Stress-driven lymphatic dissemination: An unanticipated consequence of communication between the sympathetic nervous system and lymphatic vasculature

Caroline P Le; Erica K Sloan

doi:10.1080/23723556.2016.1177674

Stress-driven lymphatic dissemination: An unanticipated consequence of communication between the sympathetic nervous system and lymphatic vasculature

Mol Cell Oncol. 2016 May 31;3(4):e1177674. doi: 10.1080/23723556.2016.1177674. eCollection 2016 Jul.

Authors

Caroline P Le¹, Erica K Sloan²

Affiliations

¹ Drug Discovery Biology Theme, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University , Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
² Drug Discovery Biology Theme, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; Department of Cancer and Pain Medicine, Peter MacCallum Cancer, East Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Cousins Center for PNI, UCLA Semel Institute, Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, and UCLA AIDS Institute, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.

Abstract

Chronic stress drives cancer progression, but the routes of metastasis are unclear. We recently demonstrated that chronic stress activates a neural-inflammatory signaling axis to remodel lymphatic vasculature and increase lymph flow. This unanticipated crosstalk between stress and the lymphatic system provides pathways of tumor cell dissemination and accelerates metastasis.

Keywords: Adrenergic; lymphatic; metastasis; sympathetic nervous system; β-blocker.

Grants and funding

R01 CA160890/CA/NCI NIH HHS/United States