Molecular Mechanisms of Intratumoral Nerve Recruitment and Perineural Invasion Elucidated with Spatial Transcriptomics and CRISPR Activation.

Our results suggest that the mechanisms enabling cancer cells to recruit nerves into the tumor microenvironment are distinct from those facilitating perineural invasion. This study has transformed our understanding of how cancer cells and the peripheral nervous system collaborate to promote tumor growth, survival, and dissemination, and is now guiding prioritization of therapeutic strategies that synergize with adjuvant radiotherapy in the burgeoning field of cancer neuroscience.