Striking a nerve: Sensory neurons orchestrate ECM remodeling and immune exclusion in TNBC.

Barki, Debra; Eilat, Neta; Scherz-Shouval, Ruth · Cell · 2026

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

The tumor microenvironment drives cancer progression, yet neural contributions remain underexplored. Zhang et al. unravel a signaling circuit involving cancer cells, sensory neurons, and cancer-associated fibroblasts that promotes desmoplasia and excludes cytotoxic T cells, positioning the neuron-fibroblast axis as a therapeutic vulnerability and potential predictor of immunotherapy response.

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