The neuroscience of childhood brain cancers.

Monje, Michelle · Sci Transl Med · 2026

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

Nervous system activity drives both normal neurodevelopment and childhood brain cancers through paracrine and synaptic signaling. In childhood gliomas, cancer cells integrate structurally and electrically into neural networks, and neuron-cancer interactions are strongly growth-promoting. Understanding the neuroscience mechanisms regulating childhood brain cancers opens a previously unexplored avenue for much-needed therapeutic interventions.

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