journal article·2025-02

Targeted intervention in nerve–cancer crosstalk enhances pancreatic cancer chemotherapy

Jiaqi Qin, Jingjie Liu, Zhaohan Wei, Xin Li, Zhaoxia Chen, Jianye Li, Wenxia Zheng, Haojie Liu, Shiyi Xu, Tuying Yong, Ben Zhao, Shanmiao Gou, Shenghong Ju, Gao-Jun Teng, Xiangliang Yang, Lu Gan

Nature Nanotechnology· Volume 20· Issue 2
Publisher page

Abstract

Nerve-cancer crosstalk has gained substantial attention owing to its impact on tumour growth, metastasis and therapy resistance. Effective therapeutic strategies targeting tumour-associated nerves within the intricate tumour microenvironment remain a major challenge in pancreatic cancer. Here we develop Escherichia coli Nissle 1917-derived outer membrane vesicles conjugated with nerve-binding peptide NP41, loaded with the tropomyosin receptor kinase (Trk) inhibitor larotrectinib (Lar@NP-OMVs) for tumour-associated nerve targeting. Lar@NP-OMVs achieve efficient nerve intervention to diminish neurite growth by disrupting the neurotrophin/Trk signalling pathway. Moreover, OMV-mediated repolarization of M2-like tumour-associated macrophages to an M1-like phenotype results in nerve injury, further accentuating Lar@NP-OMV-induced nerve intervention to inhibit nerve-triggered proliferation and migration of pancreatic cancer cells and angiogenesis. Leveraging this strategy, Lar@NP-OMVs significantly reduce nerve infiltration and neurite growth promoted by gemcitabine within the tumour microenvironment, leading to augmented chemotherapy efficacy in pancreatic cancer. This study sheds light on a potential avenue for nerve-targeted therapeutic intervention for enhancing pancreatic cancer therapy.
Source: europepmc · Quality: candidate unverified · Source record ↗

Research context

OpenAlex topics: Cancer, Stress, Anesthesia, and Immune Response · Axon Guidance and Neuronal Signaling · Nerve injury and regeneration

SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.

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