title: Role of the Autonomic Nervous System in the Tumor Micro-Environment and its Therapeutic Potential.
abstract: Although evidence over the last 30 years suggests that the autonomic nervous system (ANS) mediates stress-induced allostatic and immune responses, the crucial role that it plays in the tumor micro-environment has only recently been reported. Here, we review the action of ANS signaling in this micro-environment. Emerging data suggest that primary tumors are innervated by the ANS which mediates stress-related effects on tumor progression. The activation of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) takes advantage of neurotransmitters and neuropeptides from the innervating neural circuitry and/or hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis glucocorticoids via their receptors to modulate the gene expression associated with oncogenesis, the proliferation and apoptosis of tumor cells, angiogenesis, and the tumor-associated immune response. The parasympathetic nervous system has also been implicated in some tumor types, but its contribution in the tumor micro-environment remains unclear. In addition to identifying the ANS signaling pathways involved in tumor progression, recent reports suggest that the ANS could be a potential biomarker to predict tumor progression, and have identified new pharmacological strategies, such as the use of β-adrenergic blockers, to inhibit tumor progression and metastasis by targeting this system. These findings are reviewed here.
authors: Acu-moxibustion and Tuina Department, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin 300193, China.
authors: Zhifang
authors: Z
authors: Xu
authors: Division of Cellular Signaling, Institute for Advanced Medical Research, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku, Tokyo 160-8582. Japan.
authors: Seiji
authors: S
authors: Shioda
authors: Peptide Drug Innovation, Global Research Center for Innovative Life Science, Hoshi University School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2-4-41 Ebara, Shinagawa, Tokyo 142-8501. Japan.
authors: Jinushi
authors: J
authors: Masahisa
authors: Peptide Drug Innovation, Global Research Center for Innovative Life Science, Hoshi University School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2-4-41 Ebara, Shinagawa, Tokyo 142-8501. Japan.
authors: Yutaka
authors: Y
authors: Kawakami
authors: Department of Anatomy, Showa University School of Medicine, 1-5-8 Hatanodai, Shinagawa, Tokyo 142-8555. Japan.
authors: Hirokazu
authors: H
authors: Ohtaki
authors: Acu-moxibustion and Tuina Department, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin 300193, China.
authors: Huimin Calista
authors: HC
authors: Lim
authors: Acu-moxibustion and Tuina Department, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin 300193, China.
authors: Shenjun
authors: S
authors: Wang
authors: Acu-moxibustion and Tuina Department, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin 300193, China.
authors: Xue
authors: X
authors: Zhao
authors: Acu-moxibustion and Tuina Department, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin 300193, China.
authors: Yangyang
authors: Y
authors: Liu
authors: Acu-moxibustion and Tuina Department, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin 300193, China.
authors: Dan
authors: D
authors: Zhou
authors: Acu-moxibustion and Tuina Department, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin 300193, China.
authors: Yi
authors: Y
authors: Guo
mesh_terms: D001341:Autonomic Nervous System / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D059016:Tumor Microenvironment / Q000187:drug effects*
keywords: Autonomic nervous system; adrenergic signaling; immune response; sympathetic nervous system; tumor microenvironment