title: Mechanisms of cancer dissemination along nerves.
abstract: The local extension of cancer cells along nerves is a frequent clinical finding for various tumours. Traditionally, nerve invasion was assumed to occur via the path of least resistance; however, recent animal models and human studies have revealed that cancer cells have an innate ability to actively migrate along axons in a mechanism called neural tracking. The tendency of cancer cells to track along nerves is supported by various cell types in the perineural niche that secrete multiple growth factors and chemokines. We propose that the perineural niche should be considered part of the tumour microenvironment, describe the molecular cues that facilitate neural tracking and suggest methods for its inhibition.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Applied Cancer Research, Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Head and Neck Center, Rambam Healthcare Campus, Clinical Research Institute at Rambam, Rappaport Institute of Medicine and Research, The Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haalia Street No. 8, Haifa, Israel.
authors.forename: Moran
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Amit
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Applied Cancer Research, Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Head and Neck Center, Rambam Healthcare Campus, Clinical Research Institute at Rambam, Rappaport Institute of Medicine and Research, The Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haalia Street No. 8, Haifa, Israel.
authors.forename: Shorook
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Na'ara
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Applied Cancer Research, Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Head and Neck Center, Rambam Healthcare Campus, Clinical Research Institute at Rambam, Rappaport Institute of Medicine and Research, The Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haalia Street No. 8, Haifa, Israel.
authors.forename: Ziv
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Gil
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D009420:Nervous System / Q000473:pathology*; D059016:Tumor Microenvironment