Cancer Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, 01605, United States

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Research Interests: cancer biology, cancer metabolism, metastasis, EMT, immunotherapy, and signaling pathways

Assoc. Prof. Yi-Sheng Chen

Email: yschen21@m.fudan.edu.cn

Affiliation: 1. Ningde Hospital, Shanghai First People's Hospital, Ningde, 200080, China 

2. School of Medicine, Ningde Normal University, Ningde, 352100, China 

3. Affiliated Hospital of Neck-Shoulder-Waist-Leg Pain, Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, 250031, China

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Research Interests: exercise and health promotion, gut-liver-brain axis regulation, single-cell and multi-omics in sports medicine, regenerative biomaterials, precision rehabilitation in aging

Summary

The tumor microenvironment (TME) is a sophisticated ecosystem that governs tumor initiation, progression, and metastasis. Although the roles of immune, vascular, and stromal elements are well-defined, the nervous system has recently been identified as a crucial, yet not thoroughly investigated, component in the TME, establishing a distinct "neural niche." This special issue endeavors to elucidate the intricate and bidirectional interactions between neurons, glial cells, and other TME constituents across diverse cancer types.

We invite submissions of original research and reviews that explore the molecular basis of tumor innervation (neoneurogenesis) and its functional implications. This includes, but is not restricted to, the following: neurotransmitter and neurotrophic factor regulation of immune cell activity (e.g., CD8+ T cell exhaustion, macrophage polarization) and cancer cell stemness; glial cell (e.g., Schwann cells, astrocytes) facilitation of perineural invasion and metastasis; neural regulation of angiogenesis and metabolism in the TME; and crosstalk between nerves and cancer-associated fibroblasts.

A key aim of this issue is to facilitate the interplay between fundamental science and clinical translation. Studies that probe the therapeutic potential of targeting neural-TME interactions, such as the repurposing of neuroactive drugs (e.g., beta-blockers, GABA antagonists) and the development of innovative agents against nerve-guided pathways, are cordially invited. Moreover, we encourage submissions that explore neural signatures as prognostic biomarkers or predictors of response to standard therapies, including immunotherapy and chemotherapy.

This special issue aims to establish a comprehensive framework for understanding the neural niche by integrating insights from multidisciplinary fields such as cancer neuroscience, immunology, and cell biology. This integrative approach is anticipated to accelerate the development of innovative strategies for cancer treatment.

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Published Papers