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How tumours trick the brain into shutting down cancer-fighting cells

Lung cancer in mice hijacks neurons to send a signal that subdues the immune system, study finds.
By
  1. Edward Chen

Tumours boost their own growth by attracting and then commandeering nearby sensory nerves, a study finds. By ‘plugging into’ tumour cells, these nerves can send a signal to the brain that subdues the protective activity of immune cells at the tumour site — allowing the cancerous cells to proliferate unchecked.

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doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-026-00338-w

Read the related News & Views ‘Tumour-to-brain pathway limits anticancer defence’.

Updates & Corrections

  • Clarification 05 February 2026: This story was updated to clarify the role that macrophages might play when tumours hijack the vagus-nerve signalling pathway.

  • Clarification 10 February 2026: This story was updated to make clear that entire nerve cells do not reside within tumours. Their fibres connect to the tumours.

References

  1. Wei, H. K. et al. Nature https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-10028-8 (2026).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Magnon, C. et al. Science 341, 1236361 (2013).

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

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