TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A National Taiwan University-led study has found that lung cancer can use nearby nerves to weaken the body’s immune system, offering a possible new way to improve treatment, CNA reported Wednesday.
Led by Leanne Li (李力恩), a visiting professor at National Taiwan University’s medical school, the team included researchers from National Taiwan University Hospital, Harvard Medical School, and other institutions. The study, published in the journal Cell, is the first to show that lung cancer can use nerve signals to avoid immune system attacks.
“Lung adenocarcinoma is the most common type of lung cancer in Taiwan,” National Taiwan University Hospital surgery department head Chen Chin-hsing (陳晉興) said. He said it accounts for about 70% of lung cancer cases in the country.
Chen said immunotherapy has changed treatment for many lung cancer patients. However, the treatment does not work well for all patients, and doctors have been trying to understand why.
Researchers found that many pain-sensing nerves gather around lung cancer cells. After cancer cells activate these nerves, the nerves release signals that interfere with the immune system.
Li said the nerves near lung tumors act like a communication system, sending the wrong instructions. These signals make it harder for immune cells to gather and attack cancer cells.
The finding helps explain how some lung cancer cells escape the body’s defenses. It also suggests that blocking nerve signals could make immunotherapy work better.
The study also gives a new view of smoking-related harm. Li said cigarettes contain cancer-causing chemicals that can damage genes, and they may also activate pain-sensing nerves that weaken immune defense.
Li said some antibody drugs already approved for severe migraine may block the same nerve signals seen in the study. Animal tests showed that combining these drugs with immunotherapy helped the immune system attack cancer cells and increased survival time.
Chen said the study reveals a new way lung adenocarcinoma can grow and resist treatment. He said future treatment may not only block blood vessels that feed tumors, but also block nerve signals that help cancer cells survive.
Researchers said combining treatments that target blood vessels, nerves, and the immune system could lead to better cancer care. They said the findings may help create new treatment options for lung cancer patients.
