Therapeutic potential of the vagus nerve in cancer

Eva Reijmen; Luca Vannucci; Marijke De Couck; Jacques De Grève; Yori Gidron

doi:10.1016/j.imlet.2018.07.006

Therapeutic potential of the vagus nerve in cancer

Eva Reijmen, Luca Vannucci, Marijke De Couck, Jacques De Grève, Yori Gidron

Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review

Abstract

Accumulating evidence points to a beneficial effect ofvagus nerve activity in tumor development. The vagus nerve is proposed to slow tumorigenesis because of its anti-inflammatory properties mediated through ACh and the α7nAChR. Since α7nAChRs are widely expressed by many types of immune cells we hypothesized that the vagus nerve affects the tumor microenvironment and anticancer immunity. We found direct evidence in studies using animal cancer models that vagus nerve stimulation alters immunological responses relevant to the tumor microenvironment. Also studies in pathologies other than cancer suggest a role for the vagus nerve in altering immunological responses relevant to anticancer immunity. These results provide a rationale to expect that vagus nerve stimulation, in combination with conventional cancer treatments, may improve the prognosis of cancer patients by promoting anticancer immunity.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	38-43
Number of pages	6
Journal	Immunology Letters
Volume	202
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.imlet.2018.07.006
State	Published - Oct 2018
Externally published	Yes

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2018 European Federation of Immunological Societies

Keywords

Acetylcholine
Cancer immunity
Vagotomy
Vagus/vagal nerve

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Immunology and Allergy
Immunology

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1016/j.imlet.2018.07.006

Cite this

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title = "Therapeutic potential of the vagus nerve in cancer",

abstract = "Accumulating evidence points to a beneficial effect ofvagus nerve activity in tumor development. The vagus nerve is proposed to slow tumorigenesis because of its anti-inflammatory properties mediated through ACh and the α7nAChR. Since α7nAChRs are widely expressed by many types of immune cells we hypothesized that the vagus nerve affects the tumor microenvironment and anticancer immunity. We found direct evidence in studies using animal cancer models that vagus nerve stimulation alters immunological responses relevant to the tumor microenvironment. Also studies in pathologies other than cancer suggest a role for the vagus nerve in altering immunological responses relevant to anticancer immunity. These results provide a rationale to expect that vagus nerve stimulation, in combination with conventional cancer treatments, may improve the prognosis of cancer patients by promoting anticancer immunity.",

keywords = "Acetylcholine, Cancer immunity, Vagotomy, Vagus/vagal nerve",

author = "Eva Reijmen and Luca Vannucci and {De Couck}, Marijke and {De Gr{\`e}ve}, Jacques and Yori Gidron",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2018 European Federation of Immunological Societies",

year = "2018",

month = oct,

doi = "10.1016/j.imlet.2018.07.006",

language = "English",

volume = "202",

pages = "38--43",

journal = "Immunology Letters",

issn = "0165-2478",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Therapeutic potential of the vagus nerve in cancer

AU - Reijmen, Eva

AU - Vannucci, Luca

AU - De Couck, Marijke

AU - De Grève, Jacques

AU - Gidron, Yori

PY - 2018/10

Y1 - 2018/10

N2 - Accumulating evidence points to a beneficial effect ofvagus nerve activity in tumor development. The vagus nerve is proposed to slow tumorigenesis because of its anti-inflammatory properties mediated through ACh and the α7nAChR. Since α7nAChRs are widely expressed by many types of immune cells we hypothesized that the vagus nerve affects the tumor microenvironment and anticancer immunity. We found direct evidence in studies using animal cancer models that vagus nerve stimulation alters immunological responses relevant to the tumor microenvironment. Also studies in pathologies other than cancer suggest a role for the vagus nerve in altering immunological responses relevant to anticancer immunity. These results provide a rationale to expect that vagus nerve stimulation, in combination with conventional cancer treatments, may improve the prognosis of cancer patients by promoting anticancer immunity.

AB - Accumulating evidence points to a beneficial effect ofvagus nerve activity in tumor development. The vagus nerve is proposed to slow tumorigenesis because of its anti-inflammatory properties mediated through ACh and the α7nAChR. Since α7nAChRs are widely expressed by many types of immune cells we hypothesized that the vagus nerve affects the tumor microenvironment and anticancer immunity. We found direct evidence in studies using animal cancer models that vagus nerve stimulation alters immunological responses relevant to the tumor microenvironment. Also studies in pathologies other than cancer suggest a role for the vagus nerve in altering immunological responses relevant to anticancer immunity. These results provide a rationale to expect that vagus nerve stimulation, in combination with conventional cancer treatments, may improve the prognosis of cancer patients by promoting anticancer immunity.

KW - Acetylcholine

KW - Cancer immunity

KW - Vagotomy

KW - Vagus/vagal nerve

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U2 - 10.1016/j.imlet.2018.07.006

DO - 10.1016/j.imlet.2018.07.006

M3 - Review article

C2 - 30077536

AN - SCOPUS:85051076100

SN - 0165-2478

VL - 202

SP - 38

EP - 43

JO - Immunology Letters

JF - Immunology Letters

ER -

Therapeutic potential of the vagus nerve in cancer

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

UN SDGs

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